Opal Chat – Please scroll to bottom of page to Leave a Reply or a help request
Fritz (left) and Michael at Lightning Ridge
Everyone likes a chat
But this forum is for people who like to have a chat about opal and with the hundreds of pages on this site, there is certainly a lot to chat about. Maybe you want to know something about opal mining. Perhaps the idea of cutting your own opals is your scene. Or it could be that you want to have a chat about how to get to the Opal Mines and plan a holiday. Thats what this ‘a chat’ page is all about.
Opal Mullock Heaps at Lightning Ridge
Have a Chat about the Opal Mines
Australian Opal mines are scattered from one end of this great continent to the other. They start from NSW and South Australia to the south, proceed up through Mintabee nearly to Alice Springs in central Australia, then take a dive to the East towards Lightning Ridge and then North again towards the Yowah and Koroit fields and on up to Blackall and Winton, with the most northerly mines in the Opalton region.You will find many relics of the past in the form of old opal miner’s huts and machinery they adapted to opal mining. A chat about these old miners leads into tales of the bush with all the charachters associated with it
Have a chat about Opal Cutting
There’s lots to have a chat about. How do you get on to rough opal for processing? How do you set up and opal cutting and polishing machine? How to you get used to cutting perfect ovals? How do you stop opals falling off dopsticks? What is the best sort of machinery to buy? Can you build your own machinery. There’s a lot about this here.
Underground at the Koroit mines
Have a chat about opal jewelry designs
Maybe you have your own thoughts on how to put a piece of opal into a setting. Opal jewelry designing reminds me of snowflakes. Of all the billions of flakes that fall, there are no two the same but if you put them under the microscope you will see that each one of them has been thought out and designed. This is no mistake of evolution. Where there is design, there is always a designer and the same applies to opal jewelry. A chat about this subject means that you can compare notes with other designers and come up with some completely new ideas. The potential is endless. So, enjoy having a chat about this endless facinating subject; opal
2,038 Responses to Opal Chat – Please scroll to bottom of page to Leave a Reply or a help request
Leave a Reply
Hi, Peter,
Yes, I would certainly be interested in your eBook! I’m continuing to learn about opals, too bad that Andamooka matrix wasn’t a black opal…it’s truly a nice piece. I’m not too worried about value as I intend to keep it…just need to figure out what needs to be done (if anything) to incorporate it into a piece of jewelry. I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on questions such as: can it and should it be cut? If so, what shape? Is there a way to polish it to a higher gloss, or should it be coated with clear epoxy (as suggested by some websites) to ramp up the glow. I’m wondering if there is a way to cut it to see if more of the reds can be bought out, but I don’t want to hurt the beautiful ‘front’ of the stone as it is absolutely gorgeous!
Thanks again,
Joni
Joni, the color and polish you have cannot be improved. Andamooka matrix only offers a certain standard of polish because of its porosity and covering it with varnish is just not done. You can’t recut it because it will expose the lighter colors of the stone before it was dyed. So i guess, what you have is what you’ve got unless you want to slice the back off it and use it as a belt buckle or bola. its a big piece of opal so you are limited with what you can do with it. If you want to post your stone on this forum, just browse for it at the bottom of the reply. i will send you a pic by email.
Hi, Peter,
I just sent you some pics of my black opal. I’m hoping you can tell me a little, well, actually a LOT about it! For instance, where it’s from, what pattern it is (it looks like a combination of broadflash or flag harlequin (from pics I compared it to on some websites). I can’t believe how many variations in the patterns are in black opals. I’m also wondering if it’s worth it to have it cut so I can see more of the red and yellow flecks that are inside, make it into two stones instead of one. I think it has all the colors but won’t know unless it’s cut. Would love to hear your thoughts.
Anyway, thank you for your help!
Joni
I have an opal I would like to have polished and possibly recut to eliminate some blemishes. It’s an oval shape 20 x 13mm or so. If you would, send me instructions on where and how to send it to you for your advice and service please. Or, if you would rather call I can be reached at 865-453-3294 until 6pm EST. Thanks so much, Chris Myers
Chris, sorry about the delay in replying. Probably a good idea to send me a close up picture first so that i can tell what sort of opal it is. just email it to me peter@opalmine.com You can send the stone to me here in australia but lets start with the picture first. Best wishes Chris, Peter