Yeah I have a few projects in mind. One that has failed a few times but I keep trying. The failures will be really useful when I get it working and share it in a video.
I'm so happy I was finally able to catch this live! Thanks to your advice I've finally bought my first rough from Julian, can't wait to see it in the mail! Thank you Roy!!! 🤩
5 years ago i bought 3 kilos off of ebay for 140 apiece, it was sold as old jewelers left overs, mostly white but some rubs and gem black opal. I still use some of it to cut doublets. Ebay is amazing!!!
Hey mate, I just went over the scraps from when I first started... there were some amazing gems in there! Also I call the cast off's from cutters "hospital rubs" they sell them cheap because they are unable/unwilling to cut them after removing material and seeing what they were up against
I missed the live stream so thanks for posting this 2x👍 I usually go for the stuff that wont make a nice calibrated stone, it adds a premium that I dont need. I only do this as a hobby and I enjoy the random shapes.
This was a really enjoyable video for me, I've been buying some chips and off cuts. I'm wondering if any chemicals for calcium lime and rust removal would take some of the stone off of the chips. I know it wouldn't take away the potch or hurt sandstone but I have seen a couple of lapidary videos of people dissolving limestone and ironstone to expose agates and or other crystals and I'm wondering if anyone tried it with opal?
@RoysRocks , that might be interesting to see. I thought it was when I saw the rock hounds exposing minerals from some rocks that way. They only let it dissolve about a third of the rock that exposed whatever minerals they were after. It was pretty artistic looking in the end.
I started cutting opal over 40 years ago and most of the parcel in this video would have gone to the scrap pile back then. What I could buy for $100.00 American back then is well over $1000.00 now. I`m still cutting and carving though.
This parcel was literally buying a cutters scraps, it is just that scraps can have hidden gems for us carvers so can pay off big time. Yeah even just 5 years ago what you could get for $500 is now in the thousands. Unfortunately cut stone prices have not gone up at the same rate as rough.
Check your messenger whenever. I linked you to the new Lapidary Dave show video. He's chilling with the dude that family owns the main Spencer Opal mine at their booth. Newest video by Lapidary Dave. You're gonna want to watch it before u dive into the American Opal content. So far this has been the most upto date comprehensive video on Spencer Opal I've seen. Also the best lead on the planet for the material. You should see there jars and huge chunks in matrix. He's starting to cover Quartzite and Tuscon this year already an amazing opal video.
A lot of those will be good to do a mosaic picture with
Yeah I have a few projects in mind. One that has failed a few times but I keep trying. The failures will be really useful when I get it working and share it in a video.
this was a great live. I cannot believe the time went by so quickly.
And I made it to see my parents in time afterwards! Only just made it on time.
I'm so happy I was finally able to catch this live! Thanks to your advice I've finally bought my first rough from Julian, can't wait to see it in the mail! Thank you Roy!!! 🤩
Hopefully at least a few gems out of a Jullian Stavreas parcel.
5 years ago i bought 3 kilos off of ebay for 140 apiece, it was sold as old jewelers left overs, mostly white but some rubs and gem black opal. I still use some of it to cut doublets. Ebay is amazing!!!
Ebay was amazing. I havent seen much good on there for years now.
When they changed all their fees and stuff people moved on.
Oops. Late today! Great that you caught up with family. Re watching video. I reckon I missed seeing a couple of stones. Have a good one.🙂
Yeah first time I had seen Paul since the start of covid.
Thanks for the video Roy.
Double comment 😁👌
Hey mate, I just went over the scraps from when I first started... there were some amazing gems in there!
Also I call the cast off's from cutters "hospital rubs" they sell them cheap because they are unable/unwilling to cut them after removing material and seeing what they were up against
I'm sure if I went through my current scraps bundle I'd find a few gems that I was just too lazy to dive in to.
@@RoysRocks have a look through! You'll be surprised
@@user-cv7cw5xz7i interesting! Much harder to sell anything in Australia...
I do the same every so often. Always surprised by what I missed.
@@bentationfunkiloglio I think it's because no matter how far you are along the journey, you are always a little bit better next time...
I missed the live stream so thanks for posting this 2x👍
I usually go for the stuff that wont make a nice calibrated stone, it adds a premium that I dont need. I only do this as a hobby and I enjoy the random shapes.
Its a good way to go and you can get some great prices for stones that still turn out beautiful just not classic oval in shape.
I used a 2 part epoxy last week for my first doublet, I will buy the one you have. I posted it on your Facebook the crystal with red on black potch.
So long as the 2 part is modern it should be okay. Most are pretty water resistant and non discolouring.
That definitely looks like Gary's off cuts
Yeah I need to get him on to a dremel. I know he likes his pointers and cabs but he could have fun carving.
Sorry I missed the live, don't always get notified. Great video Roy!!👍👍😁
All good there will be plenty of others to come.
I got my little chucks from China...thanks again for that info.
No worries. I'm still waiting on a set headed my way for the ozito size.
Thanks mate. Just saw this. Great info for carvers.
Man I haven't done a live stream in a while! I have to fix that.
This was a really enjoyable video for me, I've been buying some chips and off cuts. I'm wondering if any chemicals for calcium lime and rust removal would take some of the stone off of the chips. I know it wouldn't take away the potch or hurt sandstone but I have seen a couple of lapidary videos of people dissolving limestone and ironstone to expose agates and or other crystals and I'm wondering if anyone tried it with opal?
Only works if the host rock has a high enough concentration of things like calcium carbonate. Then you'll get the fizz and have it crumble off.
@RoysRocks , that might be interesting to see. I thought it was when I saw the rock hounds exposing minerals from some rocks that way. They only let it dissolve about a third of the rock that exposed whatever minerals they were after. It was pretty artistic looking in the end.
Great video! Small Lightning Ridge rough opals are heartbreakers. Small bits of sand in the wrong place totally ruin your day.
Yeah when you dont have the room to play it can be rough. I have a lot of good luck with small lightning ridge pea nobbies though for some reason.
@@RoysRocks I’ll have keep an eye out for some. Certainly, a gamble but could be fun/interesting.
I started cutting opal over 40 years ago and most of the parcel in this video would have gone to the scrap pile back then. What I could buy for $100.00 American back then is well over $1000.00 now. I`m still cutting and carving though.
This parcel was literally buying a cutters scraps, it is just that scraps can have hidden gems for us carvers so can pay off big time.
Yeah even just 5 years ago what you could get for $500 is now in the thousands.
Unfortunately cut stone prices have not gone up at the same rate as rough.
Check your messenger whenever. I linked you to the new Lapidary Dave show video. He's chilling with the dude that family owns the main Spencer Opal mine at their booth. Newest video by Lapidary Dave. You're gonna want to watch it before u dive into the American Opal content. So far this has been the most upto date comprehensive video on Spencer Opal I've seen. Also the best lead on the planet for the material. You should see there jars and huge chunks in matrix. He's starting to cover Quartzite and Tuscon this year already an amazing opal video.
I'll have to check it out at some point.
I literally was about to drop a video on buying online!
Do it! It's an important topic. I've got another video in the works trying to cover the topic from both the seller and buyer side.
Don't worry, I didn't like the footage I took. I'll do a new one, but I have the bones of the presentation so it's a bit quicker to do
That feeling when you see one rough opal among many and just have to get grinding 😊
I've lost a bit of that buzz over the years. Now I just have a long lineof stones to cut but little time.
Awesomeness..✌❤❤
Hopefully a few of the stones polish up.
You will always find something that slipped through..
Cheers Famo59
Just gotta keep my eyes wide open. Kinda like metal detecting and keeping my ears open.
Cool
I need to find this parcel again and sift through it but not sure where I put it...
Calibrated finger 🤣
I need a recalibration on these fingers. Thinner in winter. 😂
I tell you what you sell the one with the ginger whiskers to a ginger and you'll be doing just fine! 🧑🦰
Not sure there are many buyers of anything with the old ginger whiskers unfortunately.