I love that you showed a more difficult stone and the challenges and difficult decisions you had to make. It's one of the things that makes watching craftsmen at their craft so fascinating and satisfying. The easy stones are gorgeous, but ones like this are where we truly see your expertise, experience, and skill come to the fore. Bravo!
I wish I had your talent ( and your equipment!). Not much chance for me now I am disabled and 70!!! Did some lapidary when I was much younger and lived near Perth, W.A. Beautiful stones as ever
It’s such a gamble but it must yield some amazing surprises at times. It’s interesting to watch you puzzle your way through. I think I even like the pieces while they are rough also.
Omg you crack me up so dang much! Seriously! Cheesy....yes, but who doesn’t love cheese? Like the whole holding up carrots to tell us how many carets you were hoping for was priceless - and silly which I love. Then you had to top off that video with some silly dancing. The feets ! Lmfao- made me lol all by myself in my house. I watch ur vids bc I love opals and think watching you make them into beautiful wearable gems is super interesting but I keep watching for the personality, thank you. I dont usually comment but you mentioned it at the end and so I left this all for that silliness I love. Keep up the wonderful content!
Another Super Amazing Video Justin. You show that one has to really take their time to Study a Nobby Very Carefully as not to loose any Color or Opal. You created Three Beauties from this Nobby and as always they all turned out Gorgeous.
Good to see you back in the jewel chair and behind the wheels Justin👍. Just want to say that you my good friend is a piece of art yourself👌 Outstanding work🤩 - Thank you for sharing the real deal...... OPAL.... my favorite gemstone🙏
Did anyone else say out loud, " oh no!" ... when he sd hee had to cut it in 3? Great video!! I was on the edge of my seat! Ha ha excellent content..i watched this one and the one where you danced after getting the 2.57 beauty... lol lol i had a horrendous long day today and these videos just made me smile and helped me feel better. So so thankful!
Justin... For those of us who are new to this...do you or could you do a video on the grinding wheels you use...I.e grade,width,texture,stuff like that... Thank you for your time... Love your videos...
@@blackopaldirect thank you sir... I do appreciate you getting back to me...I will most certainly look for that video...as always Your videos are a great help to all that look for your knowledge...they are also entertaining as well as informative...✌
My mother adored opals and always wanted one. Dad was able to get her one, and it was similar to the smaller opal you cut this day. It was much thinner though, and it did crack and break, breaking mother's heart as well. She bought herself another pinkie ring that had a possibly fake opal in it later in life. I wish she was alive to watch these videos with me. She would be so captivated watching you work your masterful skills.
I was sweating thru that cut!! Such beautiful stones!! I am very impressed by your lapidary skills!! The result is so amazing!! Thank you for sharing your talent 😁👍
I just love watching your videos Justin. I have watched every single one. My life has been a mess for the last year and half as both my parents have been diagnosed with cancer and my life has been turned upside down. Sitting and watching you make beautiful things is the light in my day. I just wanted you to know you have left a footprint on my heart. Sometimes you can help people get through a day and change the night into day. Thankyou xx
I'm sorry for your hard year, your comment just put a tear in my eye. I'm so glad justin is so uplifting and has helped you through it. He does the same for me. People are struggling and he inspires me to carry on
Perhaps the polished stones can be catalogue with coding numbers to enable those who are interested to buy them, can order/purchase them via online from overseas.. Just a suggestion Justin. 😇
I dont understand why not approach the color bar from the other side, even after you already taken off the side with cracks. I mean approach it from the side with the little color bar chopped off instead of chopping it in half.
Hello Justin, I like your videos. I know your cutting for max profit but what about the offcuts is there enough on them to make opals for us poor folks. It would be a great vid showing how poor folk can bring opals into their lives. Thanks, Justin if you keep making vids then I'll keep watching.
EX-cellent job....excellent macro shots. Best cutting videos on YT! I've often had a "ring" stone turn into earrings! How make vids even better? 1. Even closer CUs on the stone as it's cut on the wheel Cardinal rule of video= FILL YOUR FRAME While cutting, you should be as close as the amazing good shots of the finished gems...w/o wetting the lens, obviously. 2. Call out (text on screen or in VO) the wheel grit...280, 600, etc. 3. Explain ORIGIN of rough stones....Coober Pedy, LR, Andamooka, etc. What's a "nobby?" 4. Lower ambient sound of grinding & motor noise by covering mic OR simply pull it down in Premiere or whatever editing software you have, and do your VO w mic thru computer's USB port...to create a 2nd track for VO only. Easier than you think. No one wants motor noise competing with your instruction. Or use a lav mic if you keep your play-by-play...camera's mic is favoring the grinding wheels/motor noise, not you. W this method, your "play-by-play" description will get even better. As it is now, you're trying to "pack in" words during the live shots...and some "dead air" that could be filled. Your cutting decisions are evident in the VISUALS, though, VERY nicely presented, and we learn more through the eye than the ear--the way good instruction SHOULD be! Well done, cobber--makes me want to fire up my Pixie again!
Never knew how much just went into making the video, let alone all the educational information your giving us, Again , Some are teachers,,, I hope you continue to educate others and myself, I FIND IT VERY INTRESTING ,, Also I find you easy on the eyes ( wink ) ! , Regards BRENDA FL. USA
Very cool, love watching these get cut and polished. I think I like the last one with all the tiny little almost flakes of colour through it! Great to watch as usual. :)
How he puts his fingers so close to the saw, and isn't missing any parts of them is just mesmerizing to watch. Everything he does is fantastic to watch. What a master cutter. Amazing
Wow Justin ! You have really grown over the years and months. I’ve been watching a lot of your more recent videos and this is the first of your older videos. I gotta say, you have progressed very well indeed lol. Still though, the quality of work was just as good then as it is now, meaning you have definitely mastered your craft ! I would certainly trust your knowledge no doubt.
Black Opel direct:... I was wondering if there was a way I could email you some photos of opal that I found I think you’d be quite interested if it’s possible please let me know how....
The little pinfire, is really pretty colors! If I could, I would buy that one. This was made a long time ago too. I love just watching how your brain just figure out how that stone is put together. So fascinating to witness an opal come into this world, beautiful.
Again, is there not a jewelers dremel for hard to reach areas without loosing color? I love watching u but it kills me to think u could loose a stone bc of aggressive polishing? Who am I ? I know nothing!! Thank you sir!
I liked the book matched colour on the two inner sides when you cut it in half. I would have thought that they would have made a beautiful twined earrings stones. 20/20 lol
Actually, I don't like the second stone as it is. It looks like it has a layer of potch or at least some less shiny opal in the middle of the dome. I wonder if one could have risked grinding that down a bit deeper to get a nicer color play. And the back of it looks quite interesting as well - any chance to polish that as well?
I love how you give weights and prices and why at end, would you be able to say about how much you paid for the rough? Just somehow give an idea if you did get more out , than paid in?
I am starting my comment at around 6:50 into the video and I see a dark potch on the surface you started to use as the face and I think this side has a potch too deep and you will have to use the other side as the face. I will come back later and comment after you figure out which side is best for the face.
I love watching your work, you are an artist. That stone ended up with a rough value of $850-$900, do you ever share what you paid for it? If that's too personal, no worries, just curious.
Like to see you do a whole vid on grading/pricing strategy ONLY.....charts, brightness example stones (I used to keep my kit of 5 stones against a black velvet bg in an old eyeglass case), lighting used when grading, flash, color roll, pattern factors....the whole Monty. Who sets carat value? Local market ct rate, or??? All other factors being equal, is an N2 Bright 4 pinfire worth the same per carat in Lightning Ridge as in Perth? Or have I missed a pgm?
That last stone you had that little one that’s not I’m not quite a carrot would you be willing to sell that to me on payments I would I got to have it please
Fascinating stuff Justin. Do you mind telling us what you paid for the rough? From 35 carrots down to 5 I was wondering if you made out or took a loss. Thanks for the videos.
@@blackopaldirect ,It was a beautiful round opal.He has colour all-around. Wasn't better to shape him around to get a big oval opal stone. Maybe it is stupid,but that's what I observed. The beauty is not always in perfection. With love from Europe ♥️
Justin , I absolutely LOVE to watch your video''s . I get a Free Education, if I watch enough of your video's , and a few others, I would need not go to GIA school . Sure I may not learn EVERYTHING, But I have sure increased my knowledge, Thank you very much for sharing Justin, Some people are teachers, Some others students, I myself , am a student. , For now., Regards . Brenda
A video popped up on my suggested feed and I automatically clicked on it thinking it's Black Opal Direct. About 5 seconds in I'm like "that's not Justin's voice! What is this?!" 3 mins in and I'm like "man I wish Justin was cutting this opal. Ugh I can't even watch this" 😒 *clicks "don't suggest this channel"*
