As was predicted by other opal cutters I have talked to, I have been bitten by the bug and have been spending more time looking for and acquiring opal rough to cut and spending less time cutting conventional semi-precious material, as I had been doing. I have added to my workshop a 'Pixie' small wheel cabbing machine especially well suited for cutting and polishing opals and other small stones.
At this year's Tucson Gem & Mineral Showcase I bought several parcels of Australian Lightning Ridge Black Opal rough, a parcel of Queensland Boulder Opal rough and a variety of Welo Ethiopian Opal individual nodules and nice cuttable pieces. The picture above is some of the boulder opal and Ethiopian opal.
This picture is of a few of the parcels of Lightning Ridge opal I bought this year from a couple of mine owner dealers at the gem shows. Lots of very nice cuttable material. Not the very best, most expensive grade - I have no market of top end jewelers to sell to (yet). Rather, this material is good quality that will yield nice moderately priced stones that I will be able to sell to craft jewelers and wire wrap artists.
Look for the opals I cut and polish at:
www.cabochondesignz.com
