My great Aunt had a jewelry business in the San Diego, and she loved working with opal. I am not sure where she got the majority of her opal, but I remember she did travel to Australia to buy rough opals that she could cut and polish. It's been a long time, but I remember she showed me a ring she made for her older sister ( another great Aunt ) to celebrate her cancer going into remission. She lived almost 20 years after that time...and the other one got Parkinson's disease and passed quickly. I love watching you take an opal in the rough and making something spectacular from it! You're an amazing artist!
I have a friend who does chalk art - in fact he travels to Australia for this frequently. When he begins a new piece he starts with colours you'd never expect like dark greens and blues. I asked him once why he does that and he explained that he needs those colours as a base to bring out the natural hues in the skin tone of the subject he's painting. I was always floored that he could perceive those details. I get the same feeling when I see you examining a rough opal. How you notice a little line of black or a glint of colour that leads you to a conclusion I never could have come to...well it's a joy to watch an artist ply his trade!
Your friend is right. Your skin is slightly translucent and underneath it the flesh is dark pigments in the skin reflect most of the light but but the color underneath shine through if you know what to look for. If you want to see it for yourself cut a one inch hole in a piece of paper and place it on the back of your hand. Study that area until you notice the subtle color variations.
That is so cool and a nice assessment! See now I myself like those colors because in Skittles it is lime and berry. But I am a simple man with simple needs. Btw, I am also a huge fan of reds.. not only because there apple or cherry.. But because I love all the fire in gems I can find! I am also partial to harlequin patterns over broad flash. And when found in a multi directional opal I fall over and remain quite mesmerized. But I also like shiney things. Yeah , imagine me in a mirror shoppe. I often need therapy afterwards. 😏 Back in the 70's people thought I could dance my bell bottoms off. It was just actually me following and chasing the mirror ball effect.
Your work is pure inspiration, filled with all the most important feelings of suspence, momentum, turningpoints, mid-points, plots and decision making . . . you are a role model and quite an exceptional opal yourself. Thank you for all the great work in HIGH SPIRITS of JOY & RELEVANCE.
Honesty is always appreciated in any negotiation. Many people love the colors of opal but don't have the price, so they seek more affordable forms of opal. I consider these options essential to keeping a person's hopes alive for achieving higher value opal. Especially black opal. We can't all afford it, but we can sure admire the beauty of it, thanks to you. God bless.
I started watching you 6months ago and i fell in love with opals and was fascinated with the skill and thought it takes to cut them, love your show and you really are the Bob Ross of opal.I was so inspired I went and bought my own lapidary equipment. Thanks
Justin! I very much like these start to finish videos. When I saw the size of that stone I stopped everything I was doing to see this. It was a beautuful stone to begin with, then you brought it to life. Thank you very much for sharing.
So happy to know you are a man of integrity. I have watched you from day one and I always assumed you were but you being honest is so heartwarming. Stay the way you are. You are a true delight. You are a master of your art. Bless you💥
My opinion, which isn’t worth much is that I love my little opal. It’s not real, I’m certain. It’s tiny, I’m certain of that too. To me it’s invaluable though. It was a gift from my daughter for Mother’s Day when she had her first job at 16. She didn’t make much money but she was a valuable employee. I still think they couldn’t have run that little movie theater without her. She was assistant manager by 17. But that first year she bought her mom a little opal ring and I wear it to this day. She’s now almost 40. I think my opal no matter if it’s painted, is the most beautiful one I’ll ever own. I love your videos. I feel the nerves for you when you tackle a beauty. We go in with you. 🤟🏼🤍
With my limited equipment cutting beryls, saphire, and spinel, I can get a clean cabochon. but I learned from you Justin to always inspect your piece for any remaining scratches between steps and get off any left over residue. It has helped so much with my technique even with hard stones. This channel is my absolute favorite; this is my education until the time when I'm properly equipped to cut opal and buy from you and the BOD family. Thank you for allowing us to share in these beautiful stones with you.
As for doublets and treated opal, if they are sold honestly for what they are, then they let so many more people fall in love with opals. I can't afford a top quality black opal, but I could afford a beautiful treated or doublet stone. And I've watched the process of treating, watching a stone where you can barely see any color suddenly have all of its fire revealed. Or how a thin pale color bar lights up into brilliance when a black backing is put on. But I might prefer a triplet, because I'm very hard on my jewelry, and I'd be afraid of damaging the surface of an opal, but a triplet topped with a harder material would be much safer for me to wear.
@@blackopaldirect It would be great if there were some sort of standard mark that could be put on doublets and treated opals, to prevent confusion later. Kind of the way gold and sterling silver are hallmarked so you know what they are. But so many settings obscure the back of the stone, so it couldn't go there. A chemical treatment that fluoresced a different color than opals usually fluoresce would be the ideal (I know some synthetic rubies use this to distinguish them), but how would you ever get everybody to use it?
@@purplemartinracingteam1750 Watch "The Opal Mills" channel. He works with Andamooka matrix opal quite a lot, and for much of it the fire barely shows at all. Until he gets it treated, then the colors just pop.
I was a custom picture framer for over forty years . We sometimes made frames that were not solid in a corner, or' cleaned glass on a big picture or found a speck of dirt inside . It was tempting to ignore it, but my boss would say, would you want a picture or frame like that? My answer was always no, and although we sometimes only broke even or lost money on a job, we developed an excellent reputation and the confidence of our customers. That is the most important thing for you to have, the confidence and trust of people you sell to. You are doing the right thing! Cheers, Rik Spector
I wish I could send you a picture of the black opal that I have.... OMG she's gorgeous but I don't think it's too safe for the eye's. I would imagine one would have to have special glasses to look at it without getting blind from the color's. When I look at mine too long, it takes my sight away for awhile. Those colors are candy to the eye's !
This is the first video of yours that I've watched. Someone watching my channel suggested that I watch it to get better at my camera angles when making my own lapidary videos. She was right, you do a nice job. I'm impressed by your phone mounting system. It looks like you have a track behind your cab machines so you can just move your camera back and forth. It also looks like it's completely out of your way when you're working. I use a tripod and have to wrap my arms around it, making it more difficult to work. Anyhow, thanks for some good ideas. I think I'll be coming back for more. This was a very enjoyable video to watch.
You’re not going to like this comment because it requires a change in perspective. And that is, I like the rough, up against fire opal as dramatic contrast. I would love slices or shaped slices set into pendants or ring stones than just the pure opal without any rough opal. The ultimate goal to “have a clean face,” is not my preference. I wonder how many more people feel the same. The same stone could be enjoyed by dozens of people instead of one person. And I love how the contrast makes your eye search and enjoy the entire stone. That’s my share.
I appreciate the fact that you can not guarantee who will end up with the gem after it leaves your hands. I also appreciate your love for the natural gem that you are such an amazing artist with and not wanting anyone to end up being taken. Thank you Justin for being you. 🥰
All I know about gemstones on the market is what I learned from all those Home Shopping on TV and web stores. I make gemstone jewelry myself. I know it's very difficult & expensive to find natural gemstones. I am use to heat, dyed, irradiated, all the different things you can do to make gems look better. Doublets I've never cared for no matter how pretty the final product. Something about putting two different gemstones together isn't my cup of tea. As long as the seller is honest about what treatments were used & I like the finished product, it doesn't matter at all. Your did such a beautiful job on your opal here. Lots of work & you got to know what you're doing. And you do!
Thanks for being honest! Early on in my learning experience, I almost purchased a heart shaped triplet being sold as a natural lighting ridge opal. I questioned the jeweler during my trip into NYC and was lied to that the white and black on the back was supposedly the rough. It didn't look like any rough that I'd ever seen before and thankfully I could see all of this through the setting. I am so thankful that my little voice, the one in your gut, was screaming that it just seemed too good to be true. It was and I kept walking down Madison Ave., but I'm sure that he sold it as genuine. Luckily remembering my Grandmother's antique opal ring and how the back side really looked saved me. Unfortunately that ring of my Grandmother's wasn't worth anything but sentiment because she partially cracked the stone and it couldn't be fixed without it crumbling to pieces. I so enjoyed your videos and I love watching. I just get mesmerized by the beautiful colors that appear and your skill and patience in finding that color thru the cutting and polishing. Thanks so much for sharing your talents. 😊
Creating a specimen of such beauty, is not about profit, its about taking the skills and craft you learnt from your dad and others, and applying the feel and the touch of the stone and shaping and polishing it to create what you did, a lot of cutters would have made it into a kingstone and a few pieces to go with it, but you took a roughie and turned it into a stone of incredible beauty. Thank you for sharing this with us. Love your work.
I'm working on a pendant that needs 4 cabochons (not opal), and this video is perfect during my lunch break after cutting the first 2, and before going back out for the others. Butterfly wings are fun to cut!
I wish I had gotten into gems and minerals much earlier in life. I had to restart my career after a mva...and would have loved to have the equipment you have and one ounce of your talent and bravery to try! Nice work☺❤ I wanted to add that I have purchased Opal triplets for earrings and set them and sold them ...but always explained the triplet to customers so they knew what they were buying. Unfortunately I've seen many unscrupulous business owners that don't care.....sad but I spent many years as a nurse....and that reflects even in my gift shop work!.
Although your work as a nurse hasn't left you with the time and money to get into an expensive hobby, it will have been much more useful and valuable to your community and those you have nursed. ❤
Really appreciate your comments on doublets, triplets, treated and smoked opals. I guess if somebody's selling treated Opals and they're being honest about it, it's okay if that's what you're looking for. But I want nothing to do with any of it. Only looking for pure / natural Australian opals. Watching your videos has really helped me to begin to understand the stones and the market. Again, thank you for taking the time to make these videos.
LOVE that tightly-packed green gold fire right at the edge of the stone - looks almost like iridescent foil! There truly is nothing quite like real Australian opal. Thanks for all you do Justin, I have an appreciation for this gorgeous stone that is all down to you and your wonderful videos!
As a Master Craftsman I can appreciate that you question yourself and your abilities during a project. Nothing you or I produce is ever 100% to our liking and that keeps us striving for a better result by refining our techniques and practices. With that I'll leave you to your work, as I am now retired and plan to go fishing!
The value of any stone or piece of art is completely subjective. If someone really loves the look and the price is right I would rather they have a bright 3 ct doublet gem versus a 0.5 ct hazy natural. As long as we remain educated as consumers and sellers commit to being transparent and honest. That is what I love about your work! Thanks for honoring these stunning pieces of natural art!!!
You are an honest person in your profession. You don't want to deceive people, the reason you don't want to venture with other varieties. It would be sad to bear bad news, that what they bought was not what they expected. Too much hassle. Love your show; you are a character, and I never get bored watching.🤣
Whilst I agree with your comments about doublets, They do offer the chance for someone to have a nicer looking jewel than they could otherwise afford ps love your work.
@@thegiantgaming7592 Pretty sure he did that already. Can’t remember exactly when but I imagine it was in a ‘spotting fakes’ video. Give his channel a little search, might find it :-)
Loved watching your process! Thanks for sharing!! Glad to see your investment yielded a nice decent gem! I believe treated gems, as well as synthetics, have a place in the market - only as long as the seller is honest and upfront disclosing the history and treatments of the individual stones. For someone just getting into the business, a beginning collector, or for a buyer with a limited budget, treated or synthetic gems are a very affordable alternative. As a collector you can start very reasonably, working up to more expensive and higher quality material. For a beginning jeweler, affordable options are most likely necessary until building up a higher end clientele. A customer with limited funds can buy a very beautiful piece of jewelry to be loved and cherished as much as a natural or untreated stone! For someone in a physical type of job or higher risk situations, damaging a lesser quality stone won’t feel as devastating as a five or six figure natural untreated gem! Not that you should put yourself in a situation with something of any value that is more likely to be damaged, but you would be surprised!! Even if you do not normally sell treated stones, educating yourself and working with many different gem qualities and treatments, as well as different materials is a great learning opportunity. As a jeweler that does outside repairs, you will have many pieces walk into your shop that are assumed to be one thing and turn out to something completely different. Knowing exactly what materials and treatments are in a piece before handling it can save you many headaches and $$$ replacing damaged stones. So I think most people would agree that as long as full disclosure and any special care is explained and understood prior to purchase that treated and synthetic gemstones as well as simulants are all acceptable in the industry. It is up to the individual whether specific stone qualities and treatments enhances their individual use or not. Whatever your personal choice, be sure to educate yourself first to make the most informed decision, whatever you do in life!😊
When I lived in Au Australia many years ago I developed an interest in solitary and jewellery making I made my husband a pair occurs links with triplet opal. I was no way able to buy pure opal at the time, but what this did was spark a lifelong interest in Australian opal. So you see there is a place for triplets etc. I am 73 now setback in uk but still have some pieces of gas opal in my collection love watching you bring the stones to life
Where I'm from in Idaho, we have a few opal mines an hour from me in the city of Spencer. The opal it produces was made hydrothermally and forms in thin bands; so the vast majority of our opal is turned into triplets! This actually increases the value of our extremely white opal 😂 it is absolutely gorgeous in the rough form too. I completely agree with you that doublets and treated stones can easily be sold and passed as untreated. I'm glad that around my area, it's common knowledge to most that the majority of Spencer opals are triplets. Love the vids
@@feelinghealingfrequences7179 triplets are when opals are cut into thin layers and sandwiched between a dark base and a cap. In the end you have a black base and a quartz cap stone with thin opal in between.
What a great video. Thank you for the work and effort that goes into putting it all together. I own a small jewelry and appraisal business here in the United States. As a rule, I carry only Australian opal and feel that it is without peer and needs no treatment. I have friends who have purchased Ethiopian stones that just turned into NIGHTMARES. I am going to make sure to protect not only my clients specifically, but the general gem and jewelry buying public as a whole. Having said that, I am not opposed to treatments provided they are PERMANENT, STABLE, AND DISCLOSED UP FRONT. When someone is looking at a sapphire or ruby for example, the price per carat for treated vs untreated is worlds apart. Treatment can, in that case, be the difference between a sale and a happy client or zero on either. That's just my take. Thanks again for a great video.
Thank you for keeping this beauty as a specimen! Gorgeous! As a geologist I love specimens, be it Australian, Ethiopian, or others. It is so much easier to know you have the real deal. It is harder to fake a specimen, and there is likely less financial incentive to pull off a fake specimen since the market is more limited. Also, treated Australian makes for some spectacular specimens since they lend themselves to larger free form. And of course there are painted lady specimens, some of which are stunning. I even have some rather old synthetic opal specimens, which I like due to their history and the fact that they are quite eye-catching. Also, thanks for sharing your technique and I appreciate the running commentary. This is a great way to pass on your insights. I tried my hand at cutting but simply didn't have the time, and gave my wheels to a very worthy local opal club as a fundraiser. I found that I wasn't interested in making jewelry. Maybe I'll take it up again when I retire from my day job.
I know this is Black Opal Direct, but the white opals are my favorite! 😌 I'm not entirely sure I know what a "treated" opal is, but I bought a new necklace recently and chose an opal simply because of how much I love this channel. It was only $70 and I knew when I bought it that it was lab created, but I'm not an opal connoisseur so I love it just as much as an expensive one. 😊
I think it is great that you put the purchase price in and appreciate the transparency. I have been thinking about miniature carvings fir a while and have been shaping for about a year now. I think with the correct designs perticular specimens could be saved for there colour despite there size. Imagen 3D carved earrings with a motive. I think your dad would love it.sorry post edit would have loved it
Haven’t watched your channel in probably a year or so but if I may say I’m glad to see your studio upgrade and the production..while keeping the drama of gambling with opal and still having the same humor and personality. The studio looks great and the opals even better! Thanks for sharing your work and your knowledge, it helps more than you know!
Justin i'm so glad you brought up treated , smoked, and doublets . Someone who's been in the jewelry industry as long as i have 50+ years , Opal was always a mystry cause it was the other gems that we learned about ,diamonds, sapphires, rubys,emeralds , ect.. we for a long time just thought the opal was the (october birthstone) .however People like yourself and others who are now teaching and informing people about quality , colour , and what it takes for you to get that beautiful stone ready for the industry has opened our eyes up to value . I wish this could have been sooner where grandfather and the rest of the family could have seen the value and the real beauty behind the opal
I agree with your honesty is the best policy. I own a set of doublet earrings that I love. I would not be able to afford the same stones any other way. I also have a set of unmounted stones that the jeweler tells me they are too milky to set. I love them anyway because a family member gave them to me. I think that as long as you are told what you are getting it is ok.
Agreed. I just set a couple of not very good quality amethyst cabs in ring for two young women for whom the stones had a lot of meaning. It's not for me to say anything, it's about making them happy.
Dear Justin and team your videos are a mixture of thrilling peace to enjoy the unlocking of opan brilliance that's been hidden for +60 plus million years.
I believe that doublets which use better quality materials than the opal are worth the combined value of the two pieces. When opal is backed with garbage stones not worth as much. I don't sell my experiments though as solids and only made 7 stones
Seam opal just has to many risks per reward for my heart! I'll just stick to being a knobby snob for life! Got quite the chuckle with Tamika at the wheel and you spitting out rice cake! Keeps everything in perspective and reminds us never to take the world too seriously! Great video!
While I’m not a fan of “treated” gemstones in general, I give a small pass to doublets for material that is too thin to be stable on its own (mainly geyser opal).
I went to the gem show in Arizona and met a gal from Australia. Of course I picked a beautiful stone and almost died when she said 50,000 dollars I bargained a 50 dollar Nigerian opal instead. Opals rough or cut are just so pricey that is average guys can't even own a cool specimen sadly
Thanks Justine. Great work on such a large rock! Really appreciate your observations and agree with your personal choice re dublets etc. Stay true to your calling!!!!
I was wondering if you ever just quit on a stone and just keep it as is. What I am referring to as an example would be a beautiful colored stone with a deep flaw that can't be removed unless you remove a lot of the color also. I would rather have a large freeform opal with color than a small perfectly polished Opel and would not mind the flaws.
it "seams" like a really nice stone. Okay, by the numbers: 1- I, too, dislike rice cakes 2- I would love to see Tamika learn how to cut opal. the world needs more opal cutters 3- there is nothing wrong with treated gems so long as the owner knows the complete history of the piece and if sold that information is freely disseminated 4- not pendant, SCEPTER. You are thinking too small, Justin.
Thankyou for those comments about "natural opal" nearing the end of your Video.I learnt somethings that, finally explained & Influenced, my dislike for the multi-coloured stone. Your sharing has given myself a new view of Opal.
My Goodness. That Opal turned out so gorgeous. You are So masterful at what you do . When you first started out. I had no idea that stone could end up looking so amazing being that large.
It turned out to be a beautiful piece. I am ok with buying treated stones as long as the seller is honest and tells you they are treated. I have bought from a company that tells in their description if they are natural, dyed, stabilized, etc. which is important to me.
Oh this one had me sweating! I love, love the color. It reminds me so much of my mother's opal that was lost so many years ago. It was dreamy to look into. I wouldn't buy opal from anyone but you Justin if I could that is. Hope you sell it to someone that will love and care about it, and make a profit. I'd rather have that than a small ring sized gem simply because I'm a rock hound and I love this opal. I would hold it and look into it's colors and sparkles for hours on end. Great job Justin and thank you for sharing this journey with us.
I love watching you work producing beautiful gems. I am retired now but looking at your work I would enjoy being back in the business promoting and selling your beautiful work. Continued good luck.
I think it's important for your business that you stick to the real deal. The moment you deal in something modified, it puts doubt in the customer's mind about whether you're selling them the real deal. I think you're doing the right thing.
I live about an hour away from the Spencer Opal Mines in Idaho. The color layers are paper thin, so cutting a natural opal from this deposit is almost unheard of. Mostly triplets. They are marketed as such, and anyone buying or selling Idaho opal knows it. It may be more difficult to cut an Idaho opal because of just how thin the color layers are. Back in the 1970's there were opal cutters all over southeast Idaho. The mine owner would open the mine to rockhounds on weekends during the summer. When the owner of the mine retired and sold it to his daughter, she closed the mine to rockhounds. Now we only get to dig through her tailings. There are almost no opal cutters here any longer. When the cutters couldn't get into the seam, it wasn't worth it and most everyone sold their equipment. Sad. That being said, great video. Beautiful stone. Great work.
Been there, done that, but exchanged my gem making to conservation of spelean resources, Which I now locate and share with other people like myself. Since 1964. NASA said what we contribute has future apps ; if my species wants to visit moons and other planets.
I have been in love with opals since I saw my first one! I would one day have one! I really enjoy your videos and I learn something. That's great! When and if I can buy an opal, I will buy it from you! You are so trustworthy. I like black ones with a lot of colors in them, they are stunning! Thank you for what you do!
I am happy to see these videos. I just purchased an opal ring. Diamond is my birthstone, but I have always loved the OPAL. I hope that I don't lose this ring like I did the others.
Justin you're a true and honest person. I love your humor keep up the great work your shop looks awesome. I was expecting the estimated price for that to be around the $10,000 mark
I attribute all I have learned about opal from you. It is my passion and preferred therapy now. I agree with your comments and only work with natural, untreated, full opal. I have found amazing opportunity with dremelling out potch and sand before I use the wheels sometime, because it reveals what the stone may be capable of (if that makes sense). Thanks again for another interesting and valuable lesson.
Love how that turned out. Awesome work getting that to face clean. Love the vids and BOD crew. Keep it up Justin thank you for what you do for this community.
Your patience has paid off, what a beautiful aqua colored piece. Fantastic brilliance. $6000.00 is a great price! Treated stones and artificial stones, the only benefit is that it makes you happy, if the consumer is told that they are not right upon purchase. I've been collecting Aquamarine all of my life, it takes many years of working with stones to intuit the quality and whether they are proper gem. Fake stones are a nightmare if you are trading, the old adage, if it seems better than the real Mccoy it probably just seems that way.. Best thing to do is buy from certified reliable sources. I subd! And smashed the like button, you are amazing. Thank you!👍🏻✌🏼💕
I love watching you work it’s a complete form of art! I wish I could afford a piece of ur opal! I’m 46 so maybe some day! But for now I will enjoy watching u watching u with ur opal.
I remember mining opal in the 1970s in Coober Pedy. Finding opalised pipes starfish and shells a hundred feet underground in the middle of the country always fascinated me
First time watcher😊, very interesting your conversation about the piece. Opal is so Beautiful! Thank you for revealing it . Ahh to have a Genuine Australian Opal❤
I would have just left it as it was at 8:54 in the video and not "cut it into a free shape". Interesting how different the pov's can be on what is "enough" ;-) I strongly agree to the treated gems being fraud, if sold as "natural". On the other hand, I heard that triplets do have a protective coating which ensures the opal inside will tolerate every day wearing as jewellery. If declared properly and valued by the lesser amount of "real" opal in such a piece of jewellery, I'd honestly take it into consideration to have something like that for every day. It all comes down to being properly and honestly informed about what is being sold. Anything else is betrayal and creates bad Karma anyway ;-) I appreciate your honesty and concern for something you could make to be misused. 🙏
My great Aunt had a jewelry business in the San Diego, and she loved working with opal. I am not sure where she got the majority of her opal, but I remember she did travel to Australia to buy rough opals that she could cut and polish. It's been a long time, but I remember she showed me a ring she made for her older sister ( another great Aunt ) to celebrate her cancer going into remission. She lived almost 20 years after that time...and the other one got Parkinson's disease and passed quickly.
I love watching you take an opal in the rough and making something spectacular from it! You're an amazing artist!
I have a friend who does chalk art - in fact he travels to Australia for this frequently. When he begins a new piece he starts with colours you'd never expect like dark greens and blues. I asked him once why he does that and he explained that he needs those colours as a base to bring out the natural hues in the skin tone of the subject he's painting. I was always floored that he could perceive those details.
I get the same feeling when I see you examining a rough opal. How you notice a little line of black or a glint of colour that leads you to a conclusion I never could have come to...well it's a joy to watch an artist ply his trade!
Haha nice
Your friend is right. Your skin is slightly translucent and underneath it the flesh is dark pigments in the skin reflect most of the light but but the color underneath shine through if you know what to look for. If you want to see it for yourself cut a one inch hole in a piece of paper and place it on the back of your hand. Study that area until you notice the subtle color variations.
That is so cool and a nice assessment! See now I myself like those colors because in Skittles it is lime and berry. But I am a simple man with simple needs.
Btw, I am also a huge fan of reds.. not only because there apple or cherry.. But because I love all the fire in gems I can find!
I am also partial to harlequin patterns over broad flash. And when found in a multi directional opal I fall over and remain quite mesmerized.
But I also like shiney things. Yeah , imagine me in a mirror shoppe. I often need therapy afterwards. 😏
Back in the 70's people thought I could dance my bell bottoms off. It was just actually me following and chasing the mirror ball effect.
Lovely opal. Initial refining, spot on.
Does your friend have an onlince presence he wouldn't mind you sharing? I've not come across 'chalk art' outside of pavement arists.
When this guy says, "Well, it's time to get back to the old grind," he really means it. GREAT AS ALWAYS!
I love your integrity and honesty in everything that you do. Thank you for being a shining example to us!
Your work is pure inspiration, filled with all the most important feelings of suspence, momentum, turningpoints, mid-points, plots and decision making . . . you are a role model and quite an exceptional opal yourself. Thank you for all the great work in HIGH SPIRITS of JOY & RELEVANCE.
Thank you so much 😀
Honesty is always appreciated in any negotiation. Many people love the colors of opal but don't have the price, so they seek more affordable forms of opal. I consider these options essential to keeping a person's hopes alive for achieving higher value opal. Especially black opal. We can't all afford it, but we can sure admire the beauty of it, thanks to you. God bless.
I started watching you 6months ago and i fell in love with opals and was fascinated with the skill and thought it takes to cut them, love your show and you really are the Bob Ross of opal.I was so inspired I went and bought my own lapidary equipment. Thanks
Wow, thank you! and glad to be able to inspire
Justin! I very much like these start to finish videos. When I saw the size of that stone I stopped everything I was doing to see this. It was a beautuful stone to begin with, then you brought it to life. Thank you very much for sharing.
Welcome Virginia
guessing the location of the mine is a secret? paranoid drink and drug addled minersis the norm?
So happy to know you are a man of integrity. I have watched you from day one and I always assumed you were but you being honest is so heartwarming. Stay the way you are. You are a true delight. You are a master of your art. Bless you💥
My opinion, which isn’t worth much is that I love my little opal. It’s not real, I’m certain. It’s tiny, I’m certain of that too. To me it’s invaluable though. It was a gift from my daughter for Mother’s Day when she had her first job at 16. She didn’t make much money but she was a valuable employee. I still think they couldn’t have run that little movie theater without her. She was assistant manager by 17. But that first year she bought her mom a little opal ring and I wear it to this day. She’s now almost 40. I think my opal no matter if it’s painted, is the most beautiful one I’ll ever own. I love your videos. I feel the nerves for you when you tackle a beauty. We go in with you. 🤟🏼🤍
With my limited equipment cutting beryls, saphire, and spinel, I can get a clean cabochon. but I learned from you Justin to always inspect your piece for any remaining scratches between steps and get off any left over residue. It has helped so much with my technique even with hard stones. This channel is my absolute favorite; this is my education until the time when I'm properly equipped to cut opal and buy from you and the BOD family. Thank you for allowing us to share in these beautiful stones with you.
Thanks John
It’s a pleasure see you doing what you love to do. I can see how you enjoyed every single gem you shape. Thank you
As for doublets and treated opal, if they are sold honestly for what they are, then they let so many more people fall in love with opals. I can't afford a top quality black opal, but I could afford a beautiful treated or doublet stone. And I've watched the process of treating, watching a stone where you can barely see any color suddenly have all of its fire revealed. Or how a thin pale color bar lights up into brilliance when a black backing is put on. But I might prefer a triplet, because I'm very hard on my jewelry, and I'd be afraid of damaging the surface of an opal, but a triplet topped with a harder material would be much safer for me to wear.
Yeah I agree with that. It’s when the person owning passes away and it goes to auction with an unknown knowledge of it. Then it gets muddy
Buyer beware
@@blackopaldirect It would be great if there were some sort of standard mark that could be put on doublets and treated opals, to prevent confusion later. Kind of the way gold and sterling silver are hallmarked so you know what they are. But so many settings obscure the back of the stone, so it couldn't go there. A chemical treatment that fluoresced a different color than opals usually fluoresce would be the ideal (I know some synthetic rubies use this to distinguish them), but how would you ever get everybody to use it?
i've never seen a treated opal from austrailia
@@purplemartinracingteam1750 Watch "The Opal Mills" channel. He works with Andamooka matrix opal quite a lot, and for much of it the fire barely shows at all. Until he gets it treated, then the colors just pop.
I was a custom picture framer for over forty years .
We sometimes made frames that were not solid in a corner, or'
cleaned glass on a big picture or found a speck of dirt inside .
It was tempting to ignore it, but my boss would say,
would you want a picture or frame like that?
My answer was always no, and although we sometimes only broke even or lost money on a job,
we developed an excellent reputation and the confidence of our customers.
That is the most important thing for you to have, the confidence and trust of people you sell to.
You are doing the right thing!
Cheers,
Rik Spector
I don't object to treated gems and minerals as long as they are not sold as natural. Keep up the good work. God bless
Yup some need treatment, like most rubies.
Set opal into a belt buckle
Agree
I wish I could send you a picture of the black opal that I have.... OMG she's gorgeous but I don't think it's too safe for the eye's. I would imagine one would have to have special glasses to look at it without getting blind from the color's. When I look at mine too long, it takes my sight away for awhile. Those colors are candy to the eye's !
Antonmursid🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏✌🇸🇬🇸🇬🇸🇬🇸🇬🇸🇬✌👌💝
This is the first video of yours that I've watched. Someone watching my channel suggested that I watch it to get better at my camera angles when making my own lapidary videos. She was right, you do a nice job. I'm impressed by your phone mounting system. It looks like you have a track behind your cab machines so you can just move your camera back and forth. It also looks like it's completely out of your way when you're working. I use a tripod and have to wrap my arms around it, making it more difficult to work. Anyhow, thanks for some good ideas. I think I'll be coming back for more. This was a very enjoyable video to watch.
Glad you enjoyed
Sitting in my Jeep in the pouring rain, thunder and lightning and loving this episode!
I would love to be sitting in a thunderstorm, right now.
Haha nice
😍jeep fam!✌🏻
I really enjoy watching a true craftsman at his trade, I've watched several of your clips and enjoy them immensely .
You’re not going to like this comment because it requires a change in perspective.
And that is, I like the rough, up against fire opal as dramatic contrast. I would love slices or shaped slices set into pendants or ring stones than just the pure opal without any rough opal.
The ultimate goal to “have a clean face,” is not my preference. I wonder how many more people feel the same.
The same stone could be enjoyed by dozens of people instead of one person. And I love how the contrast makes your eye search and enjoy the entire stone.
That’s my share.
My heart gets happy when I see beautiful gems. But these are out of reach of my pocket. God bless you. You have a great fun in your hands..
I appreciate the fact that you can not guarantee who will end up with the gem after it leaves your hands. I also appreciate your love for the natural gem that you are such an amazing artist with and not wanting anyone to end up being taken. Thank you Justin for being you. 🥰
All I know about gemstones on the market is what I learned from all those Home Shopping on TV and web stores. I make gemstone jewelry myself. I know it's very difficult & expensive to find natural gemstones. I am use to heat, dyed, irradiated, all the different things you can do to make gems look better.
Doublets I've never cared for no matter how pretty the final product. Something about putting two different gemstones together isn't my cup of tea. As long as the seller is honest about what treatments were used & I like the finished product, it doesn't matter at all.
Your did such a beautiful job on your opal here. Lots of work & you got to know what you're doing. And you do!
Thanks for being honest! Early on in my learning experience, I almost purchased a heart shaped triplet being sold as a natural lighting ridge opal. I questioned the jeweler during my trip into NYC and was lied to that the white and black on the back was supposedly the rough. It didn't look like any rough that I'd ever seen before and thankfully I could see all of this through the setting. I am so thankful that my little voice, the one in your gut, was screaming that it just seemed too good to be true. It was and I kept walking down Madison Ave., but I'm sure that he sold it as genuine. Luckily remembering my Grandmother's antique opal ring and how the back side really looked saved me. Unfortunately that ring of my Grandmother's wasn't worth anything but sentiment because she partially cracked the stone and it couldn't be fixed without it crumbling to pieces.
I so enjoyed your videos and I love watching. I just get mesmerized by the beautiful colors that appear and your skill and patience in finding that color thru the cutting and polishing. Thanks so much for sharing your talents. 😊
That was a close call
Creating a specimen of such beauty, is not about profit, its about taking the skills and craft you learnt from your dad and others, and applying the feel and the touch of the stone and shaping and polishing it to create what you did, a lot of cutters would have made it into a kingstone and a few pieces to go with it, but you took a roughie and turned it into a stone of incredible beauty. Thank you for sharing this with us. Love your work.
Thank you Fozzie bear
I'm working on a pendant that needs 4 cabochons (not opal), and this video is perfect during my lunch break after cutting the first 2, and before going back out for the others. Butterfly wings are fun to cut!
What a great lovely stone. The green base just makes the little sparks of the opal sing. Thanks for sharing and warning about treated stones.
I wish I had gotten into gems and minerals much earlier in life. I had to restart my career after a mva...and would have loved to have the equipment you have and one ounce of your talent and bravery to try! Nice work☺❤ I wanted to add that I have purchased Opal triplets for earrings and set them and sold them ...but always explained the triplet to customers so they knew what they were buying. Unfortunately I've seen many unscrupulous business owners that don't care.....sad but I spent many years as a nurse....and that reflects even in my gift shop work!.
Although your work as a nurse hasn't left you with the time and money to get into an expensive hobby, it will have been much more useful and valuable to your community and those you have nursed. ❤
Really appreciate your comments on doublets, triplets, treated and smoked opals. I guess if somebody's selling treated Opals and they're being honest about it, it's okay if that's what you're looking for. But I want nothing to do with any of it. Only looking for pure / natural Australian opals. Watching your videos has really helped me to begin to understand the stones and the market. Again, thank you for taking the time to make these videos.
LOVE that tightly-packed green gold fire right at the edge of the stone - looks almost like iridescent foil! There truly is nothing quite like real Australian opal. Thanks for all you do Justin, I have an appreciation for this gorgeous stone that is all down to you and your wonderful videos!
As a Master Craftsman I can appreciate that you question yourself and your abilities during a project. Nothing you or I produce is ever 100% to our liking and that keeps us striving for a better result by refining our techniques and practices. With that I'll leave you to your work, as I am now retired and plan to go fishing!
Loved it and I love how ethical you are about everything. I have 2 stones you cut and I really love them! thank you for what you do!!!
Thank you! Glad you love your opals :-)
Thanks!
Thank you David 🙏🙏
The value of any stone or piece of art is completely subjective. If someone really loves the look and the price is right I would rather they have a bright 3 ct doublet gem versus a 0.5 ct hazy natural. As long as we remain educated as consumers and sellers commit to being transparent and honest. That is what I love about your work! Thanks for honoring these stunning pieces of natural art!!!
You are an honest person in your profession.
You don't want to deceive people, the reason you don't want to venture with other varieties. It would be sad to bear bad news, that what they bought was not what they expected. Too much hassle. Love your show; you are a character, and I never get bored watching.🤣
Whilst I agree with your comments about doublets, They do offer the chance for someone to have a nicer looking jewel than they could otherwise afford ps love your work.
This is true. I am just choosing to not give someone the chance to say the opal is real when it’s not
If they are marketed as a Doublet or Triplet.
@@thegiantgaming7592 Pretty sure he did that already. Can’t remember exactly when but I imagine it was in a ‘spotting fakes’ video. Give his channel a little search, might find it :-)
@@kristin1980uk
Yesssss, I remember seeing a video like this too.
BOD videos definitely has covered this subject, it's very educational. 👍
@@kristin1980uk ty i watched some, very interesting!
Watching you exercise your gift is truly an amazing pleasure.
Loved watching your process! Thanks for sharing!! Glad to see your investment yielded a nice decent gem!
I believe treated gems, as well as synthetics, have a place in the market - only as long as the seller is honest and upfront disclosing the history and treatments of the individual stones. For someone just getting into the business, a beginning collector, or for a buyer with a limited budget, treated or synthetic gems are a very affordable alternative.
As a collector you can start very reasonably, working up to more expensive and higher quality material. For a beginning jeweler, affordable options are most likely necessary until building up a higher end clientele. A customer with limited funds can buy a very beautiful piece of jewelry to be loved and cherished as much as a natural or untreated stone! For someone in a physical type of job or higher risk situations, damaging a lesser quality stone won’t feel as devastating as a five or six figure natural untreated gem! Not that you should put yourself in a situation with something of any value that is more likely to be damaged, but you would be surprised!!
Even if you do not normally sell treated stones, educating yourself and working with many different gem qualities and treatments, as well as different materials is a great learning opportunity. As a jeweler that does outside repairs, you will have many pieces walk into your shop that are assumed to be one thing and turn out to something completely different. Knowing exactly what materials and treatments are in a piece before handling it can save you many headaches and $$$ replacing damaged stones.
So I think most people would agree that as long as full disclosure and any special care is explained and understood prior to purchase that treated and synthetic gemstones as well as simulants are all acceptable in the industry. It is up to the individual whether specific stone qualities and treatments enhances their individual use or not.
Whatever your personal choice, be sure to educate yourself first to make the most informed decision, whatever you do in life!😊
When I lived in Au Australia many years ago I developed an interest in solitary and jewellery making I made my husband a pair occurs links with triplet opal. I was no way able to buy pure opal at the time, but what this did was spark a lifelong interest in Australian opal. So you see there is a place for triplets etc. I am 73 now setback in uk but still have some pieces of gas opal in my collection love watching you bring the stones to life
Where I'm from in Idaho, we have a few opal mines an hour from me in the city of Spencer. The opal it produces was made hydrothermally and forms in thin bands; so the vast majority of our opal is turned into triplets! This actually increases the value of our extremely white opal 😂 it is absolutely gorgeous in the rough form too. I completely agree with you that doublets and treated stones can easily be sold and passed as untreated. I'm glad that around my area, it's common knowledge to most that the majority of Spencer opals are triplets. Love the vids
Thanks Austin your a good man
what is "triplets"?
@@feelinghealingfrequences7179 triplets are when opals are cut into thin layers and sandwiched between a dark base and a cap. In the end you have a black base and a quartz cap stone with thin opal in between.
What a great video. Thank you for the work and effort that goes into putting it all together. I own a small jewelry and appraisal business here in the United States. As a rule, I carry only Australian opal and feel that it is without peer and needs no treatment. I have friends who have purchased Ethiopian stones that just turned into NIGHTMARES. I am going to make sure to protect not only my clients specifically, but the general gem and jewelry buying public as a whole. Having said that, I am not opposed to treatments provided they are PERMANENT, STABLE, AND DISCLOSED UP FRONT. When someone is looking at a sapphire or ruby for example, the price per carat for treated vs untreated is worlds apart. Treatment can, in that case, be the difference between a sale and a happy client or zero on either. That's just my take. Thanks again for a great video.
Thank you for keeping this beauty as a specimen! Gorgeous!
As a geologist I love specimens, be it Australian, Ethiopian, or others. It is so much easier to know you have the real deal. It is harder to fake a specimen, and there is likely less financial incentive to pull off a fake specimen since the market is more limited. Also, treated Australian makes for some spectacular specimens since they lend themselves to larger free form. And of course there are painted lady specimens, some of which are stunning. I even have some rather old synthetic opal specimens, which I like due to their history and the fact that they are quite eye-catching.
Also, thanks for sharing your technique and I appreciate the running commentary. This is a great way to pass on your insights. I tried my hand at cutting but simply didn't have the time, and gave my wheels to a very worthy local opal club as a fundraiser. I found that I wasn't interested in making jewelry. Maybe I'll take it up again when I retire from my day job.
Thank you for being ethical about your Opals.
I know this is Black Opal Direct, but the white opals are my favorite! 😌 I'm not entirely sure I know what a "treated" opal is, but I bought a new necklace recently and chose an opal simply because of how much I love this channel. It was only $70 and I knew when I bought it that it was lab created, but I'm not an opal connoisseur so I love it just as much as an expensive one. 😊
Fairy opal is a treated opal if you google it you will discover the magic.
I think it is great that you put the purchase price in and appreciate the transparency. I have been thinking about miniature carvings fir a while and have been shaping for about a year now. I think with the correct designs perticular specimens could be saved for there colour despite there size. Imagen 3D carved earrings with a motive. I think your dad would love it.sorry post edit would have loved it
Haven’t watched your channel in probably a year or so but if I may say I’m glad to see your studio upgrade and the production..while keeping the drama of gambling with opal and still having the same humor and personality. The studio looks great and the opals even better! Thanks for sharing your work and your knowledge, it helps more than you know!
Awesome! Thank you!
Justin i'm so glad you brought up treated , smoked, and doublets . Someone who's been in the jewelry industry as long as i have 50+ years , Opal was always a mystry cause it was the other gems that we learned about ,diamonds, sapphires, rubys,emeralds , ect.. we for a long time just thought the opal was the (october birthstone) .however People like yourself and others who are now teaching and informing people about quality , colour , and what it takes for you to get that beautiful stone ready for the industry has opened our eyes up to value . I wish this could have been sooner where grandfather and the rest of the family could have seen the value and the real beauty behind the opal
I agree with your honesty is the best policy. I own a set of doublet earrings that I love. I would not be able to afford the same stones any other way. I also have a set of unmounted stones that the jeweler tells me they are too milky to set. I love them anyway because a family member gave them to me. I think that as long as you are told what you are getting it is ok.
Agreed. I just set a couple of not very good quality amethyst cabs in ring for two young women for whom the stones had a lot of meaning. It's not for me to say anything, it's about making them happy.
Dear Justin and team your videos are a mixture of thrilling peace to enjoy the unlocking of opan brilliance that's been hidden for +60 plus million years.
I actually like the look of some of the treated matrix and concrete. Australian of course. I especially like the color play on the blackened concrete
Good on ya Justin for not partaking in anything other then genuine opal.
I believe that doublets which use better quality materials than the opal are worth the combined value of the two pieces. When opal is backed with garbage stones not worth as much. I don't sell my experiments though as solids and only made 7 stones
Seam opal just has to many risks per reward for my heart! I'll just stick to being a knobby snob for life! Got quite the chuckle with Tamika at the wheel and you spitting out rice cake! Keeps everything in perspective and reminds us never to take the world too seriously! Great video!
Haha Im glad you got that Michael. Next video you will see a gem seam opal to knock your socks off
While I’m not a fan of “treated” gemstones in general, I give a small pass to doublets for material that is too thin to be stable on its own (mainly geyser opal).
It is a beautiful stone. I appreciate the fact that you don’t do anything to opals to change them except to cut and polish them.
I went to the gem show in Arizona and met a gal from Australia. Of course I picked a beautiful stone and almost died when she said 50,000 dollars I bargained a 50 dollar Nigerian opal instead. Opals rough or cut are just so pricey that is average guys can't even own a cool specimen sadly
Bro it’s not quartz
Thanks Justine. Great work on such a large rock! Really appreciate your observations and agree with your personal choice re dublets etc. Stay true to your calling!!!!
I was wondering if you ever just quit on a stone and just keep it as is. What I am referring to as an example would be a beautiful colored stone with a deep flaw that can't be removed unless you remove a lot of the color also. I would rather have a large freeform opal with color than a small perfectly polished Opel and would not mind the flaws.
I really like watching the stones come to life 👍👍👍👍👍
I was thinking to myself, let's see the size of the dobstick he uses for finishing! Lol!
rebar
I nearly did that for fun lol
Me too 😂
I love how you genuinely care solely for the opal and not for the profit. That’s passion right there, keep it up dude!
it "seams" like a really nice stone.
Okay, by the numbers:
1- I, too, dislike rice cakes
2- I would love to see Tamika learn how to cut opal. the world needs more opal cutters
3- there is nothing wrong with treated gems so long as the owner knows the complete history of the piece and if sold that information is freely disseminated
4- not pendant, SCEPTER. You are thinking too small, Justin.
😆😆😆 I love it Don 😆😆😆😆
Looks like a million dollar stone to me and you have a great narrative voice 👌
Thank you
It's a Biggin
I can’t stop watching your work Justin. What a treat getting into bed at night & enjoying those wonders. I savor every amazing colorful bit
That is the biggest opal I've ever seen! Thanks so much for sharing.
Thankyou for those comments about "natural opal" nearing the end of your Video.I learnt somethings that, finally explained & Influenced, my dislike for the multi-coloured stone. Your sharing has given myself a new view of Opal.
My Goodness. That Opal turned out so gorgeous. You are
So masterful at what you do . When you first started out. I had no idea that stone could end up looking so amazing being that large.
It turned out to be a beautiful piece. I am ok with buying treated stones as long as the seller is honest and tells you they are treated. I have bought from a company that tells in their description if they are natural, dyed, stabilized, etc. which is important to me.
Senior videos here and there the only thing that's consistent is your heart keep up the good work
Oh this one had me sweating! I love, love the color. It reminds me so much of my mother's opal that was lost so many years ago. It was dreamy to look into. I wouldn't buy opal from anyone but you Justin if I could that is. Hope you sell it to someone that will love and care about it, and make a profit. I'd rather have that than a small ring sized gem simply because I'm a rock hound and I love this opal. I would hold it and look into it's colors and sparkles for hours on end. Great job Justin and thank you for sharing this journey with us.
Thank you Loren
I love watching you work producing beautiful gems. I am retired now but looking at your work I would enjoy being back in the business promoting and selling your beautiful work. Continued good luck.
Nice new layout of your shop. Very pleasing.
Glad you like it!
My favorite gem, hands down.
I think it's important for your business that you stick to the real deal. The moment you deal in something modified, it puts doubt in the customer's mind about whether you're selling them the real deal. I think you're doing the right thing.
So true as well as trying to keep the world a safer gem buy place :-)
Opals are soooo beautiful!
Oh man you did a spectacular job polishing that large chunk of opal. I'm subbing, can't wait to see more.
I live about an hour away from the Spencer Opal Mines in Idaho. The color layers are paper thin, so cutting a natural opal from this deposit is almost unheard of. Mostly triplets. They are marketed as such, and anyone buying or selling Idaho opal knows it. It may be more difficult to cut an Idaho opal because of just how thin the color layers are. Back in the 1970's there were opal cutters all over southeast Idaho. The mine owner would open the mine to rockhounds on weekends during the summer. When the owner of the mine retired and sold it to his daughter, she closed the mine to rockhounds. Now we only get to dig through her tailings. There are almost no opal cutters here any longer. When the cutters couldn't get into the seam, it wasn't worth it and most everyone sold their equipment. Sad.
That being said, great video. Beautiful stone. Great work.
The real deal is always the best deal ! Love your videos ! Love Australia ! Love your opals !
That opal turned out lovely and looks like the galaxy. Nice one Justin, thank you
Been there, done that, but exchanged my gem making to
conservation of spelean resources, Which I now locate
and share with other people like myself. Since 1964.
NASA said what we contribute has future apps ; if my
species wants to visit moons and other planets.
Gorgeous! I'm an October baby & lucky to have this birthstone. Love seeing you cut! 💜
That is a stunning and beautiful piece Black Opal Direct, your gamble paid off I hope.
I have been in love with opals since I saw my first one! I would one day have one! I really enjoy your videos and I learn something. That's great! When and if I can buy an opal, I will buy it from you! You are so trustworthy. I like black ones with a lot of colors in them, they are stunning! Thank you for what you do!
I enjoyed this video SO MUCH!!! Nearly the very best of all of your videos. Have seen them all!!
Yay! Thank you! But wait till the next one its a doosey
I love natural gems . Im amazed what nature gives us to create beautiful jewelry with. ❤
I am happy to see these videos. I just purchased an opal ring. Diamond is my birthstone, but I have always loved the OPAL. I hope that I don't lose this ring like I did the others.
Your honesty and views are well grounded. Thanks for sharing an interesting cut. Love all the gemmaster Aussie made real tools
Thanks Peter
That Opal is Beautiful !!!
Justin you're a true and honest person. I love your humor keep up the great work your shop looks awesome. I was expecting the estimated price for that to be around the $10,000 mark
I appreciate that Ken
Craftsmanship channels are the best channels on YT. Subbed
Marty would have been very very pleased with this video..really well done mate..
I attribute all I have learned about opal from you. It is my passion and preferred therapy now. I agree with your comments and only work with natural, untreated, full opal. I have found amazing opportunity with dremelling out potch and sand before I use the wheels sometime, because it reveals what the stone may be capable of (if that makes sense). Thanks again for another interesting and valuable lesson.
Love how that turned out. Awesome work getting that to face clean. Love the vids and BOD crew. Keep it up Justin thank you for what you do for this community.
Welcome Matt I appreciate your words
Your patience has paid off, what a beautiful aqua colored piece. Fantastic brilliance. $6000.00 is a great price! Treated stones and artificial stones, the only benefit is that it makes you happy, if the consumer is told that they are not right upon purchase. I've been collecting Aquamarine all of my life, it takes many years of working with stones to intuit the quality and whether they are proper gem. Fake stones are a nightmare if you are trading, the old adage, if it seems better than the real Mccoy it probably just seems that way..
Best thing to do is buy from certified reliable sources. I subd! And smashed the like button, you are amazing. Thank you!👍🏻✌🏼💕
Wow Great Stone! I was jazzed with a 7 carat American opal I had the pleasure of cutting a few weeks ago. And then I see this....
Some serious scratches on the polish visible at 13:59 when the light hits it just so.
I love watching you work it’s a complete form of art! I wish I could afford a piece of ur opal! I’m 46 so maybe some day! But for now I will enjoy watching u watching u with ur opal.
Thank you very much! Melissa One day
I remember mining opal in the 1970s in Coober Pedy. Finding opalised pipes starfish and shells a hundred feet underground in the middle of the country always fascinated me
First time watcher😊, very interesting your conversation about the piece. Opal is so Beautiful! Thank you for revealing it . Ahh to have a Genuine Australian Opal❤
I would have just left it as it was at 8:54 in the video and not "cut it into a free shape". Interesting how different the pov's can be on what is "enough" ;-) I strongly agree to the treated gems being fraud, if sold as "natural". On the other hand, I heard that triplets do have a protective coating which ensures the opal inside will tolerate every day wearing as jewellery. If declared properly and valued by the lesser amount of "real" opal in such a piece of jewellery, I'd honestly take it into consideration to have something like that for every day. It all comes down to being properly and honestly informed about what is being sold. Anything else is betrayal and creates bad Karma anyway ;-)
I appreciate your honesty and concern for something you could make to be misused. 🙏