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Post by vegasjames on Jan 27, 2019 2:18:09 GMT -5
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Post by fernwood on Jan 27, 2019 4:06:49 GMT -5
I like the ones with cracks. Are they healed cracks?
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Post by vegasjames on Jan 27, 2019 6:34:15 GMT -5
I like the ones with cracks. Are they healed cracks? Most of the cracks are healed. I have been cabbing up some more pieces of the bottom ones. Have an occasional unhealed crack.
The top two in the second photo all the cracks are healed.
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Post by fernwood on Jan 27, 2019 6:53:10 GMT -5
They are beautiful.
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Post by vegasjames on Jan 27, 2019 7:49:31 GMT -5
Thanks. Have all sorts of common opal in a bunch of different colors and patterns so thought I would play around with it some to see how it cabs.
Hate the red. For whatever reason that one color tends to crumble and peel. So keeping it mainly for inlay where smaller pieces are needed. Would be a great red coral substitute to go with turquoise.
Green and white are the ones I normally find the largest and most stable chunks of. Purple is also pretty stable. And I find nice chunks of blue-gray once in a while. Pink, salmon. lavender and gold colored common opal are much harder to find.
The mixed colors are really nice but hardness varies a lot.
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Post by miket on Jan 27, 2019 8:25:56 GMT -5
Very nice. Love the colors.
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fireforged
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2015
Posts: 215
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Post by fireforged on Jan 27, 2019 9:06:52 GMT -5
Those are really awesome. The red one seems really nice but understand why you might hate it if it is hard to work. Would like to see the other colors you have. They would all look good in jewelry.
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Post by rockjunquie on Jan 27, 2019 9:11:25 GMT -5
I really like common opal- except for the inevitable fractures. Those are some beautiful cabs.
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Jan 27, 2019 9:29:02 GMT -5
I love that red one with the speckles!
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Post by vegasjames on Jan 27, 2019 19:44:19 GMT -5
I really like common opal- except for the inevitable fractures. Those are some beautiful cabs. As mentioned stability varies. Not sure why some colors tend to fracture and other colors are stable. Thought maybe it had to do with the aluminum oxide content but the hardness seems to be the same throughout colors. Only other thing I can think of is maybe how fast the silica gel reduced in moisture.
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Post by vegasjames on Jan 27, 2019 19:54:49 GMT -5
Those are really awesome. The red one seems really nice but understand why you might hate it if it is hard to work. Would like to see the other colors you have. They would all look good in jewelry. Here are some examples of some of the colors in rough:
Red
White
Green
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Post by vegasjames on Jan 27, 2019 20:44:10 GMT -5
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Post by rockjunquie on Jan 27, 2019 20:51:39 GMT -5
That purple is DIVINE!
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Jan 27, 2019 20:58:46 GMT -5
I agree!
Really like the grey one, too.
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Post by vegasjames on Jan 27, 2019 21:04:47 GMT -5
That was found in Central Nevada about 20 miles South of where I normally collect opal. The opals in the last two photos are from the same location and the only two I found out there. In the main location where I collect the opal the purples are hard to find but come in various shades from a light lavender to a dark purple.
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Post by vegasjames on Jan 27, 2019 21:44:14 GMT -5
I agree!
Really like the grey one, too.
The blue-gray opals are my favorite. Here is the largest I have found, 4 pounds 10 ounces.
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Jan 27, 2019 22:23:29 GMT -5
That's beautiful. I have always liked grey as a color. You can pair it with any other color and it looks fabulous. It's also a very subtle and elegant color, IMO.
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Post by lpl on Jan 27, 2019 22:45:12 GMT -5
Amazing diversity of colors there and I really like the blue-gray as well!
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agatemaggot
Cave Dweller
Member since August 2006
Posts: 2,195
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Post by agatemaggot on Jan 27, 2019 23:55:39 GMT -5
Great colors no kidding, used some common Opal for knapping a while back, very easy to work and I imagine polish also. Points I made came out with a very high shine naturally.
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NevadaBill
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2019
Posts: 1,332
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Post by NevadaBill on Jan 31, 2019 1:30:03 GMT -5
That is some super material you have collected there James. I had not heard the term "common opal" before. Will have to research it now. Thanks for sharing.
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