As an opal cutter from here in the UK this was a joy to watch. Surprised I hadn't come across this video before! I can assure you, your initial assumption is correct. That is a true black crystal opal, and for that price you got yourself an absolute bargain! Congratulations mate, has it joined the personal collection?
Thank you and glad you enjoyed it and thanks for clarifying, I was sure and have had it checked since posting this to confirm and yes, it has gone into my collection. Just took a look at your channel and something I want to get into is cutting/faceting, just need to save up for a decent machine.
Fun run to an opal! Looking forward to seeing how your jewelry turns out. Gemstone forward design is so much prettier than what is out there right now.
Its a dark blue opal, not crystal. The price you paid is fine, especially as an international buyer who doesn't have access to field prices, crystal is when you can see through the stone when you hold up to the light , it looks yellow or orange when its crystal in saturated light.
That cats-eye quartz is pretty, I don't blame you for keeping it! Is it alright to ask how you actually went about selling the stones? Flipping stones seems straightforward, but if one were to try something like this how would they actually go about it? Great vids, been looking into field gemology and possibly trading/retail as a potential career path so it's nice having information from someone knowledgeable in this stuff.
It is a lovely little stone. I sell directly through trade groups that I'm part of as I was a retailer for quite a few years. It seems straightforward but it is a little more difficult than people realise as the gem/jewelry trade is very much based on trust, reputation and building relationships. Gemology is awesome and there are some great opportunities out there as long as you are prepared to put in the work and keep on learning.
@@HaywoodsGems I just saw your "Identifying Gemstones From a Picture" video and thought to ask: Do you test every stone before you retail it? What issues would arise if one sold a stone that to them was told is 'natural' or 'this gemstone' when it was actually something else? How would one prevent that? Thank you for responding! I'd love to see more videos from you!
No problem and thank you for watching my videos. Yea, I test every stone, whether I buy it as part of a job lot or from a dealer as I like to be sure in my own mind that it is what I say it is. It depends where you are based as different countries have different rules but in a lot of cases, it would fall under mis-selling as it has been falsely described. The best way to cover yourself is to get a report from a reputable gem lab but for cheaper stones, this can be uneconomical. I do plan to make more videos, it is just finding the time to do it.
Hi mate. Just wondering how you found the gem parcels on ebay, what you searched for etc. Trying to find what you bought. Can only find new lots that dont have anywhere near the variety. Cheers.
Hi, Ebay is really hit and miss for gem lots and decent ones go for stupid money, a lot of the ones I bought were direct from people in the industry, mainly scrap dealers who I've got to know through being in the trade for a few years.
@@HaywoodsGems Luckily I havent gambled on anything regarding other gems, I'm an opal cutter specifically, but only recently started so looking for ways to accumulate cash for the opal business. Your video was quite interesting I'll check out your others s well. Cheers for the reply!
As an opal cutter from here in the UK this was a joy to watch. Surprised I hadn't come across this video before! I can assure you, your initial assumption is correct. That is a true black crystal opal, and for that price you got yourself an absolute bargain! Congratulations mate, has it joined the personal collection?
Thank you and glad you enjoyed it and thanks for clarifying, I was sure and have had it checked since posting this to confirm and yes, it has gone into my collection.
Just took a look at your channel and something I want to get into is cutting/faceting, just need to save up for a decent machine.
Fun run to an opal! Looking forward to seeing how your jewelry turns out. Gemstone forward design is so much prettier than what is out there right now.
It was, better than just going and buying one (even though that is fun as well). Me too, it is going to be an interesting journey.
Its a dark blue opal, not crystal. The price you paid is fine, especially as an international buyer who doesn't have access to field prices, crystal is when you can see through the stone when you hold up to the light , it looks yellow or orange when its crystal in saturated light.
You can see through the stone when you hold it up to the light and doesn't have grey or black potch on the back.
Hi there , can I ask where you are purchasing the gemstone parcels?
Hi, it varies and I hope you understand but I don't really want to share my sources.
That cats-eye quartz is pretty, I don't blame you for keeping it! Is it alright to ask how you actually went about selling the stones? Flipping stones seems straightforward, but if one were to try something like this how would they actually go about it?
Great vids, been looking into field gemology and possibly trading/retail as a potential career path so it's nice having information from someone knowledgeable in this stuff.
It is a lovely little stone. I sell directly through trade groups that I'm part of as I was a retailer for quite a few years. It seems straightforward but it is a little more difficult than people realise as the gem/jewelry trade is very much based on trust, reputation and building relationships.
Gemology is awesome and there are some great opportunities out there as long as you are prepared to put in the work and keep on learning.
@@HaywoodsGems I just saw your "Identifying Gemstones From a Picture" video and thought to ask: Do you test every stone before you retail it? What issues would arise if one sold a stone that to them was told is 'natural' or 'this gemstone' when it was actually something else? How would one prevent that?
Thank you for responding! I'd love to see more videos from you!
Well actually I imagine you'd be able to test the stones yourself since you're a gemologist haha
No problem and thank you for watching my videos. Yea, I test every stone, whether I buy it as part of a job lot or from a dealer as I like to be sure in my own mind that it is what I say it is.
It depends where you are based as different countries have different rules but in a lot of cases, it would fall under mis-selling as it has been falsely described. The best way to cover yourself is to get a report from a reputable gem lab but for cheaper stones, this can be uneconomical. I do plan to make more videos, it is just finding the time to do it.
Where do you sell most of these gems?
Hi mate. Just wondering how you found the gem parcels on ebay, what you searched for etc. Trying to find what you bought. Can only find new lots that dont have anywhere near the variety.
Cheers.
Hi, Ebay is really hit and miss for gem lots and decent ones go for stupid money, a lot of the ones I bought were direct from people in the industry, mainly scrap dealers who I've got to know through being in the trade for a few years.
@@HaywoodsGems Luckily I havent gambled on anything regarding other gems, I'm an opal cutter specifically, but only recently started so looking for ways to accumulate cash for the opal business. Your video was quite interesting I'll check out your others s well.
Cheers for the reply!