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Post by parfive on Feb 18, 2019 18:15:33 GMT -5
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Feb 18, 2019 18:30:35 GMT -5
Thanks for posting these.
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gemfeller
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Member since June 2011
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Post by gemfeller on Feb 18, 2019 19:00:43 GMT -5
Love those boulder splits. I imagine it takes a bit of practice to open one that easily.
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Post by rockjunquie on Feb 18, 2019 19:16:46 GMT -5
HOLY MOLY! I literally yelled when I saw it.
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Post by MsAli on Feb 18, 2019 19:29:04 GMT -5
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agatemaggot
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Member since August 2006
Posts: 2,195
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Post by agatemaggot on Feb 18, 2019 20:32:04 GMT -5
WOWWWWWW !
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Feb 18, 2019 21:23:53 GMT -5
I always wondered how they actually do those boulder splits. Now I know. I have a stash of boulder with thin seams in it that has been sitting in a box for years. When I get my nerve up, I'm going to try one.
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Feb 18, 2019 21:25:33 GMT -5
Thanks alot, MsAli. Now I'll be wasting hours watching all the opal splitting videos on IG.
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Post by toiv0 on Feb 18, 2019 22:57:10 GMT -5
amazing, now I wish I hadn't given away all my boulder opal.
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Post by MsAli on Feb 18, 2019 23:10:44 GMT -5
Thanks alot, MsAli . Now I'll be wasting hours watching all the opal splitting videos on IG. You're welcome
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Post by fernwood on Feb 19, 2019 6:16:49 GMT -5
Must take just the right touch.
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harrym
having dreams about rocks
NH - The Granite State
Member since January 2019
Posts: 59
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Post by harrym on Feb 28, 2019 8:23:19 GMT -5
Thank you parfive for posting those clips, blew me away. I recently bought some rough tumbling rocks from an on-line company called Gems By Mail. Anyway, they are always running some kind of promotion and the week I made my purchase they were giving away a free half pound of Green Apple Opal with any purchase. Ok, fine, I'll take it if its free. However, what makes opal an opal? The stuff they sent me has an unusual green color, but at least in the rough I don't see any of the iridescence that is present when you think about opal. I'm a just a layman and a beginner tumbler so forgive my ignorance. I haven't figured out the photo-bucket thing yet so I can't post pictures, but here is a link to that Green Apple Opal which they sell. The pictures they post look exactly like what I received. If I tumbled this would I get some magical surprise, or just pretty smooth opaque stones? Link: www.gemsbymail.com/Tumble-Mix-Rough-Opal-Apple-Green-1-LB-BOGO-p314.html
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Feb 28, 2019 10:57:43 GMT -5
Thank you parfive for posting those clips, blew me away. I recently bought some rough tumbling rocks from an on-line company called Gems By Mail. Anyway, they are always running some kind of promotion and the week I made my purchase they were giving away a free half pound of Green Apple Opal with any purchase. Ok, fine, I'll take it if its free. However, what makes opal an opal? The stuff they sent me has an unusual green color, but at least in the rough I don't see any of the iridescence that is present when you think about opal. I'm a just a layman and a beginner tumbler so forgive my ignorance. I haven't figured out the photo-bucket thing yet so I can't post pictures, but here is a link to that Green Apple Opal which they sell. The pictures they post look exactly like what I received. If I tumbled this would I get some magical surprise, or just pretty smooth opaque stones? Link: www.gemsbymail.com/Tumble-Mix-Rough-Opal-Apple-Green-1-LB-BOGO-p314.htmlWelcome to the group. There are 2 basic types of opal: precious opal, with color-play, and so-called "common" opal without color-play but some of it is prized, like Fire Opal and other colors, and can be very beautiful. Your opal is the last type and the ad you purchased from states clearly: "Raw green opal does not have the color play of precious opal, but does have a unique green color." So enjoy it for what it is and do some studying on the subject. It's quite complex. To directly answer your question "What makes an opal an opal?" it's basically the structural make-up of the material. Precious opal has little microscopic spherules that arrange in an orderly way, causing light to be diffracted through the spaces between them to create spectral colors. Common opal is chwemically the same stuff but the little spherules are disordewrly and don't diffract light the same way.
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lookatthat
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Whatever there is to be found.
Member since May 2017
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Post by lookatthat on Feb 28, 2019 12:10:50 GMT -5
WOW, that electric blue!
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harrym
having dreams about rocks
NH - The Granite State
Member since January 2019
Posts: 59
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Post by harrym on Feb 28, 2019 23:40:57 GMT -5
Welcome to the group. There are 2 basic types of opal: precious opal, with color-play, and so-called "common" opal without color-play but some of it is prized, like Fire Opal and other colors, and can be very beautiful. Your opal is the last type and the ad you purchased from states clearly: "Raw green opal does not have the color play of precious opal, but does have a unique green color." So enjoy it for what it is and do some studying on the subject. It's quite complex. To directly answer your question "What makes an opal an opal?" it's basically the structural make-up of the material. Precious opal has little microscopic spherules that arrange in an orderly way, causing light to be diffracted through the spaces between them to create spectral colors. Common opal is chwemically the same stuff but the little spherules are disordewrly and don't diffract light the same way. Thank you gemfeller!
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