Opal cutting requirements. What to consider when cutting opal.
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- čas přidán 17. 03. 2024
- G’day everyone, I hope you’re all well! In this video we’ll be taking a look at why opal is cut a certain way. I hope to give some insight into the requirements for cutting an opal gem that is ready to be set. For those struggling to understand the reasons of why some stones won’t sell, or why there ends up being no profit to a parcel once cut. This is not a caveat on how to cut, but a guide into what considerations you need to make when cutting opal. I hope you enjoy, thanks for your time. 🤪👍
My contact email: theopalmills@gmail.com
My online store: theopalmills.com.au
The wheel I use: wuttkewheels@gmail.com
T.A.F.E. (Australian Technical And Further Education) link to a course they no longer run, with information mentioned in this video on cutting opal: training.gov.au/Training/Deta...
Came up from underground to check my phone, sat for an hour and watched this rather than actually digging for opal, oh the irony. Cheers Phil.. 😂😂😂
ha. now that is a compliment
Ramble on Phil. You are a wealth of knowledge.
I'm still a relatively new cutter so this may sound bonkers, but the stones tell me how they should be cut.
I dont know if its my toolmaking mindset, I was a toolmaker and machinist for 20 years, but I see the final shape before its cut, as I'm cutting. The correct aesthetics of the dome and radius just come together. You know when it's not right.
I've only sold one, but that's because I simply havent found the brilliant opals to sell yet. I'm just now starting to get a few worth selling. The latest drop I put up last night is amazing. At least, I think so. Amazing red/blue multi on a dark (not quite really, one grade away from dark) base.
I watched a good couple of hundred hours of another cutter before I even took to a stone myself and realised I could do it. After a huge and slightly expensive learning curve in buying rough, I've finally landed some decent material (got an oz of Tom's (AusOpal) Coober). Best advice I can give to a new cutter is dont let opal fever consume you, and wait for the right pieces. My first half a dozen purchases were not at all what I hoped when I got them in-hand. I got drawn in by the colours and didn't properly determine the size mostly. Be very wary. A lot of sellers looking to take advantage of new cutters, making things look bigger and brighter and more viable than they are.
G’day mate, you’re on the right track. Once you understand the orientation side of cutting, you can just look at a rough opal and have a good idea of what you can and can’t do with the piece, it makes you more selective when buying parcels 🤪👍
You are a wealth of knowledge. I enjoyed the details you included in each step. The stone turned out beautifully.
Great job explaining a process that is harder to explain than do, but very well done
Thank you for being real. You are right some channels make it look so easy.
I LOVE learning about this process. My skill is nowhere near yours but with every stone it is improving. It has taken me a while to watch the entire video (especially as this came out just as Isak Finnbogason started his live drone streaming over the newest Icelandic volcoanic eruption), but I watched it all).
Thanks again, Phil, for making content for us to appreciate.
Whew very informative 😮well done. . . . .again 😊
As a newbie only recently playing around with some of my mothers equipment and low grade opals and potch, I’ll admit I was a bit confused on some of your explanations at the beginning. It Al made better sense towards the end. Thanks for getting my mind set I. The right direction early on in my journey.
Thanks for walking cutters thru the way to look at a stone before making it smaller.
Amazing to watch you work as always Phil your methods are very logical and clinical and return fantastic results i was glued to the screen and will definitely watch again thanks m8 you rock 🪨👍
Excellent video Phil. Lots of great advice including for those that have been playing with opal for a while. Thanks heaps!
Turned out GREAT Phil.
Just the video I was looking for. Very helpful and informative. I am sure I will be watching it again. Thanks.
great info on how to cut setting edges mate good stuff
Thank you for the lesson on how to cut Opals Pil great job❤
Thank you so much.
I just started cutting opal. My first few trys i kept thinking what am i aiming for.
This explination of WHY and the deminstration was sensational.
It made so much sence to me .
Thanks again
Big thanx now I can fine tune my cutting
Great vid
Nice explanation. Thank you, Phil! 👋💎👍
Awesome video! Really appreciate you breaking down the cutting process... Super helpful.
Awesome explanation, thanks very much for doing this vid mate.
I try to have a selection of everything to offer the customers including price ranges and back up materials incase it sells then I can make more. Like my opal inserts or
Other things that I will be creating soon.
It all about finding your niche in this market and marketing it to sell. Great video again Phil
Hi Phil! Really great info! You create the best instructional vids. This one, in particular, hits on things that I haven't been doing quite right.
I can create a nice, symmetric shape but looks like I need to work on some of the things that make a stone settable. Prong settings have been pretty forgiving in my limited experience. However, bezel settings can be more demanding.
Time for another round of recutting my "completed" opals, I think. I'm shooting for perfect, but still working towards sellable. Pretty close now... maybe. :)
This video is priceless. Nuff said.
AND fascinating.
Gday Phill hope you are doing well mate
Absolutely wonderful video! To be shown in a classroom. Not sure what the outlook for the Opal cutters are? Might be a little bleak? Not sure. But I’m gonna keep trying. Great work, so thank you again.
all we can do is practice.
I think you’re right Opal guy, but hey, I’m happy to play with opals. Maybe I should go look at some matrix or something affordable. I’ve been making doublets. I enjoy that too. Like your videos also.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Is it possible to do this with a dremel
Yes. 🤪👍
Hey mate- thanks for all the great info! Quick question- do u know what’s happening with wutke wheels? Website hasn’t been up for some time. Cheers
G’day Ken, there’s never been a website, just an email address that I put a link in the description of my videos, and a Facebook page. 🤪👍
@@theopalmillsoh righto. Thanks 👍
New cutters: watch Lapidary Dave cut cabs on a proper cab machine; much easier to learn by seeing it done; it’s really not complicated.
G’day mate, shoutout to Lapidary Dave, he’s an awesome cabber, diamond pacific produce a great range of products. But ask Dave how he goes cutting opal, it’s not just about cabbing a stone. I tried to explain some logic for specifically cutting opal gemstones, barely scratching the surface, there’s so much more to it, especially when cutting thousands per carat material with minimal waste. Happy cutting. 🤪👍
ore you can sett them yourself.☺
One thing I’ll disagree on is that doming as high as possible is always good. Medium dome is the best looking opal. High dome looks like grandmas opal, it’s not a modern look.
G’day mate, I don’t remember saying that doming as high as possible is always good, in fact the high dome theory annoys me, it only came about as they once thought it took 500 million years to form one centimetre thick of opal, therefore it was prized to show off a high dome opal, and priced accordingly. Now a high dome represents an opal with one bar, thick enough to cut a high dome, as opposed to opal with thinner bars stacked on top of each other, that don’t translate well cut with high domes. The 2/3 height over width was a guide for the maximum cut/dome height as opposed to its width. Aesthetics is what guides most decisions for cutting, the resulting gemstone needs to be as pleasing to the eye as possible. As much as I don’t prefer ovals, I’ve had to concede that an oval is the most structurally stable shape for a stone as fragile as opal is, for longevity purposes. 🤪👍
@@theopalmills great response. Thank you for clarifying your stance and further educating me and others. It was a great video
Is it me or no sound. OMG I'm deaf😂😂😂
Restart it....
Thanks@@scottvanderwerf3391
The good thing about matrix and Boulder etc is they will never be able to make a synthetic version of it.
So true! 🤪👍
Can you explain cutting a specimen ? Can’t seem to get it right !
You don’t cut specimens
Yes I do ! @@Lmatdhr
You simply progress thru the grits until you have max color and polish, it’s not complicated...
G’day mate, for specimens that I want to display, I like to use a dremel and carving bits to tidy it up and polish what can be. It depends on the specimen, some can be fully worked and some are just neatened up a bit for presentation. 🤪👍
Phil ? did you ever find a use for the little grinder I sent you??? Be well and be safe🦜
G’day Bill, yes thanks mate, I did a video on it czcams.com/video/dN_9SHb7kiQ/video.htmlsi=p22kDeSAbOl2TpcE Did you get the parcel I sent you as a thanks? 🤪👍