See Justin from Black Opal Direct show you the 12 secrets to cutting a better opal. Justin will take you through the stages for cutting opal from roughing all the way down to polishing.
Justin, has by far the best cutting videos I have seen on youtube. And I should know 35 years of experience in the opal industry and the only man still alive that has a Opal mine that is heritage listed in Australia .
I must have devoured about 10-20 hours of your videos now I feel. Thank you so much for posting on hand polishing as the biggest thing holding me back off buying a rough beginners parcel was my lack of equipment. Now I can see that while it makes it faster and easier; if I'm just starting out I can learn and practice to a good quality finish via hand methods until I can afford the proper cabbing machine.
Amazing to see the growth you’ve experienced as a content creator over last 8years, I’m more of a recent fan so having seen videos the last year or so now seeing a video from 8 years ago it’s like wow!!
Thank YOU Justin! Thank you so much for your videos. I have a fascination with opals and have made my fair share of mistakes working with these beautiful stones. My gem business is beginning to take off in large part to your informational videos. Good job!
I learned how to cut cabs using Obsidian many years ago...Opal cuts much the same! Obsidian is a lot more brittle, tends to chip at the edges. Both stones are silica: one fused by heat and the other a solidified gel. Waiting on my second parcel; doing all the cutting by hand with diamond hones. I love a challenge!
Hey Justin and watching you for a long time you sure did that Stone Justiceyou brought out the beauty in it like no one else can keep up the good work 👍
Justin, you should always film in that light. It makes you look younger than you already are. Also, your face is more handsome than normal when you shave. Love all your videos. Love from Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.
Justin, this is by far one of the best cutting videos I have seen. I would suggest you creating videos for sale on this subject (including cutting some amazing stones) to show how you approach various common cutting problems with opal. Lots of people would buy that video
I enjoyed watching you cut and polish this beautiful opal. Unfortunately I will need to make sure my sister never sees your website or she would probably buy everything you have in stock!
Hi Justin.This vedio is very helpful! I just got some rough stones of fossil opal. Can you make a vedio of polishing fossil opals? Or give some advices? Thank you!
Love your"wrench" Justin! Sweet opal man. So wanna have your skills man. And your nerve, to cut a stone that cost 5g takes some big ones if ya get my drift!
I don't have a nice saw like this, so I use a dremel with small diamond blades. I put the Opal on a dopstick with a LOT of wax so I can easily guide it. I do this tool in 1 hand, dopstick in other. The wax holds the pieces so they don't fly off. I lose the ability to rotate the opal a lot, but I'm still an amateur with smaller pieces.
Justin from reading the comments I might not be able to do what I just thought about, but thought I would ask. The pixie I have has so many more wheels. To polish I have to bolt on the polishing wheel and remove water tray. It came with a plastic stand in tray. I still at a loss for what it's used for, does not steady hands. Question is going to try Dremmel work station on potch to try and cut with a water bath. Would the pixie spin to fast to add a cutting blade where I usually remove water tray and add polishing wheel? Just sounds to easy but thought I would ask your thoughts. I not taken Dremmel and all attachments including the flexible shaft and workstation out of the boxes yet. The cost for Dremmel 4000 and attachments was 277.00. I have a bunch of tips in cases from old cordless Dremmel I bought, but never tried to cut a stone with it because I knew I would not be able to hold it steady enough. Your saw makes it look so much easier than what I be trying to do,
Interesting and pedagogical Justin. If I want to try something similar with opals, where can buy the original stones (i.e. the potch, original opal material)?
a fair amount different than cabbing star sapphire, you have to keep the pressure pretty firm for most of the process and of course only diamond belts throughout. The farther along the polishing process the firmer the touch.
What if you don't have alot of those machines you have,and you want to make opal pendants,but try to keep the natural shape or close to the rough opal shape,but get all the color out of it,what can I use
I'm just starting my journey into cutting and polishing opal. Your videos have been very informative and you have very beautiful work. I hope to be able to brag about my work someday, but for now I'll be in awe and learn all I can. Thank you!!!
Nice video. I tried polishing an Ethiopian Shewa nodule opal (those reddish "chocolate" types in a nodule). I am a novice. I got the stone to polish to a very smooth but matte finish. No matter what I try it never takes on the nice glassy polish like the one in the video, it always stays matte. I tried the cerium on a small felt wheel (type you put on a handheld tool) but no go. What am I missing, is it the hardness of the stone or the wheel?
Hello Justin, I wonder if the 280 and 600 grit wheel are sintered? So without foam under the grinding layer? They sound like they are but I'm not very sure. Would you prefer, or, recommend these grits as sintered or "normal" Nova wheels with foam? Thank you very much in advance!
oh goodness i absolutely love all the videos you do! This one scared the hell out of me for some reason on my mac book the videos audio causes my right speaker to play out static noise instead of the audio. Works fine with other videos just a very weird occurrence :D thanks again dude for all the amazing videos you put out! I hope one day i can start cutting and shaping like you do!
in indonesia, first we cut the stone like you did even the machine is kinda different,then if we want shape the stone, we dirrectly use 2000 grit stone, its an efective way to shape your stone.when its time to pollish usually we use hand grind machine with sand papper on it, from 150 grit and up to 5000 grit sand paper, and the result is almost the same as yours.nice tips btw and sorry for the bad english :D
great work, thank you. you process went smoothly. question....i bought opal from Australia and some came in a bag wet and some did not. i heard some will craze. how do i treat them?
My son has just started polishing opals and we watch your videos nearly every day. With your end polishing wheel, did you buy it like that with the grooves or have you made them like that your self? The bit where you’re polishing with the Cerium Oxide. Thanks!
How can I contact you? I have an old mexican ring with an agate stone , thats dried and cracked can you help me shape a new one for my ring? I can send you pics. Thanks for your help.
Muahahahahaha!! One miiiiilllllion dollars! Im one biiiiiiillion dollars! You look like a young happy version of Dr. evil in this video Ha ha ha I love you justin thanks for all your hard work
Neon Peon I believe these lapidary saws are a much different blade than one might think. You'd have to press to slice yourself badly, as it's an abrasion blade as opposed to a broad-tooth blade.
Great video. I'd like to work faceting opals too. Is there any opportunity in your country? I'm a gemcutter with over 15 years of experience and you can look for some of my videos (Steps in lapidary process). Gemstones are my passion. Kind regards, Oscar.
Good introduction for the beginner. But I have a quibble with your definition of cabochon. A cabochon is a stone that has been polished, but not faceted. Whether the top is flat or domed does not matter, although they are usually domed to some degree. Generally, the sides are just a continuation of the top down to the base.
great video! i really like how cheap you are, no offense! i know how much all the equipment and consumables cost. im saving up to get all this stuff and its tough....
ive been working with black opal i got from Honduras for about a week now, i have about 3 kilos so i have plenty to practice with, but man its brittle, cant go below 400 grit without cracking or cratering the stones, no machines tho, all by hand and sandpaper... maybe i pressing to hard and getting frustrated, i think you said that in another video not to do that lol
Good Day Justin, my name is Horst Mathies and I coming to Australia in 1960 lived in Fairfield/NSW . I joined the Garmen/Austrian Club in Cabramatta , and got to know a few german People. After going to L.R. a few times, on long weekends , holidays and sick days etc., I met a GErman gay in the Club from somewhere around Penrith. His Name was Willy (Bill) Glogauer, He was known in L.R. as little Hitler ,starting a soccer team in L.R., and also He started the drinking Hole in a new Opal Field(forgot the Name). I just saw Your Vidieo where You introduced Your father. SAying that he came to L.R. around1960. I am very sorry about not meeting up with him, but we were only part-timers. I never had the guts to stay full time. We are still coming to L.R. and we (my wife & myself plus our doggie) would love to meet up with You and Your Dad. Regards Horst Mathies (now from Melbourne).
