First, hand-select your opals.
Hand-select many opals that are ready for cutting at once, checking that the ironstones nearby are largely solid and free of cracks. It is advisable for beginning opal cutters to work with relatively "low-grade" materials that are simple to cut. Even while they might not result in a magnificent stone, they can boost your self-esteem and help you master methodical opal cutting and polishing techniques. You should wait to challenge yourself with a "step-up in color" or "step-up in grade," which will bring you into some prettier stones, until you are more familiar and secure with cutting opals.
Hand-select many opals that are ready for cutting at once, checking that the ironstones nearby are largely solid and free of cracks. It is advisable for beginning opal cutters to work with relatively "low-grade" materials that are simple to cut. Even while they might not result in a magnificent stone, they can boost your self-esteem and help you master methodical opal cutting and polishing techniques. You should wait to challenge yourself with a "step-up in color" or "step-up in grade," which will bring you into some prettier stones, until you are more familiar and secure with cutting opals.
Study the Opal in Step 2
The first thing you should check for while holding an opal is color. From there, you should locate the "seam" or "flat line" of Opal color that runs through the gemstone before deciding which side is the "top." When examining your Opals, make sure you're in the sun or utilizing a bright Halogen light source because you need to be able to see the color well. Keeping the Opal wet is a fantastic idea since it brings the colors within.
The first thing you should check for while holding an opal is color. From there, you should locate the "seam" or "flat line" of Opal color that runs through the gemstone before deciding which side is the "top." When examining your Opals, make sure you're in the sun or utilizing a bright Halogen light source because you need to be able to see the color well. Keeping the Opal wet is a fantastic idea since it brings the colors within.
Third Step: Face the Opal
The top of the Opal should normally be marked with a permanent marker once this is complete and you have examined the Opal and determined which side it is on. (Because you spent so much time studying it; you might put it aside to "confront" another day.) The phrase "Facing the Opal" is frequently used in the gemstone business to describe removing the top of the gemstone to reveal the color bar.
The top of the Opal should normally be marked with a permanent marker once this is complete and you have examined the Opal and determined which side it is on. (Because you spent so much time studying it; you might put it aside to "confront" another day.) The phrase "Facing the Opal" is frequently used in the gemstone business to describe removing the top of the gemstone to reveal the color bar.
Step Four: Cut the Opal
You have now "fronted" your Opal. Now is the right time to begin shaping your opal. In order to begin shaping the Opal into a pleasing shape, I first use the 360-grit sintered wheel. However, I don't spend much time using this wheel; instead, I quickly switch to the 600-grit sintered wheel to finish facing the Opal, exposing as much of the color bar as I can without taking too much of the Opal, and to complete shaping the top of the gemstone into a lovely cabochon.
You have now "fronted" your Opal. Now is the right time to begin shaping your opal. In order to begin shaping the Opal into a pleasing shape, I first use the 360-grit sintered wheel. However, I don't spend much time using this wheel; instead, I quickly switch to the 600-grit sintered wheel to finish facing the Opal, exposing as much of the color bar as I can without taking too much of the Opal, and to complete shaping the top of the gemstone into a lovely cabochon.
To prepare the back of the opal for wax, you must somewhat "flatten" it before moving on to the next stage of doping it. You can either stick with the 600-grit wheel or return to the 360-grit wheel, like I do. To create a good surface for the wax to adhere to when you dop your opal, slightly flatten, or "Cab," the back of the stone. You won't typically finish the back of the Opal until the end, so you don't have to do this properly.
Step 6: Clean up the Opal
Some folks favor cutting their opals in groups. Before polishing their Dopped Opals, they cut and shape everything beforehand using the harder grade wheels, and they thoroughly clean their equipment beforehand. I believe that this is a fantastic concept because there is nothing worse than having to go back and waste time removing scratches off Opals that keep emerging due to pollution.
Some folks favor cutting their opals in groups. Before polishing their Dopped Opals, they cut and shape everything beforehand using the harder grade wheels, and they thoroughly clean their equipment beforehand. I believe that this is a fantastic concept because there is nothing worse than having to go back and waste time removing scratches off Opals that keep emerging due to pollution.