That pea nobby is so beautiful and exotic looking on its own, you almost don't want to cut it...... until you see Justin cut it, then you realize it was all worth it. I'm sure he makes mistakes here and there like everyone else, but I wouldn't trust anyone else on this earth to get the absolute most out of an opal than him. He's the maestro.
As soon as I saw that stone it spoke to me and the colours on that stone are just so unique I’ve never seen a stone with my favourite colour that small and bright I love it and I would love to put it on a ring for my mother for Mother’s Day 🙂
Just started watching your video's in the UK while I recover from covid that I have recently picked up at work as a paramedic in the UK, I find it great watching you turn a ruff stone in to a great gem.
I worked one of those the other day,sadly no colour bar in mine😭 The info about the potch was interesting, would you be able to do a vid covering that some more please? New to the game and your tutorials have been a wealth of information and instruction,thanks for doing what you do.👍
Well... what a cut and you saved the stone and a great little gem. Wonderful to watch and the explanation of your decisions was really interesting... you always put the stone first. That is quality :)
What a gorgeous stone. The black potch looked like coral on the back. We had peas the other night & the kids did the dishes & I saw peas in the drain & asked “who peed in the sink?”... lol love my dad jokes. 😉
I really appreciated the continued explanation of “unhealthy potch”. I watched the first video right before this one. Do jewelery makers generally cover the potch in the gem setting process? How likely is it that the potch inside, that is making this a black crystal opal, might be unhealthy potch?
From the 1st look of the nobby it was very good. Note my fav colour is not blue and or violet nor purple when it comes to opals. Justin may you please get more rough opal parcels if you can, I'm gonna be making imperial jadeite chopsticks and I might need some opals to be glued on it. Danke.
There are no peas in my soup that look like that! Thanks for the valuable information when it vacillated from being dark crystal to black opal. Stay safe and healthy!😷 I forgot it was quite dramatic with the music and the pensive stares.⚒
Your father taught you, do you have an apprentice if not any tips how can someone be worthy to be taken in consideration ! Started seeing opals this year the beauty of colors and patterns is just mesmerizing! Thanks
Great gem. Your work with this gemstone makes me want to move to Australia, if it were not for all the deadly creepy crawlies you have down under. So for now I will settle for watching your videos.
Haha nice it is here. I held it back for others to get the chance but be quick if you want it blackopaldirect.com/product/black-opals/1-30-ct-black-opal-8x7x3mm-2/
Black Opal Direct - That is some sights to be holding on your site. WoW! Glad I clicked the link. Couldn’t believe the opal in this video is still in stock. It is a beaut! So is every other opal listed. Love your channel and website Justin.
how to know if the potch is healthy or unhealthy and why I see sometimes you cut the potch and sometimes you keep it ? how do you know if it should to be in potch or better cut it ? any signs ? I hope you do video for that to explain us and thanks a lot
Thank you for posting, I'm so glad I found your videos! I'm just fascinated by what you do. I saw a reference once to a pattern called Chinese writing, I'd love to know more about it! 😀
So nice. Just getting started with minimal equipment. But learning from you. Hope mabey to some day get the skill to make nice opals. Glad you have your channel and thank you. Being in US is hard to get good opal. But trying without going broke, just trying to learn! You rock
Wow, really great seeing you work that stone. On the topic of patterns, do you think it would be wroth doing a separate video on each pattern, going into detail about it and showing a few examples? Kind of spreading then in between cutting videos, or even making a series out of it. Seems like there is so much information about each one---how it is made up inside the stone, relative rarity, relative popularity, relative value, if it is more common in types of opal (black, crystal, white, etc) Anyway, I would find all of that type of information very interesting
Back to watch again. Glad ro be home. And you are 1000% corect! Aussie opal is the very best. Actually by far the best. Ethiopian opals are good looking at times but they just have nothing on Australian opal. I will admit I am looking to buy a piece of that Indonesian black opal. And now Oregon has found huge specimens of really nice fire opal. Virgin Valley has had good and bad opal. But if you truly love opal I must sugest you at least pick yourself up some sourced out of Aussieland.
Thank you for a very interesting article ! I really enjoy watching your videos and learning about Opals ! Take care , stay safe and healthy wherever your next adventure takes you ! Doing well here in Kansas .
Everytime I see one of these videos it makes me want to work with these gems. Guess I'd best chase that dream of becoming a jeweller aha. Epic as always Justin.
Fantastic result i was very excited to watch this cut, Your explanation through out was bang on 😀 Glad you share this skill 😎 Justin your a man out standing in his field😀
Your fascinating to watch. Just wondering if you could put the grit numbers (like a sticker) above each wheel on your Gemmasta so we always know what wheel your working on at a certain time.
Thats definitely my favorite mix of colors in opal. Does it look pinkish purple like that in real life too? Ive seen some opal only look like that from a camera 😥
That was a very big reduction in size. Can you explain what kind of pressure the potch exerts on the opal? Is this a hydrostatic pressure, where the potch is retaining water from the environment? When I first saw that nobby, I thought it would make a good candidate for tumbling in a polishing drum. Is that possible with this kind of opal, or it is too fragile? Great end result. Thanks for sharing your expertise.
I've noticed alot of the time it takes less heat or pressure to break the host rock vs the gem, and being attached, if the host rock, or potch in this case, cracks, it can take part of the gem with it. Just my opinion, no scientist here. Just a rock enthusiast
@@blackopaldirect That makes sense. I know some Ethiopian opal will become transparent if submerged in water or even worn on sweaty hands. I would have thought there would be a hard, non-porous sealer that could be painted on the stones so they wouldn't lose or gain water like this.
Nice previous video on patterns last week. If you could do more videos on patterns and the more rare cuts that would be great. I suppose there is a book on the subject of patterns and cuts, any suggestions.
Quick question. You said using unhealthy potch as the backing would make the good color crack. Would you ever use sand as the backing or would that destroy the stone also? Thanks. Have a good night. 💎 Wow... Pea nobby gem sold already👍 ... that was quick
I have a white opal that i have been working on whenever i have the chance but i still see very bright color inside and i just cant stop chipping away crts:p what should i do??? Help me
Hey Justin, great video to learn from. How can you tell the difference between the 'healthy' potch and the bad potch? By the way, having a great time cutting my teeth with a beginner parcel from you. Thanks again!
A question for you Justin! The potch on the back of this stone was riddled with small fractures and that puts stress on the opal, correct? Is it possible for the interior potch on this stone to be similar? Would that create as much tension and stress on the stone as the back face potch being bad?
Damn Justin, Just when I think I'm getting better with my identification skills you throw a black opal at me with no visible exterior potch you sneaky devil. . . Since i'm now guessing pattern it would be helpful to identify the pattern in your summation just to prove that I didn't get anything correct. . . Can't wait for next episode. . .
Damn opal. I've had a rough run lately as well with my last recorded carving being sand-shot then tonight's video is cracked! Bound to get a good piece soon though...
So what is your natural language? I like it. Is it Portuguese? It sounds like Spanish, but I think it is a bit different. I might not speak Spanish as well as I thought if it is.
Why does the or how does the potch cause the opal material to crack? Does that happen to all opal such as the Ethiopian welo opal? Which opals need to be kept moist in distilled water.
Hi Justin, do the purples show up to the naked eye? I noticed that on at least one of your descriptions on website, you said that the purple tone was just a result of the camera lens, and you could not see it in person. Is that the case with this one? and most purple looking opals?
Justin makes me think of Topher Grace starring as someone's cool "cabochoning" uncle crossed with a little Paul Hogan as Crocodile Dundee. All you need is a little Yahoo Serious circa the late 1980's sprinkled on top and you'd have a shrimp hotter than Icehouse to throw on the barbie
Black Opal Direct - so after you work them and they are polished wont they continue to dry out and eventually crack or are they to be worn sporadically and kept in a solution to keep hydrated?
I really like the purple flash on this one.
I like that stone, it is elegant and understated, it reflects self assurance in its wearer. Well worth its price in a special stone.
Great Video
I subbed because my dad loves this channel and watching it with him, this family has grown on me. I love the work, dances.
That pea nobby is so beautiful and exotic looking on its own, you almost don't want to cut it...... until you see Justin cut it, then you realize it was all worth it. I'm sure he makes mistakes here and there like everyone else, but I wouldn't trust anyone else on this earth to get the absolute most out of an opal than him. He's the maestro.
As soon as I saw that stone it spoke to me and the colours on that stone are just so unique I’ve never seen a stone with my favourite colour that small and bright I love it and I would love to put it on a ring for my mother for Mother’s Day 🙂
The purple with different shades of blue color combination ..... Love it. Just got the pea nobby opal blues🎶 Keep up the good work. Be safe 👍
Black opal direct posts, i watch immediately!
🙏❤️
Just started watching your video's in the UK while I recover from covid that I have recently picked up at work as a paramedic in the UK, I find it great watching you turn a ruff stone in to a great gem.
Sorry to hear that
Beautiful, great dimension. Loved the music you played along with your video.
I really like how dark that stone is, very beautiful and well done, thanks for sharing!
I worked one of those the other day,sadly no colour bar in mine😭
The info about the potch was interesting, would you be able to do a vid covering that some more please?
New to the game and your tutorials have been a wealth of information and instruction,thanks for doing what you do.👍
Another fantastic video, good to see the "cancerous"potch you have mentioned before. Great work Black Opal Direct, look forward to the next video.
I love your channel. I got me a rough opal about a week ago, doing the sandpaper method. Thank you so much man
Welcome Elliot
That's soooo beautiful!!! I absolutely love that color!
Well... what a cut and you saved the stone and a great little gem. Wonderful to watch and the explanation of your decisions was really interesting... you always put the stone first. That is quality :)
Nice dark color and flashes of blue. Nice stone.
That is a Beautiful Sweet little Opal 💗 I love your work.
Wow that's a beautiful Stone
Indeed
This one is beautiful!! I love the purples and blues
Love the music! Nice black opal, too!
What a little beauty! Well done.
Nice piece Justin, I liked the music as well. Cheers, and good health to all of you
What a gorgeous stone. The black potch looked like coral on the back.
We had peas the other night & the kids did the dishes & I saw peas in the drain & asked “who peed in the sink?”... lol love my dad jokes. 😉
Hahaha I love it
Only found your channel around 2 weeks ago , watched as many vids as I can so far , great content and beautiful gems , keep up.all the hard work
🙏thank you for watching
@@blackopaldirect thanks for uploading , looking forward for many to come . Wish we had opal in Wales ( UK )
Love the purples in it. Very lovely
What a gorgeous piece
Very beautiful, i enjoyed..
Really enjoyed it ta justin. Looking forward to the next one. X
Awesome !! Outstanding work of ART IN BLUES! 😉🧊🎼🎸
-Btw, Thank You For Sharing Justin👍🍻Skål!
Love this little stone, it has a bunch of purple in it! Great video Justin, thank you
Thanks for watching!
Quite nice, that's a bang up job Mr.!
Title had me worried for that lil nobby but it made a beautiful pebble in the end.
I really appreciated the continued explanation of “unhealthy potch”. I watched the first video right before this one. Do jewelery makers generally cover the potch in the gem setting process? How likely is it that the potch inside, that is making this a black crystal opal, might be unhealthy potch?
From the 1st look of the nobby it was very good. Note my fav colour is not blue and or violet nor purple when it comes to opals. Justin may you please get more rough opal parcels if you can, I'm gonna be making imperial jadeite chopsticks and I might need some opals to be glued on it. Danke.
Lovely piece fabulous colour
There are no peas in my soup that look like that! Thanks for the valuable information when it vacillated from being dark crystal to black opal. Stay safe and healthy!😷
I forgot it was quite dramatic with the music and the pensive stares.⚒
I am hopefully Ill beat Tom Hanks
@@blackopaldirect Bring your own coconut.
Very hypnotic...watchin the wheels in action. Great work mate 🤠👍
Thanks for the visit
You cut a lovely opal from that rough pea nobby Justin. It looked like the sand ran through it, I like that lovely dark colour. Turned out well.
Thank you! Cheers!
Your father taught you, do you have an apprentice if not any tips how can someone be worthy to be taken in consideration ! Started seeing opals this year the beauty of colors and patterns is just mesmerizing! Thanks
Great gem. Your work with this gemstone makes me want to move to Australia, if it were not for all the deadly creepy crawlies you have down under. So for now I will settle for watching your videos.
i agree.. aus opal is far superior for gemstones
but it would be interesting to see you buy a parcel from Ethiopia just for a video
Pea nobby beauty 💗 fantastic result and very interesting stone. Thanks Justin, greetings to everybody 🌺
Glad you enjoyed it
One of the rare times in live one of my favorite stones is actually affordable! Something about this one really catches my eye.
Not if I buy it first! Lol 😎
Haha nice it is here. I held it back for others to get the chance but be quick if you want it blackopaldirect.com/product/black-opals/1-30-ct-black-opal-8x7x3mm-2/
Black Opal Direct - That is some sights to be holding on your site. WoW! Glad I clicked the link. Couldn’t believe the opal in this video is still in stock. It is a beaut! So is every other opal listed. Love your channel and website Justin.
how to know if the potch is healthy or unhealthy and why I see sometimes you cut the potch and sometimes you keep it ? how do you know if it should to be in potch or better cut it ? any signs ? I hope you do video for that to explain us and thanks a lot
Thank you for posting, I'm so glad I found your videos! I'm just fascinated by what you do. I saw a reference once to a pattern called Chinese writing, I'd love to know more about it! 😀
I shall do thank you for watching
So nice. Just getting started with minimal equipment. But learning from you. Hope mabey to some day get the skill to make nice opals. Glad you have your channel and thank you. Being in US is hard to get good opal. But trying without going broke, just trying to learn! You rock
❤️🙏🙏
Again a great video always learning something new
Thank you Scott from N.H. usa
beautiful opal
Wow, really great seeing you work that stone. On the topic of patterns, do you think it would be wroth doing a separate video on each pattern, going into detail about it and showing a few examples? Kind of spreading then in between cutting videos, or even making a series out of it. Seems like there is so much information about each one---how it is made up inside the stone, relative rarity, relative popularity, relative value, if it is more common in types of opal (black, crystal, white, etc) Anyway, I would find all of that type of information very interesting
Good idea I may do that
Back to watch again. Glad ro be home. And you are 1000% corect! Aussie opal is the very best. Actually by far the best.
Ethiopian opals are good looking at times but they just have nothing on Australian opal.
I will admit I am looking to buy a piece of that Indonesian black opal. And now Oregon has found huge specimens of really nice fire opal.
Virgin Valley has had good and bad opal.
But if you truly love opal I must sugest you at least pick yourself up some sourced out of Aussieland.
Very pretty. Hope you all have a great day. Greetings from Dimboola in Victoria.
Thank you for a very interesting article ! I really enjoy watching your videos and learning about Opals ! Take care , stay safe and healthy wherever your next adventure takes you ! Doing well here in Kansas .
Everytime I see one of these videos it makes me want to work with these gems. Guess I'd best chase that dream of becoming a jeweller aha. Epic as always Justin.
I didn't know if that one would come clean! Nice stone and information Justin. Keep up the great work! Hay Mindie
Thanks Thomas
That's beautiful!
Wow. That is an incredible stone.
Fantastic result i was very excited to watch this cut, Your explanation through out was bang on 😀 Glad you share this skill 😎 Justin your a man out standing in his field😀
Thank you for the kind words :-)
It's beautiful!
I liked the music today.
I LOVE that you shoosh your machine 🤣
What would a wire wheel do to expose? Is it possible? Great video, love your work and enthusiasm.
Your fascinating to watch. Just wondering if you could put the grit numbers (like a sticker) above each wheel on your Gemmasta so we always know what wheel your working on at a certain time.
Nice video and a beautifully cut stone. Why would that bad potch cause a problem now when it’s been like that for millions of years?
It probably has something to do with moisture in the ground and being under pressure as well.
Thats definitely my favorite mix of colors in opal. Does it look pinkish purple like that in real life too? Ive seen some opal only look like that from a camera 😥
I don’t think I’ll ever get enough opal videos. Let’s see the mine again!?
That was a very big reduction in size. Can you explain what kind of pressure the potch exerts on the opal? Is this a hydrostatic pressure, where the potch is retaining water from the environment?
When I first saw that nobby, I thought it would make a good candidate for tumbling in a polishing drum. Is that possible with this kind of opal, or it is too fragile?
Great end result. Thanks for sharing your expertise.
I've noticed alot of the time it takes less heat or pressure to break the host rock vs the gem, and being attached, if the host rock, or potch in this case, cracks, it can take part of the gem with it. Just my opinion, no scientist here. Just a rock enthusiast
I would also like to know what kind of pressure the potch is creating to possibly cause the opal to crack and how do you identify that?
It is not really proven why. But I would imagine that once that bad potch dries out it maybe contracts and makes the quality opal break
@@blackopaldirect That makes sense. I know some Ethiopian opal will become transparent if submerged in water or even worn on sweaty hands. I would have thought there would be a hard, non-porous sealer that could be painted on the stones so they wouldn't lose or gain water like this.
Yet another top video bro, thumbs up.
Much appreciated
Nice previous video on patterns last week. If you could do more videos on patterns and the more rare cuts that would be great. I suppose there is a book on the subject of patterns and cuts, any suggestions.
Quick question. You said using unhealthy potch as the backing would make the good color crack. Would you ever use sand as the backing or would that destroy the stone also? Thanks. Have a good night. 💎 Wow... Pea nobby gem sold already👍 ... that was quick
Sand can be okay as long as its hard enough but does devalue the gem somewhat
It is so beautiful 😊 🌹.
Great video 🥰.
Be safe, big hugs from stine, from Denmark 🇩🇰 🌹 🌺 🥰
i really would like to see how you do with bolder opal. interesting colors when sliced.
I have a white opal that i have been working on whenever i have the chance but i still see very bright color inside and i just cant stop chipping away crts:p what should i do??? Help me
Hey Justin, great video to learn from. How can you tell the difference between the 'healthy' potch and the bad potch? By the way, having a great time cutting my teeth with a beginner parcel from you. Thanks again!
A question for you Justin! The potch on the back of this stone was riddled with small fractures and that puts stress on the opal, correct? Is it possible for the interior potch on this stone to be similar? Would that create as much tension and stress on the stone as the back face potch being bad?
No the potch inside is a different healthy type to the grey lined potch on the cap so no it should be fine
Damn Justin, Just when I think I'm getting better with my identification skills you throw a black opal at me with no visible exterior potch you sneaky devil. . . Since i'm now guessing pattern it would be helpful to identify the pattern in your summation just to prove that I didn't get anything correct. . . Can't wait for next episode. . .
Justin is an angel not a sneaky d.
Damn opal.
I've had a rough run lately as well with my last recorded carving being sand-shot then tonight's video is cracked!
Bound to get a good piece soon though...
Love the music.. very nice
Love that color. Add blues to your website
Very pretty stone .
Beautiful piece of work are you able to use the colourful waste dust
Nah it’s mud
Very good job
It's a very pretty stone.
do you end up getting opal dust or something magical from all that grinding?
BOA NOITE! VOCÊ FEZ EXCELENTE ESCOLHA AO DETERMINAR O MÁXIMO DE APROVEITAMENTO .E ESSE TOQUE SUTIL. FICOU PERFEITO. PARABÉNS PELO TRABALHO APRESENTADO
So what is your natural language? I like it. Is it Portuguese? It sounds like Spanish, but I think it is a bit different. I might not speak Spanish as well as I thought if it is.
I love your channel 🙏
Why does the or how does the potch cause the opal material to crack? Does that happen to all opal such as the Ethiopian welo opal? Which opals need to be kept moist in distilled water.
Thanks Justin
Justin... how about taking us on a buying trip, then cut the stones you bought and show Profit or Loss??? Would love to see the whole process!.....
Btw, send you a message link to some of my stones... lol
Hi Justin, do the purples show up to the naked eye? I noticed that on at least one of your descriptions on website, you said that the purple tone was just a result of the camera lens, and you could not see it in person. Is that the case with this one? and most purple looking opals?
yes they do in this gem for sure but some weaker gems look more saturated in images than the real life
What is the colourfull light behind you in the other room, looks cool
Btw im a huge fan, and ur videos made me collect all these stones, they are cheap in Afg
Thank you.
Andy
Beautiful stone. :)
Where can we buy stones from you? I love this one
Justin makes me think of Topher Grace starring as someone's cool "cabochoning" uncle crossed with a little Paul Hogan as Crocodile Dundee. All you need is a little Yahoo Serious circa the late 1980's sprinkled on top and you'd have a shrimp hotter than Icehouse to throw on the barbie
It’s like unwrapping small shiny Christmas presents
Yep
Wow so beautiful 😍
Aiiiiii eu amo esse canal também! 🙏🏻🥰💎♥️
why does that potch risk damaging the gem?
Is it something to do with different rate of thermal expansion?
Yes something like that or drying out once out of the ground
Black Opal Direct - thanks, interesting stuff that I never would have considered 👍
Black Opal Direct - how long are these out of the ground by the time you work them on a video?
Black Opal Direct - so after you work them and they are polished wont they continue to dry out and eventually crack or are they to be worn sporadically and kept in a solution to keep hydrated?
That is a nice looking stone