Been on and off bench grinders an other motorised machines for decades now and while the machine is humming away it can be quite therapeutic as you focus on your work, but that serenity when the machine stops and you can admire your work in silence, I still feel it even through this video. I'm about two weeks away from ordering my first cabbing machine!
Justin, I really enjoy the work you do. It's inspiring. I wanted to say that the teardrop with the two spots of potch looks remarkably like an eye. The black potch is the pupil and the grey potch is the reflection. Thanks for all the amazing opal cutting demonstrations! Cheers!
That little thin crystal bit is so bright! The little orange-red-gold is amazing! Love the blue flagstone and chaff in the inclusion rectangle. That last one is my favorite
I love all of the cast-offs too..honestly, it's nature that makes us feel joy and watching the lovely colors come alive was such a beautiful time to spend the last hour of my day with Mr. O-pal, lol..good job!
That red was hard to say goodbye to! All in all, a good day at the wheel! Thanks for inviting me along. ❤️ Hope you're having some fun in Vegas!! Ciao Doll ❤️
I love to watch your videos. The magic sieve at the begginig full of mystery stones is epic. It is such enjoyable journey through the unveiling of the color bars from the nobby to the gems. Pure joy to watch you working Justin. I wish you to do not get beaten by the sand ever! Thanx for the sharing of another session. Take care mate.
That last was spectacular. I also like the broad flash stone. I saw yellow in there along with all you mentioned. A nice easy time, relaxing with you. Brilliant ☮️
I really feel the pains on this cession Justin . Such beautiful colors that had to be ground away. It has got to be frustrating. Glad that some of it came out.
14:00 shaping the edge of the crystal, You moved the stone in a beautiful smooth way, turning it with only the thumb and made it look so easy. the super fine motor control and muscle memory needed to do that speaks to a lifetime honing your skills and mastering your craft. It was my pleasure to see that. thx
Nothing hugely outstanding but some very pretty little gems there. Hope they turn out worth your time and investment, I'd call that a satisfactory result overall.
The square one is gorgeous as it is with the potch in the middle - sort of a black star glowing in the night look... It would be wonderful as a pendant. I'd leave it as is - it is simply wonderful. Awesome stones and wonderful cutting as always... :)
Opal is truly an eye of the beholder gem some think others are magnificent and others think others are more beautiful it's all in how you precieve beauty it's awesome
Hi Justin, a couple of losses and some nice wins. I was disappointed that the red was lost on that stone it was a stunning colour though it was understandable. It is always interesting watching you work and you appear to have a definite process most times by cleaning up the sides to show the colour bar clearly before taking down the face to show what is below the surface. It is always captivating seeing the colours and patterns showing on the face. Keep Safe & Keep Rockin
So many beautiful double-sided gems here! Not every piece worked out, but someone is going to absolutely love them. 😊 Thanks again for another awesome vid!
You gave it the best try on this batch Justin. Love the crystal opals the most~ Hope you make your money back on this lot friend. I'm sure you will. If ever I wanted an opal I'd never buy from anyone but you. A shame I'm too old and too financially poor to make that happen. Love watching you work though and I thank you for giving me that pleasure.
My favourite kind of video. Many pieces to see get uncovered, without the constant distractions of the lives. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy the live videos, but they are, for obvious reasons, slower. This is more my cup of tea. Cheers!
I got my machine all set up and cut my first opal yesterday, I have a lot of boulder opal and I think I did ok lol, I love watching your videos so much info and good for learning. If you ever make a discord I'll definitely go to it.
9:35 i really like that stone and that potch did not take away the beauty of the stone in any way. I actually like it better than if it had been all blue. I have one just like that one and its one of my favorite type of opal. I would say 3rd place. Its such a deep blue and the black creates a contrast so that it is not a boring piece.
Not the best day, but some real bueaties at the end. Thanks for sharing it with us. Hope your electronic glitches have all been banished along with the sand demons. Be happy, safe and stay healthy 😷⚒
Wow beautiful opals as usual on here. In Louisiana we have a sand opal in Vernon parish. Its beautiful but no where near as amazing as these Australian stones. Really enjoy watching you teach the art. It's very interesting and therapeutic.
Justin, I love Southwestern US turquoise, and it’s the matrix that adds interest, but not value, in those stones, especially in rings. I regret that you spoiled the red in your second Stone because of the harmonic yet undesirable colors of the adjacent matrix. WHY isn’t there a mid-price market for Australian opals with attractive matrix inclusions in jewelry? Money is gonna be more than tight - except for multimillionaires, money may become almost nonexistent in coming times. I wish you great profits in your business, but maybe some matrix inclusion stones will someday acquire a decent value. Always wishing you all the best!
There are matrix inclusive types of Australian opal, but Justin & Black Opal Direct are build around a different market. Look for Boulder Opal, that should get you started on matrix inclusive Australian Opal.
Hey Justin, I've been checking out your website and I'm very pleased to see that you have items on there for almost everyone's budget. I love your content brother
9:15 you say what a shame like you loss the most potential of the gem but I'd argue to say you got the best color bar out of that stone. That "imperfection in the middle" actually draws the eye toward to opal as the contrast. It makes it significantly better having the contrast AND you can see almost a river of color where it flowed so it's like looking at a water fall. I swear I love your work but being human I have a different opinion and just wish you'd see the unspeakable value these stones could have. At least in my eyes I'd sell you my own arm a leg for some of your pieces, heck even for some of those " beaten by sand " , gosh that's a HEAVENLY Beautiful table by the way. I mean zero disrespect with my words. I truly enjoy your work and you stories of your father have inspired me several ways. Thank you for these videos.
Try adjusting your exposure settings on your camera to get a slight motion blur on the water splashing. It is really distracting to see a bunch of perfect, but frozen, little water drops darting about! Great video!!
First one was lowkey really nice patterns? Also 10:00 you're gonna hate this armchair opalcutting but I wonder for the directional stone, it looked like maybe you could have angled the face a little bit so the directional flash was flat at the surface? Like that nib that got ground off the end could have provided something to work with?
>>>>To be honest, I think this is the first video of yours I've watched since you started almost exclusively started doing the long live videos. I don't often have that much time to dedicate to one thing. Up to that point, I had watched every video you put out, and I missed your videos, but I just did not have the time. I would recommend you make a highlight video of the best parts of your live shows that are around the 15-20min mark so us busy folk can still watch some of your content.
Its different to watch you do that at high speeds, with "smaller/ rougher " gems...making quick decisions...so fast how you turned all those out. 👍I love it
I think perhaps we get a tiny bit spoiled by so many videos of your spectacular results. Today’s session wasn’t bad, but I’d guess it gives a more realistic perspective on how hard your business is.
I would of made a small gem out of that opal that had the red because it is so rare. I would not of sacrificed the red for more size. Still that opal came out nice, and maybe bigger with more value, just I loved that red. Great to see another show, to bad about the tech problems with the live shows, but I enjoy the prerecorded videos just as much.
Hello Justin - thanks for the excellent vids - I've always been enamored with opals! Question for you - why do you not use something like a dremel tool to carve out the smaller divots and sand pockets?
what grit wheel is that like a 100? amazing watching how easily it chews through that stone. incredible how you are able to work with such small pieces. I think you might find working with welo to be quite liberating with the larger crystal chunks to work with. it is a different type of game tho...you have to cut it wet, soaking it works well to prevent cracks during cutting...but then all the color disappears until its dry again. so its this difficult guessing game.. but also fun because you watch your opal "develop" like a photo graph over the next few days. good fun. and then you cant really dope them because heating is a big no no for welo...have to use super glue. I have just been focusing on free handing everything from rough to 8k grit polish. im too afraid to put them on a dob stick and felt wheel....flung a couple across the room that way sad to say lol still havent found them
I have a question about your polishing wheel. What is it and how do I get one? I love to watch the process! Might be that I’m crazy, but watching is relaxing!
I make jewelry and it doesn’t take long for my hands to cramp working with such small materials. How long can you work on the opals before you need a rest? Although I love the intensity of color in a good black opal, that little crystal opal was amazing!
Been on and off bench grinders an other motorised machines for decades now and while the machine is humming away it can be quite therapeutic as you focus on your work, but that serenity when the machine stops and you can admire your work in silence, I still feel it even through this video. I'm about two weeks away from ordering my first cabbing machine!
Justin, I really enjoy the work you do. It's inspiring. I wanted to say that the teardrop with the two spots of potch looks remarkably like an eye. The black potch is the pupil and the grey potch is the reflection. Thanks for all the amazing opal cutting demonstrations! Cheers!
That little thin crystal bit is so bright! The little orange-red-gold is amazing! Love the blue flagstone and chaff in the inclusion rectangle. That last one is my favorite
I love all of the cast-offs too..honestly, it's nature that makes us feel joy and watching the lovely colors come alive was such a beautiful time to spend the last hour of my day with Mr. O-pal, lol..good job!
Love watching👀 you cut these stones....Thanks Justin 👍 🇺🇸
Watching Justin’s hands when he is really into shaping a nice stone is like watching Rembrandt with a paint brush! Beautiful work Justin…as always.
Thank you so much 😀
Oh how I've missed your videos! The red is amazing!
That red was hard to say goodbye to!
All in all, a good day at the wheel!
Thanks for inviting me along. ❤️
Hope you're having some fun in Vegas!!
Ciao Doll ❤️
My favorite is the dark opal, with its hidden hints of different colour at different angles. It hides its beauty and then POW it hits you in the face.
Yes, I love that one too! A real ripper! LoL!
I love to watch your videos. The magic sieve at the begginig full of mystery stones is epic. It is such enjoyable journey through the unveiling of the color bars from the nobby to the gems. Pure joy to watch you working Justin. I wish you to do not get beaten by the sand ever! Thanx for the sharing of another session. Take care mate.
No worries, Justin. Onward & upward! Just glad you’re above water!!!
That last was spectacular. I also like the broad flash stone. I saw yellow in there along with all you mentioned. A nice easy time, relaxing with you. Brilliant ☮️
There were some beautiful opals In there. The small red patch was nice with it flashing blue. Thank you Justin
Great video! I enjoyed the variety.
I prefer these short and to the point videos the most! Suppose that’s my impatient side wanting to see that beautiful opal as fast as possible! 😎
Aww man that little blue green crystal gem is absolutely beautiful
I really feel the pains on this cession Justin . Such beautiful colors that had to be ground away. It has got to be frustrating. Glad that some of it came out.
Love the orange and green on the first one.
Mixed results but always a pleasure to watch a Master at work !
14:00 shaping the edge of the crystal, You moved the stone in a beautiful smooth way, turning it with only the thumb and made it look so easy. the super fine motor control and muscle memory needed to do that speaks to a lifetime honing your skills and mastering your craft. It was my pleasure to see that. thx
Nice selection,ty.
Nothing hugely outstanding but some very pretty little gems there. Hope they turn out worth your time and investment, I'd call that a satisfactory result overall.
Thanks for sharing your adventures in opal cutting with us! I always look forward to Mondays to get my opal fix from the best!
The square one is gorgeous as it is with the potch in the middle - sort of a black star glowing in the night look... It would be wonderful as a pendant.
I'd leave it as is - it is simply wonderful.
Awesome stones and wonderful cutting as always... :)
Fresh, clean and entertaining! A lovely little break in the day! Thank you!
Yay my plan worked
Opal is truly an eye of the beholder gem some think others are magnificent and others think others are more beautiful it's all in how you precieve beauty it's awesome
Hi Justin, a couple of losses and some nice wins. I was disappointed that the red was lost on that stone it was a stunning colour though it was understandable. It is always interesting watching you work and you appear to have a definite process most times by cleaning up the sides to show the colour bar clearly before taking down the face to show what is below the surface. It is always captivating seeing the colours and patterns showing on the face. Keep Safe & Keep Rockin
Thank you Silverback
So many beautiful double-sided gems here! Not every piece worked out, but someone is going to absolutely love them. 😊 Thanks again for another awesome vid!
Wow picture and sound amazing !!!!!!! Geeeeez great job ….your genuis is even more facinating in HD!!!
You gave it the best try on this batch Justin. Love the crystal opals the most~ Hope you make your money back on this lot friend. I'm sure you will. If ever I wanted an opal I'd never buy from anyone but you. A shame I'm too old and too financially poor to make that happen. Love watching you work though and I thank you for giving me that pleasure.
Thanks for always watching :-)
My favorite time of the week. And omg Justin! You have almost 175 THOUSAND Subscribers!!!! I love to see it! ❤❤❤
It’s growing 😊
Love watching you find the Beauty in all these.
My favourite kind of video. Many pieces to see get uncovered, without the constant distractions of the lives.
Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy the live videos, but they are, for obvious reasons, slower. This is more my cup of tea.
Cheers!
Glad you enjoyed it
I got my machine all set up and cut my first opal yesterday, I have a lot of boulder opal and I think I did ok lol, I love watching your videos so much info and good for learning. If you ever make a discord I'll definitely go to it.
Very cool my friend. Good luck with your new endeavors
Oh yeah that red is so gorgeous 😍 lovin' it!
Loved this one. listening to your thouht process it's like sitting in on a master class. Thank you
Treasure is only one color bar away, You are amazing 😉
Nice to hear that wheel and watch you uncover something beautiful 😍
I love the square blue stone with the black spot. Looks like you're looking into space with a dark nebula in it! 😊
Nice gems today, thank you for showing us 😊😊😊😊
Thanks for watching Lloyd!
I especially liked the crystal, and the one that looked like it has a heart in it
Alwase a pleasure to watch you devlope a nice gem from a ruff rock
Thank you!
Thank you for thinking of the masses while you are in Vegas, “living it up”…. lol
They all look beautiful. I'm partial to the crystal opals. Thanks!!
Glad you like them!
9:35 i really like that stone and that potch did not take away the beauty of the stone in any way. I actually like it better than if it had been all blue. I have one just like that one and its one of my favorite type of opal. I would say 3rd place. Its such a deep blue and the black creates a contrast so that it is not a boring piece.
Love the crystal opal.
Nice work Justin some pretty ones
Your speed and accuracy when cutting stones is quite impressive Justin, thank you for the video. :)
Welcome and thank you
Not the best day, but some real bueaties at the end. Thanks for sharing it with us. Hope your electronic glitches have all been banished along with the sand demons. Be happy, safe and stay healthy 😷⚒
Wow beautiful opals as usual on here. In Louisiana we have a sand opal in Vernon parish. Its beautiful but no where near as amazing as these Australian stones. Really enjoy watching you teach the art. It's very interesting and therapeutic.
Justin, I love Southwestern US turquoise, and it’s the matrix that adds interest, but not value, in those stones, especially in rings.
I regret that you spoiled the red in your second Stone because of the harmonic yet undesirable colors of the adjacent matrix. WHY isn’t there a mid-price market for Australian opals with attractive matrix inclusions in jewelry?
Money is gonna be more than tight - except for multimillionaires, money may become almost nonexistent in coming times. I wish you great profits in your business, but maybe some matrix inclusion stones will someday acquire a decent value. Always wishing you all the best!
I liked the rectangular opal because of that black spot. It looked like outer space to me.
There are matrix inclusive types of Australian opal, but Justin & Black Opal Direct are build around a different market.
Look for Boulder Opal, that should get you started on matrix inclusive Australian Opal.
So enjoy watching you perform your miracles. Thank you.
Huuum que coisa mais linda! Simplesmente demaais!!👏👏💖💖
So lovely 🥰 thank you, great video and lighting quality too
Thank you! 🤗
weeell, that was an interesting journey , thanks for that ...
As always they are beautiful!!!
Thank you 🙏
Hey Justin, I've been checking out your website and I'm very pleased to see that you have items on there for almost everyone's budget. I love your content brother
Thank you 🙏 yes we do
Good job!! 👍👍
Loved the video🤗
Beautiful 💕 Opal
Beautifull to watch !!!
Pretty! 🤩
9:15 you say what a shame like you loss the most potential of the gem but I'd argue to say you got the best color bar out of that stone. That "imperfection in the middle" actually draws the eye toward to opal as the contrast. It makes it significantly better having the contrast AND you can see almost a river of color where it flowed so it's like looking at a water fall. I swear I love your work but being human I have a different opinion and just wish you'd see the unspeakable value these stones could have. At least in my eyes I'd sell you my own arm a leg for some of your pieces, heck even for some of those " beaten by sand " , gosh that's a HEAVENLY Beautiful table by the way. I mean zero disrespect with my words. I truly enjoy your work and you stories of your father have inspired me several ways. Thank you for these videos.
Nice stones today…💍👍😎
Very Nice!!
Try adjusting your exposure settings on your camera to get a slight motion blur on the water splashing. It is really distracting to see a bunch of perfect, but frozen, little water drops darting about! Great video!!
I really like that broad flash orange stone!
The stone at 10:10 - is there some cat-eye & broad flash in there? That orange really pops.
So very Pretty those Pieces are
All your videos clearly state that you enjoy taking the top off much more than clearing away the bottom 😉😆
😂😂
Who needs a dopstick when you have opal magnets in your fingertips, working on those smaller pieces, Fascinating to watch.
The last one is the winner
First one was lowkey really nice patterns? Also 10:00 you're gonna hate this armchair opalcutting but I wonder for the directional stone, it looked like maybe you could have angled the face a little bit so the directional flash was flat at the surface? Like that nib that got ground off the end could have provided something to work with?
That first stone seems too aggressive but what the heck do I really know…. Loving your work J, more than yesterday and less than tomorrow. 🤙🏽
Thank you, Justin.
Recording the session is a good way to go. It’ll download at RUclips’s speed at each person’s rate.
Hi hillo idol, God bless you. Watching from pinas setio, Palanog Garita San Enrique Iloilo
Always killer stones and awesome cutting. I thought you were toast on the one with the red dot.
lol following your recent window sill revelation I think you should rephrase "Cracking Gems "
>>>>To be honest, I think this is the first video of yours I've watched since you started almost exclusively started doing the long live videos. I don't often have that much time to dedicate to one thing. Up to that point, I had watched every video you put out, and I missed your videos, but I just did not have the time. I would recommend you make a highlight video of the best parts of your live shows that are around the 15-20min mark so us busy folk can still watch some of your content.
Thanks for your feedback David!
Its different to watch you do that at high speeds, with "smaller/ rougher " gems...making quick decisions...so fast how you turned all those out. 👍I love it
Thank you
so good 👍
So beautiful
You forgot my favorite line,”I’m going in”. You must have new lighting. Everything shows up brighter.
I think perhaps we get a tiny bit spoiled by so many videos of your spectacular results. Today’s session wasn’t bad, but I’d guess it gives a more realistic perspective on how hard your business is.
FYI I finally got a notification so I’m here
Hope all is well with you and your family, friend🙏
I would of made a small gem out of that opal that had the red because it is so rare. I would not of sacrificed the red for more size. Still that opal came out nice, and maybe bigger with more value, just I loved that red. Great to see another show, to bad about the tech problems with the live shows, but I enjoy the prerecorded videos just as much.
that blue one with the black potch in the middle was very spacey looking , like a nebula with space showing through the middle
True
I feel like ive memorized your hands from watching all these videos 🤣 could def pick them out from a lineup
hahaha
Hello Justin - thanks for the excellent vids - I've always been enamored with opals! Question for you - why do you not use something like a dremel tool to carve out the smaller divots and sand pockets?
Justin, do you usually polish the back of the stone? I really love watching and learning!!! You make my day!!!
I really love the dark blue rectangle with the potch blob in the middle, but I cannot find it on the website.
The blue one with the black potch in the center would have made a great round piece, sorta like an eye. Would have been bigger then also.
what grit wheel is that like a 100? amazing watching how easily it chews through that stone. incredible how you are able to work with such small pieces. I think you might find working with welo to be quite liberating with the larger crystal chunks to work with. it is a different type of game tho...you have to cut it wet, soaking it works well to prevent cracks during cutting...but then all the color disappears until its dry again. so its this difficult guessing game.. but also fun because you watch your opal "develop" like a photo graph over the next few days. good fun. and then you cant really dope them because heating is a big no no for welo...have to use super glue. I have just been focusing on free handing everything from rough to 8k grit polish. im too afraid to put them on a dob stick and felt wheel....flung a couple across the room that way sad to say lol still havent found them
I have a question about your polishing wheel. What is it and how do I get one?
I love to watch the process! Might be that I’m crazy, but watching is relaxing!
I look forward to your vids showing up in my subs
Your new workshop needs an electrical exorcism to get rid of all the glitches. Beautiful stones.
😆😆true
I make jewelry and it doesn’t take long for my hands to cramp working with such small materials. How long can you work on the opals before you need a rest? Although I love the intensity of color in a good black opal, that little crystal opal was amazing!
Craftsmanship 👍👍