Opals aren't so much "difficult" to cut and polish, as much as they are "challenging". They're a softer gem and they cut easily and take a nice polish, but they are temperature and pressure sensitive. One has to really study the color and patterns before and while cutting them. In some opals the layer of fire or flash can be paper thin and if you grind or sand just a little too much, one can lose the color. Still, I find them really fun and rewarding to cut and have always found cutting them to be a pleasure, but of course I want great material to cut, and that's where the problem, and the expense comes in!
Here's the latest from the Australian jelly opal rough and this is the LAST of the large ones. There will be two small ones after this (assuming they make it through the final sandings and polish without incident, knock wood!). So this beautiful, one of a kind, gemstone jelly opal bead has a weight of 93cts and the entire piece measures 81x17mm by 10mm thick. There are TWO, parallel, 1.5mm drill holes through the bead so it could be strung with a double strand (or more) of pearls or some other beautiful beads! Lovely high polished long oval shape. The material is translucent to transparent jelly opal with a lovely bluish purple glowing flashing that runs through it like a flowing river. There is also a lovely rivulet of minty green fire which has both flashes and sparkles. Occassional small flashes of other colors as well.
Posts
