rocknrob
has rocks in the head
If Costco only sold slabs in bulk...
Member since May 2024
Posts: 690
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Post by rocknrob on Oct 14, 2024 14:26:14 GMT -5
The subject really says it all. I have no experience with opal and several of them do have a nice fire. One bin is from Australia (Coober pedy) while the other two are Ethiopian. All I have to work with is a dremel and a flat lap for polishing something like this and I'm afraid where to start. One fellow from my club suggested I start working with Obsidian, once I get that looking good I can then move on to opal but I'm thinking I should look out for some "common opal" to get a feel for the material before I work on anything with flash but everyone wants to brand it if it has any kind of color. I'm just thinking of working with something cheap before I dive in. Does anyone have a recommendation on how to go forward with this? Should I hold off doing anything with it until I get an actual cabbing machine?    |
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rockbrain
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2022
Posts: 3,217
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Post by rockbrain on Oct 14, 2024 14:58:31 GMT -5
Man, it looks like you scored! Of course if it's a big issue you can always send it to me. I think I'd wait for a cab machine but there's a lot of other folks here that actually have opal experience that will probably weigh in.
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rocknrob
has rocks in the head
If Costco only sold slabs in bulk...
Member since May 2024
Posts: 690
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Post by rocknrob on Oct 14, 2024 15:50:15 GMT -5
Man, it looks like you scored! Of course if it's a big issue you can always send it to me. I think I'd wait for a cab machine but there's a lot of other folks here that actually have opal experience that will probably weigh in. Yeah, I was really lucky that day. The ones that look the dullest have a really nice blue/green fire. I've watched that black opal fellow on YouTube and he of course makes it look effortless. But I've worked with soft materials before, just not opal and boy howdy the opportunity for errors is there and that's some pricey stuff to learn on. |
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Post by Rockoonz on Oct 14, 2024 15:52:03 GMT -5
Yes, I would also wait. If you decide to work a piece on your lap you won't need anything coarser than 220, though 180 grit is okay with a light touch. With the Ethiopian opal, take some time to carefully plan what you will do, when it is wet the fire will fade, but it will come back once it's dried out. In other words, if it looks like potch after you get started, better remember where the fire you want to keep was. If you can talk to whoever it came from, ask if any of it needs to be capped with quartz due to not being stable, if so let us know and I can find you a youtube tutorial, they are actually pretty easy since you're polishing the quartz and also the unstable stuff is the less valuable practice material. If you want common opal for practice I bet @camandewe Tony or roy has some lying about for a reasonable price. |
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Post by Rockoonz on Oct 14, 2024 15:55:20 GMT -5
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Post by chris1956 on Oct 14, 2024 15:55:40 GMT -5
Wait.  |
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rocknrob
has rocks in the head
If Costco only sold slabs in bulk...
Member since May 2024
Posts: 690
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Post by rocknrob on Oct 14, 2024 17:14:17 GMT -5
I wish I could talk to the person who donated it to the club but it was part of an estate. He was an avid opal jewelry maker from what I was told and I'm truly honored to get these from the club raffle. I'll keep these in the bin and practice on some obsidian, I even have some silver sheen obsidian to work on for practice but I will wait until after I get the Kingsley North that I've been drooling over. Thanks for the advice everyone!
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Post by Rockoonz on Oct 14, 2024 17:16:18 GMT -5
Sheen obsidian has directional flash like opal, good practice.
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Post by opalpyrexia on Oct 14, 2024 17:26:30 GMT -5
It would be nice to wait until you have a cabbing machine, Rob, but the cabs that you've posted here appear have been well done. They might not have the polish that you can achieve with a cabbing machine, but they're shaped nicely and they look good to me. Besides that, your avatar graphic tends to suggest that waiting too long might be harmful! 
So I think that you should find two pieces to work for now. Start with one that has very little or even no fire. And when done with it, move on to the second one.
Another thing to keep in mind is that even a very modest piece of rough opal can sometimes make an impressive doublet. That's especially true if it has at least one color bar (or seam).
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rocknrob
has rocks in the head
If Costco only sold slabs in bulk...
Member since May 2024
Posts: 690
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Post by rocknrob on Oct 14, 2024 18:09:39 GMT -5
It would be nice to wait until you have a cabbing machine, Rob, but the cabs that you've posted here appear have been well done. They might not have the polish that you can achieve with a cabbing machine, but they're shaped nicely and they look good to me. Besides that, your avatar graphic tends to suggest that waiting too long might be harmful!
So I think that you should find two pieces to work for now. Start with one that has very little or even no fire. And when done with it, move on to the second one.
Another thing to keep in mind is that even a very modest piece of rough opal can sometimes make an impressive doublet. That's especially true if it has at least one color bar (or seam).
Thank you! I don't know about any of these being big enough for a doublet. There are a few over 10mm in size but the majority are less than that. I was thinking rings or earrings. Thank you for your advice! |
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Post by opalpyrexia on Oct 14, 2024 20:16:06 GMT -5
...
Another thing to keep in mind is that even a very modest piece of rough opal can sometimes make an impressive doublet. That's especially true if it has at least one color bar (or seam).
Thank you! I don't know about any of these being big enough for a doublet. There are a few over 10mm in size but the majority are less than that. I was thinking rings or earrings. Thank you for your advice!
Yes, small opals and opal doublets are perfect for rings and earrings. I've sold several rings with small doublets.
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Post by 1dave on Oct 14, 2024 20:28:51 GMT -5
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Oct 14, 2024 22:32:00 GMT -5
Hey Rob,
I started cutting opal on a flat lap and I had never cut anything else in my life before then. Ignorance is bliss, right? Actually, you can cut opal on a flat lap rather easily, it just takes longer than a cabber which can be advantageous when you're first learning how to cut opal. Opal is not that soft. It's around a 6 mohs. Practice on a piece of the Coober Pedy that doesn't look real promising or has some sand spots or other schmutz visible. It will let you get a feel for it without worrying about killing it. Just go slow and follow the opal cutting rule: Cut a little, look a lot. I got a great polish on mine by using the regular succession of discs up to 3,000 and then using 14,000 diamond paste on another disc followed by cerium oxide slurry on a leather disc. As long as you use a water drip and keep the stone moving, you'll be fine. If the stone starts getting too warm, dunk it some water to cool it off. Hot spots will crack it, but as long as you're aware of that and avoid it they cut like any other rock.
The Ethiopian is trickier because most of it is hydrophane, although not all of it is. If you touch a piece of it to your tongue and it sticks, it's hydrophane. It will lose color while you're cutting it as it absorbs water. The color may or may not come back as it dries out, which can take a few days. I cut one piece of Welo and the color came back but it was all cloudy, so I refused to ever spend any more money on it. Vince cut one out of the same parcel and his came back perfectly. It's a crap shoot.
Hope that helps!
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Post by rockjunquie on Oct 15, 2024 0:02:46 GMT -5
oooooo... lucky you! I would say, if you are really eager, then, as others have said, start with a blah piece or two to get a feel for it. If it were me, I would wait for a cabber and more experience.
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rocknrob
has rocks in the head
If Costco only sold slabs in bulk...
Member since May 2024
Posts: 690
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Post by rocknrob on Oct 15, 2024 10:34:34 GMT -5
oooooo... lucky you! I would say, if you are really eager, then, as others have said, start with a blah piece or two to get a feel for it. If it were me, I would wait for a cabber and more experience. I've got an order in on Hi-Tech to hold me off for a bit before I start really looking at cabbers. They sell a Cerium infused buffing pad (maybe leather) that should help with shining things up extra sparkly. I'll give some of the duller stuff a go with a 180 diamond disc before going through the smoothing process. I just need to practice holding small things  |
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Post by rockjunquie on Oct 15, 2024 10:46:39 GMT -5
oooooo... lucky you! I would say, if you are really eager, then, as others have said, start with a blah piece or two to get a feel for it. If it were me, I would wait for a cabber and more experience. I've got an order in on Hi-Tech to hold me off for a bit before I start really looking at cabbers. They sell a Cerium infused buffing pad (maybe leather) that should help with shining things up extra sparkly. I'll give some of the duller stuff a go with a 180 diamond disc before going through the smoothing process. I just need to practice holding small things Good luck! I find it difficult to hold small stones, even on a dop. |
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Post by Rockoonz on Oct 15, 2024 17:21:02 GMT -5
I've got an order in on Hi-Tech to hold me off for a bit before I start really looking at cabbers. They sell a Cerium infused buffing pad (maybe leather) that should help with shining things up extra sparkly. I'll give some of the duller stuff a go with a 180 diamond disc before going through the smoothing process. I just need to practice holding small things Good luck! I find it difficult to hold small stones, even on a dop. Aluminum roofing nails with double stick tape, and a pin vice for a handle. |
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Post by rockjunquie on Oct 15, 2024 17:38:43 GMT -5
Good luck! I find it difficult to hold small stones, even on a dop. Aluminum roofing nails with double stick tape, and a pin vice for a handle. I have a set that minerken made, it's comfortable, but I have never gotten used to using glue or tape. I've gotten real good at wax, though. If I have the need, like with some sweet opals, I'll revisit it. |
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rocknrob
has rocks in the head
If Costco only sold slabs in bulk...
Member since May 2024
Posts: 690
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Post by rocknrob on Oct 16, 2024 9:31:09 GMT -5
I just bought a hi/low temperature glue gun that I was originally planning to use for securing cabs to drill holes in the top. I'll see if it works on the low setting for the LQ no fire opals I have. Only one way to find out |
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Post by whalecottagedesigns on Oct 16, 2024 21:58:20 GMT -5
rocknrob I have been using the hot glue way to hold cabs on a piece of wood for drilling for a while. I would not use it on Ethiopian opals though, just because of the heat issue. The only two thoughts for this method are firstly to only do the cab up to 180/200, then do the drilling, then do the rest of the grits and polish. That way the hot glue has something to hold onto, otherwise the cab can just pop off very easily, even if you bolster up the sides with the glue! The other bonus doing it this way is that you will end up with nicely rounded drill holes! The other thing is that there are some rocks, like blue lace agates or suchlike which has micropores/lined fissures and the hot glue can stick right into that like crazy. But perhaps one can use a solvent or something to loosen the glue, perhaps even pretty hot water might do that (now that I am sitting here thinking about it!).
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