It worked!!!!
Hello everyone.
This is a new world to me..
Im a 34 year mum and personal trainer and am passionate about life and people.
About 12 years ago my dad bought me a gorgeous opal ring which got stolen by a “friend”. since then i havent lived it down..
Diamonds dont interest me as much as opals…Wow what a gorgeous stone… what nature produces is amazing!!!!
Anyway to cut a long story short im looking to buy another opal to replace my stolen one but i just bought my first “parcel”…hehe a term i just learnt and am using…. and would llllove to know hhow i can learn to cut opals.. I have read i should start on other rocks which im happy to..
I have never used a power tool before but im a fast learner and crreative… apart from a health and wellness coach i love contemporary drawing and am creative.
I just jumped on google expecting to find a course i can go an enrol.. but most things are videos to do yourself….
I would looove someone or a few people to give me advice where i can go and how i can start this process as i would love to get right in there and bring nature to life…
thanks in advance for your time and efforts.
HHave a great weekend.
And thanks for listening!!
Cheers
oz
Oz, i sent you an answer to your first question so take a look at that first. Just let me know where you are located so i can maybe offer you some advice as to where you can go to learn the art. Peter
My sister has a 5 carat black australian opal that dates well before the 1930′s. It had a very large fire, but it burst. The remaining pieces are large and back in the wonderful setting, but it is no longer whole. I still think it is beautiful. Do you think it is worth anything beyond the setting and how can she maintain it?
Viv. It sounds like an amazing stone. Best idea is to leave a message on the contacts form on this site: http://www.opalmine.com/contact-us/ I can then email you and we can arrange to get a picture so i can give you some more accurate advice. Looking forward to talking further about it Viv, Peter
Viv, that sounds like like a wonderful stone – I have known Peter for awhile know and have chatted with the old Mate on skype before!
I would highly recommend him as he is a great guy and he knows Opals, that is for sure.
Peter is not one of these people to take your money and then be gone, he will be honest and give you a fair opinion of your stone, One of those chaps that makes Life fun!
Scott Crawley
Online Income Coach
Skype Me: scwealth
HI,
GO TO A FACETOR AND SHOW HIM THAT PIECES OF OPAL.HE WILL BE FACET AGAIN.
THEN YOU CAN FIT THAT PIECES IN JEWELERY.
THANKS.
ATIQ UD DIN
ALASR JEWELERS & GEMS
Atiq, Thanks for your contribution to the blog. Just letting you know that opal is very rarely faceted. mostly it is cut with a round top called a cab or cabechon. Sometimes these cabs are oval but they can be any sheep and hopefully we will be able to help viv make the right decision about getting it re cut. Please continue the conversation if you have something further to say about it. Peter
I am wondering how you can tell what is inside a big rough like in your profile picture. How do you go about cracking it open or sanding it or slicing it. For example, the profile picture shows a gorgeous neon blue vein, so do you approach it sanding the top? Also I have another question and a comment. First off, is there a certain color that is more desirable in the market or is the fire the main attraction? My comment is simple and quite ridiculous, I am afraid I would be too scared to break that profile rock. I would just look at it and marvel at it’s beauty. But then you would not have all the amazing pieces you offer. oh, one more question. I have a teaspoon of broken opal chips. If I wanted to put them in a little tiny vile what kind of oil would I use to fill it with that would not spoil? Thank you for this opportunity to look like a fool who just loves opals! susan
Susan, again, a very good question. Boulder opals like the one you see on the first page of the opalmine site, can come in small size and very large. The Excavator driver will carefully check to find these boulders in the gravel that he is digging. He will put them to one side and when he has gathered a few, if he is working by himself, he will get off his machine and give them a hit with a sledgehammer, hoping that he doesnt destroy any color. He has to do this because usually the color veins are not obvious from the outside of the boulder. If he exposes some color, depending on whether its good quality or not, he usually taps it again with smaller hammers until he exposes the veins a little more. After that he take it to a diamond saw and make some slices. With this kind of opal you dont really know what you can find but after years of experience sometimes you can work it out and hope you dont cut through high quality color. If you notice that there is a crack in the vein, you can tap it with a special hammer and sometimes you get what is called a split face. but this is another subject so maybe we can talk about that in another blog. Also ask the question about the opal chips and the value of different colors in another blog, preferably a page that matches the question more, so that others can benefit by these excellent questions.
I’m at your site and cannot find opal rings for men. You have other men’s opal products, but no rings that I could see. Please respond to the e-mail address listed above.
I am wanting to value and sell my family Opal & Sapphire collections which are all polished and cut.
Could you possibly please advise me on where to take them for the most true trusted, reputable valuators and buyers in Queensland
I would appreciate your valued thoughts and recommendations
Debra, sorry about the delay in getting back to you. I dont know too much about sapphires as opals are my specialty. however if you take a look either online in the yellow pages and look for dealers in the Anaki region west of Rockhampton, this is the home of sapphires in Queensland and i am sure you will find someone there to give you the right advice. You need someone who has a gem degree to get an official valuation form but of course many of the dealers would be able to advise you. Hope that helps. Best wishes with your sale. Peter
Debra, the best idea is to go to yellow pages and find some phone numbers of sapphire dealers in the Anakie region west of Rockhampton in Queensland. You should find someone there to give you some leads. This site specialises in opal which is a totally different gemstone and we are not experts in the sapphire fields. You can also look up ‘gemmologists’ in the yellow pages, but it depends on whether you just want an opinion or an official valuation which could cost a considerable amount of money. So try the sapphire fields first. Hope that helps, Peter
It worked!!!!
Hello everyone.
This is a new world to me..
Im a 34 year mum and personal trainer and am passionate about life and people.
About 12 years ago my dad bought me a gorgeous opal ring which got stolen by a “friend”. since then i havent lived it down..
Diamonds dont interest me as much as opals…Wow what a gorgeous stone… what nature produces is amazing!!!!
Anyway to cut a long story short im looking to buy another opal to replace my stolen one but i just bought my first “parcel”…hehe a term i just learnt and am using…. and would llllove to know hhow i can learn to cut opals.. I have read i should start on other rocks which im happy to..
I have never used a power tool before but im a fast learner and crreative… apart from a health and wellness coach i love contemporary drawing and am creative.
I just jumped on google expecting to find a course i can go an enrol.. but most things are videos to do yourself….
I would looove someone or a few people to give me advice where i can go and how i can start this process as i would love to get right in there and bring nature to life…
thanks in advance for your time and efforts.
HHave a great weekend.
And thanks for listening!!
Cheers
oz
Oz, i sent you an answer to your first question so take a look at that first. Just let me know where you are located so i can maybe offer you some advice as to where you can go to learn the art. Peter
My sister has a 5 carat black australian opal that dates well before the 1930′s. It had a very large fire, but it burst. The remaining pieces are large and back in the wonderful setting, but it is no longer whole. I still think it is beautiful. Do you think it is worth anything beyond the setting and how can she maintain it?
Viv. It sounds like an amazing stone. Best idea is to leave a message on the contacts form on this site: http://www.opalmine.com/contact-us/ I can then email you and we can arrange to get a picture so i can give you some more accurate advice. Looking forward to talking further about it Viv, Peter
Viv, that sounds like like a wonderful stone – I have known Peter for awhile know and have chatted with the old Mate on skype before!
I would highly recommend him as he is a great guy and he knows Opals, that is for sure.
Peter is not one of these people to take your money and then be gone, he will be honest and give you a fair opinion of your stone, One of those chaps that makes Life fun!
Scott Crawley
Online Income Coach
Skype Me: scwealth
HI,
GO TO A FACETOR AND SHOW HIM THAT PIECES OF OPAL.HE WILL BE FACET AGAIN.
THEN YOU CAN FIT THAT PIECES IN JEWELERY.
THANKS.
ATIQ UD DIN
ALASR JEWELERS & GEMS
Atiq, Thanks for your contribution to the blog. Just letting you know that opal is very rarely faceted. mostly it is cut with a round top called a cab or cabechon. Sometimes these cabs are oval but they can be any sheep and hopefully we will be able to help viv make the right decision about getting it re cut. Please continue the conversation if you have something further to say about it. Peter
I am wondering how you can tell what is inside a big rough like in your profile picture. How do you go about cracking it open or sanding it or slicing it. For example, the profile picture shows a gorgeous neon blue vein, so do you approach it sanding the top? Also I have another question and a comment. First off, is there a certain color that is more desirable in the market or is the fire the main attraction? My comment is simple and quite ridiculous, I am afraid I would be too scared to break that profile rock. I would just look at it and marvel at it’s beauty. But then you would not have all the amazing pieces you offer. oh, one more question. I have a teaspoon of broken opal chips. If I wanted to put them in a little tiny vile what kind of oil would I use to fill it with that would not spoil? Thank you for this opportunity to look like a fool who just loves opals! susan
Susan, again, a very good question. Boulder opals like the one you see on the first page of the opalmine site, can come in small size and very large. The Excavator driver will carefully check to find these boulders in the gravel that he is digging. He will put them to one side and when he has gathered a few, if he is working by himself, he will get off his machine and give them a hit with a sledgehammer, hoping that he doesnt destroy any color. He has to do this because usually the color veins are not obvious from the outside of the boulder. If he exposes some color, depending on whether its good quality or not, he usually taps it again with smaller hammers until he exposes the veins a little more. After that he take it to a diamond saw and make some slices. With this kind of opal you dont really know what you can find but after years of experience sometimes you can work it out and hope you dont cut through high quality color. If you notice that there is a crack in the vein, you can tap it with a special hammer and sometimes you get what is called a split face. but this is another subject so maybe we can talk about that in another blog. Also ask the question about the opal chips and the value of different colors in another blog, preferably a page that matches the question more, so that others can benefit by these excellent questions.
I’m at your site and cannot find opal rings for men. You have other men’s opal products, but no rings that I could see. Please respond to the e-mail address listed above.
Hello Peter
I am wanting to value and sell my family Opal & Sapphire collections which are all polished and cut.
Could you possibly please advise me on where to take them for the most true trusted, reputable valuators and buyers in Queensland
I would appreciate your valued thoughts and recommendations
kind regards
Debra
Debra, sorry about the delay in getting back to you. I dont know too much about sapphires as opals are my specialty. however if you take a look either online in the yellow pages and look for dealers in the Anaki region west of Rockhampton, this is the home of sapphires in Queensland and i am sure you will find someone there to give you the right advice. You need someone who has a gem degree to get an official valuation form but of course many of the dealers would be able to advise you. Hope that helps. Best wishes with your sale. Peter
Debra, the best idea is to go to yellow pages and find some phone numbers of sapphire dealers in the Anakie region west of Rockhampton in Queensland. You should find someone there to give you some leads. This site specialises in opal which is a totally different gemstone and we are not experts in the sapphire fields. You can also look up ‘gemmologists’ in the yellow pages, but it depends on whether you just want an opinion or an official valuation which could cost a considerable amount of money. So try the sapphire fields first. Hope that helps, Peter