One thing about Justin’s videos that is special, is that every video has a valuable lesson to be learnt about opal. We are so lucky Justin shares these lessons and secrets with us to further develop the industry. You will go down as a legend my friend 🙏 Amazing video and gorgeous gems as always!
100% and he is not an elitist moralist telling us what to think but he takes us along for the riveting ride, potholes and speedbumps included and he doesn't make excuses. This is a gripping and frequently thrilling channel narrated by an expert and I don't have to pay for the experience.
@@alistairmills7608Very true that's what I love about watching Justin ! The magic that he works on a rough opal bring the beauty within is always stunning .
I really appreciate that you're willing to share the investment you have in the stones and what the stones are worth after being cut. Thanks for taking us along 👍.
Even though the piece didn’t make one big giant gem, the pieces it did make are beautiful ! You just brought out the shapes hidden inside. A masterful job.
The mark of a true professional is often not the end product. Rather, the ability to make something special from imperfect circumstances. Thank you for sharing you're made of the right stuff!
Justin , sir , you did it again ! You amazed me with your talent of cutting and polishing Opals that made me just say WOW at the beauty you're able to bring out of them !
They were all beautiful pieces Justin, I can imagine the pear cut as pendant, the 2 cusion cuts as earings, what a fabulous set they will make. Well done! Had me on edge of my seat , but was very relaxing with your voice. Thank you 😻🏴
One of the best things is that you keep learning, and you know & acknowledge that opal is tricky and you can be surprised. Even if someone doesn't cut opal, they can still learn from that. Thank you!
Maestro, you never cease to amaze us!! I hear your pleasing voice, the soothing sounds of the wheels, watch your dexterous hands and we're catapulted to happiness. As always our journey is equal to the destination. And may I compliment you on a wonderful workshop. Thank you!!!
You have been hugely missed these last few weeks, Tuesdays have not been the same without your videos. Welcome back!. Again Justin, you show your expertise, how you birth amazing gem stones. Great result, very tricky though., Thanks to Justin and Black Opal Direct for another great video......until next week.......
lovely timing. i finish cutting 3 small welo opal cabs, and when i sit down to relax and watch a video, theres a new one from one the best opal cutters out there!
@blackopaldirect they may have some very significant differences, but a lot of your advice and techniques do still work for Ethiopian opal, and I honestly think your videos helped cut better opals. Love your channel, keep cutting beautiful stones, and being the fun, goofy, informative guy you are!
I'd been so ill what a time to start feeling better just in time for another great video beautiful gems i could honestly watch the final shaping and polishing all day long 😍
Turned out well! If I had the pleasure of cutting stones from that rough, I’d probably be thinking about creating earrings and matching pendants. The value added by creating matching sets of jewelry would be a good way to maximize profit.
Thanks so much for your great instructions ❤. I’ve started Opal cutting and cabbing two years ago and I truly love it. With your videos I I’ll be learning more from day to day. Big hugs from Germany 🤗
Hi Justin, so glad you are feeling well. You were missed! Tricky stone to start with. I have no idea how I would have handled such a large odd stone. You did a wonderful job saving the day again! Thank you as always ❣️🎨
I think given the knowledge that the potch curved inwards, I would have been tempted to cut it lengthwise to see if there were a pair of long drops in it. Of course, I would only have known about the curve from you telling me!
Our ship was tied up at HMS Sterling back in 1982 ( near Rockingham WA). I picked up a few loose opals from a vendor that came aboard. My wife gave them to a jeweler from Hong Kong to make into finished pieces when we were stationed on Guam a few years later. I love seeing all the colors that are revealed in these videos.
This is truly amazing to watch the process. The stone is gorgeous and radiant. Opals stand on their own, they don't need to be massive. A small opal is always a joy to see
You did the right thing in cutting up the opal to make pieces and they all look stunning. You have a good touch with what you do, all your pieces are works of art! ❤
I love all the smaller pieces! Especially the two close in size. And all the Crystal Opals turned out stunning, in my opinion, Justin. Your friend, the Retired Paramedic and Horse Trainer in Ontario, Canada, Jenn 💖 🇨🇦
Great Video Justin, love to see the Opals cut and polished. I backpacked across Australia in 1981, got stranded in Coober Pedy, couldn't get transport out, as all the busses were full. So, I had nothing to do, so I went door to door among the Miners, and bought Opals, some raw, some polished. The Miners were very helpful, the schooled me on Opals, what was good, what was bad. They were happy to get some Bickies, I was happy to get some Opals.
My daughter has all of this equipment but she hasn’t used it in a while . She is a CEO of a large company and this was her hobby. I wish you great success.
I have two pieces I was given on a trip to Australia in the 80's. I so wish I could get them to you to tell me if they can be cut to produce an opal. You are a true marvel at what you do. It's my gemstone. I have rings and pendants made from stones purchased on that trip. White opals and two dark.
Two beautiful pendant stones, a lovely ring stone AND matching earrings....all proper Sisters too. A Jeweller buying them would make a nice profit setting them right....😎 Missed watching you birth Opals... glad you're back Justin 🤗
Every one a beauty. Pear and cushion are two of my favourite cuts, so really good to see those, although I know you favour ovals. I love greens, but also blue purples so either side I'm sure would have been stunning.
Thank you for getting the soundscape so much more pleasant to listen to! This was a pleasure to watch over our breakfast in Bath, UK. Has anyone ever worked with a bicycle-tire-shaped cutting wheel, to manage concave stones? Just wondering...
Having watched this yet again, you asked what would you have done, had i attempted something like this i would be uncertain but, I hope I would like you have made the right decisions and gone for the best productive cuts that look really nice and eye catching. Again enjoyed watching this a second time round. Cheers mate Les.
Thank you this is just so fascinating. What a special thing it is to learn about opal cutting. Such beautiful stones you make and its really interesting to see how much knowledge and talent you need to do this.
This looks like a piece of rough that Carl, over at Absolute Opals, was selling. I am always glad to see the origin of the stones I see in the youtube video the day before. indeed, it seems the learning never ends with opals. And we are SO GLAD you pass that knowledge on to all of us. lastly, cutting it was the best idea.
Awsome, Thank You sooooo much for making these Videos. I'm learning so much, and with the way my heart races watching you cut. I know I'll be cutting them one day.
I think you did a great job in cutting them. While I personally would have loved to see a big single stone it unfortunately wasn't there. Have a ripper Justin!
When my 11 year old was a baby, he would always pick up pretty rocks and put them in his pockets. This has developed into such an interesting hobby FOR BOTH OF US! We have boxes of "pretty rocks" we've collected over the years, going to mines, at the park, walking around the neighborhood... anything that catches our eye! Sir, you are very good at your craft so I must assume you love rocks as well😊😊😊!
When you quit learning, you should be dead. I absorb knowledge every single day. And this is one of the channels that helps me do that. I don’t cut gems, but this is fantastic knowledge to have.
Beautiful stones! And as much as it hurts to have had to cut that big stone to get rid of the curved potch, I can't help but feel that what you ended up with is much more usable than the giant stone would have been. As lovely as it was, it was SO large that you really couldn't do much beyond a pendant or maybe a brooch with it, and they would have been large enough to be awkward to wear for a lot of people. The smaller pieces may be less dramatic, but they will be a good size for more everyday wear. And if you *want* a statement piece, the colors and patterns match well enough that you could do a really beautiful bracelet with the big oval flanked by the two rectangles, or the rectangles on a necklace with the drop between. So many beautiful options!
Brother, If I ever travel to Australia with my family, I would love to meet you and your family. Really admire what you and your family have built. Before finding your channel, despite a love for geology, I hade jo idea the amazing beauty that opals held. Thanks again for teaching us so much. My kiddos love the videos as well
Nice results 👍 Personally, I would have probably taken a test slice from one end just to see what was going on inside before taking it to the wheel, having said that, it all worked out quite well for you, you ended up with some lovely stones.
One thing about Justin’s videos that is special, is that every video has a valuable lesson to be learnt about opal.
We are so lucky Justin shares these lessons and secrets with us to further develop the industry.
You will go down as a legend my friend 🙏
Amazing video and gorgeous gems as always!
Thank you so m much WM
100% and he is not an elitist moralist telling us what to think but he takes us along for the riveting ride, potholes and speedbumps included and he doesn't make excuses. This is a gripping and frequently thrilling channel narrated by an expert and I don't have to pay for the experience.
Very true
@@alistairmills7608Very true that's what I love about watching Justin ! The magic that he works on a rough opal bring the beauty within is always stunning .
@@alistairmills7608 couldn’t agree more, honesty goes along way and he never hides the truth of how difficult opal can be
I really appreciate that you're willing to share the investment you have in the stones and what the stones are worth after being cut. Thanks for taking us along 👍.
Even though the piece didn’t make one big giant gem, the pieces it did make are beautiful ! You just brought out the shapes hidden inside. A masterful job.
Glad you enjoyed it!
You turned a potential disaster into a win. Very nicely done Justin. They turned out really well.
lol could have been
@@blackopaldirectqa
Those two square pieces would make a fantastic set of cuff links.
True that
Agreed. And it's harder and harder to find matched pairs. Seems no one wants to do splits anymore.
The mark of a true professional is often not the end product. Rather, the ability to make something special from imperfect circumstances. Thank you for sharing you're made of the right stuff!
You are the true Australian treasure here! Thank you for all your interesting videos and information.
So nice of you ❤️
Justin , sir , you did it again ! You amazed me with your talent of cutting and polishing Opals that made me just say WOW at the beauty you're able to bring out of them !
Wow, thank you! Steve
They were all beautiful pieces Justin, I can imagine the pear cut as pendant, the 2 cusion cuts as earings, what a fabulous set they will make.
Well done! Had me on edge of my seat , but was very relaxing with your voice. Thank you 😻🏴
One of the best things is that you keep learning, and you know & acknowledge that opal is tricky and you can be surprised. Even if someone doesn't cut opal, they can still learn from that. Thank you!
The master calmly at work. Cutting beautiful pieces. Never gets old.
Maestro, you never cease to amaze us!! I hear your pleasing voice, the soothing sounds of the wheels, watch your dexterous hands and we're catapulted to happiness. As always our journey is equal to the destination. And may I compliment you on a wonderful workshop. Thank you!!!
You did your magic, and the end result was 5 beautiful gems! You are a master gem cutter.😊
Thank you! Kim
You have been hugely missed these last few weeks, Tuesdays have not been the same without your videos. Welcome back!. Again Justin, you show your expertise, how you birth amazing gem stones. Great result, very tricky though., Thanks to Justin and Black Opal Direct for another great video......until next week.......
Aww thank you Topcat I am glad you are still watching on
lovely timing. i finish cutting 3 small welo opal cabs, and when i sit down to relax and watch a video, theres a new one from one the best opal cutters out there!
humbled 🙏
@blackopaldirect they may have some very significant differences, but a lot of your advice and techniques do still work for Ethiopian opal, and I honestly think your videos helped cut better opals. Love your channel, keep cutting beautiful stones, and being the fun, goofy, informative guy you are!
This is how I thought all opals looked until I began learning.
One of the most beautiful unique gems God made
Nice to see you back Justin. These are the vids I love, when you take on challenging/interesting cuts and explain your thinking and the process.
Thanks for sharing the cutting and polishing of these beautiful stones. Very pretty!
Thanks so much 😊
You're videos are super instructive and the quality you cut is awesome.
I'd been so ill what a time to start feeling better just in time for another great video beautiful gems i could honestly watch the final shaping and polishing all day long 😍
I admire your patient struggle not to lose the green color. It is a great video with everything. Thank you very much.
I could see that set of five as a wedding set -- necklace and brooch for the bride, cufflinks and tie tac for the groom. ^_^
Watching you cutting opal, revealing the colour in every gem is as fascinating as ever 🤩
I wouldn't have cut that any different. The stone showed you how it wants to be cut. You did an amazing job. Well done 👏
Thank you! Cheers! I do agree
Beautifully done! I wouldn't have done it any other way! Also, amazing quality in this video. Light and sound was perfect!
Yes I got it all figured out
Turned out well!
If I had the pleasure of cutting stones from that rough, I’d probably be thinking about creating earrings and matching pendants.
The value added by creating matching sets of jewelry would be a good way to maximize profit.
Jesus, I haven't seen one of your videos for 24 months and obviously opal business is going well! Brand new studio with machinery galore. Well done
Thanks so much for your great instructions ❤. I’ve started Opal cutting and cabbing two years ago and I truly love it. With your videos I I’ll be learning more from day to day. Big hugs from Germany 🤗
Hi Justin, so glad you are feeling well. You were missed!
Tricky stone to start with.
I have no idea how I would have handled such a large odd stone.
You did a wonderful job saving the day again! Thank you as always ❣️🎨
Thank you 🙏
You’re so welcome 🙏🏻❣️
i like the clips of footage showing the space youre working in looks cozy
I think given the knowledge that the potch curved inwards, I would have been tempted to cut it lengthwise to see if there were a pair of long drops in it. Of course, I would only have known about the curve from you telling me!
Always a pleasure to watch you tease out the best in a stone, even when they're stubborn.
You always make the best decisions and best shapes Justin. It's a privilege to watch.
Our ship was tied up at HMS Sterling back in 1982 ( near Rockingham WA). I picked up a few loose opals from a vendor that came aboard. My wife gave them to a jeweler from Hong Kong to make into finished pieces when we were stationed on Guam a few years later. I love seeing all the colors that are revealed in these videos.
This is truly amazing to watch the process. The stone is gorgeous and radiant. Opals stand on their own, they don't need to be massive. A small opal is always a joy to see
You did the right thing in cutting up the opal to make pieces and they all look stunning. You have a good touch with what you do, all your pieces are works of art! ❤
There is no doubt with your years of experience you can assess and cut the best stones possible, good work Justin!
wow what a deceptive piece ! So happy you made the right choice to cut it up for the win !
Thank you for the motivation at the end. Applies to all things , never down and out
Had to subscribe. Bought black opal from lightning ridge in 1975 while stationed in ramasun Thailand. Retired in Richmond Va with my Thai wife
Thanks for the show Justin and Co., from Granby, Colorado!!
🙏🙏
Great choices. Love the minimalist yet softened shapes.
I love all the smaller pieces! Especially the two close in size. And all the Crystal Opals turned out stunning, in my opinion, Justin. Your friend, the Retired Paramedic and Horse Trainer in Ontario, Canada, Jenn 💖 🇨🇦
Thank you so much!
Great Video Justin, love to see the Opals cut and polished. I backpacked across Australia in 1981, got stranded in Coober Pedy, couldn't get transport out, as all the busses were full. So, I had nothing to do, so I went door to door among the Miners, and bought Opals, some raw, some polished. The Miners were very helpful, the schooled me on Opals, what was good, what was bad. They were happy to get some Bickies, I was happy to get some Opals.
Wow.. such beauty. I could never even see or do that! The world has beautiful opals, because of you!
humbled ❤️🙏
Thank for sharing these beautiful pieces of Opal with us.
I would loveee to have a giant opal regardless of holes and blemishes, and make a giant natural opal pendant. Its my dream necklace, one dayyy!
Justin, it is simply fascinating to watch you do this. Thank you for sharing your skills.
My daughter has all of this equipment but she hasn’t used it in a while . She is a CEO of a large company and this was her hobby. I wish you great success.
It would be a wonderful gesture to pass it on to the next generation of gemologists ✨💖✨
A really good move in telling your viewers the final calculations on your work !!
I have two pieces I was given on a trip to Australia in the 80's. I so wish I could get them to you to tell me if they can be cut to produce an opal. You are a true marvel at what you do. It's my gemstone. I have rings and pendants made from stones purchased on that trip. White opals and two dark.
Two beautiful pendant stones, a lovely ring stone AND matching earrings....all proper Sisters too. A Jeweller buying them would make a nice profit setting them right....😎
Missed watching you birth Opals... glad you're back Justin 🤗
Yes, you are right
This is one of my favourite videos. Not black opal, but really interesting and instructive to see how you made the most of this large gem.
Hey, I wonder if Justin posted a video today? I should check. Yes, 5 seconds ago. Nice! Thank you Justin and all!
Haha perfect
I enjoyed watching you cut this opal 👍🏽😉 thank you for sharing this with all of us. They turned out really beautiful 💜
You are so welcome
Enormous respect for your daring Justin. Respect.😊
Thank you
MATE, YOUR A GREAT AMBASSADOR FOR THE OPAL INDUSTRY, ALSO YOU ARE FUN AND REALLY EXPLAIN THINGS STEP BY STEP , KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, 👍👍👍👍
Thank you Steve
Every one a beauty. Pear and cushion are two of my favourite cuts, so really good to see those, although I know you favour ovals. I love greens, but also blue purples so either side I'm sure would have been stunning.
You did a great job with the voice over! Nice work! Thanks Justin!
I appreciate that!
Thank you for getting the soundscape so much more pleasant to listen to! This was a pleasure to watch over our breakfast in Bath, UK. Has anyone ever worked with a bicycle-tire-shaped cutting wheel, to manage concave stones? Just wondering...
Simply awesome, the way you reveal the beauty of the Opal.
Justin, you Rock.
You rock!
Having watched this yet again, you asked what would you have done, had i attempted something like this i would be uncertain but, I hope I would like you have made the right decisions and gone for the best productive cuts that look really nice and eye catching.
Again enjoyed watching this a second time round.
Cheers mate Les.
Thank you Leslie
Oh how beautiful. The gems took my breath away.😲😲🤩
Thank you this is just so fascinating. What a special thing it is to learn about opal cutting. Such beautiful stones you make and its really interesting to see how much knowledge and talent you need to do this.
Lovely gem.thank you for showing.
I adore that color blue❤ you did well. I had anxiety and big hopes that it was one piece but beautiful indeed
What a beautiful video Justin! Thank you for everything you share with us.❤
This looks like a piece of rough that Carl, over at Absolute Opals, was selling.
I am always glad to see the origin of the stones I see in the youtube video the day before.
indeed, it seems the learning never ends with opals. And we are SO GLAD you pass that knowledge on to all of us.
lastly, cutting it was the best idea.
I could have been
Awsome, Thank You sooooo much for making these Videos. I'm learning so much, and with the way my heart races watching you cut. I know I'll be cutting them one day.
Well done justin,I think you made the right decision in cutting the bigger stone into smaller ones...
It’s sooooo relaxing to watch your videos❤❤❤ your talent and your humility together make you shine more than any other gem!
God bless you!
You are so right. Take care and good to see you again.
Turned out very well. Definitely the best decisions on the crystal for sure ..
Thanks yeah I think so
I think you did a great job in cutting them.
While I personally would have loved to see a big single stone it unfortunately wasn't there.
Have a ripper Justin!
The green and lilac colours are gorgeous.
Beautiful workmanship. They turned out really well. Nice job 👍
Wow, what skill you have to make something gorgeous..
Oh my that drop stones is just magnificent.
Thank you Billy
My favorite stone. Simply stunning. Great job
I've missed you and your Opal.
I missed you more
WoW! I love watching you work your way to bring the magnificent gem! Thank you! ❤❤❤
You are so welcome!
I really love the teardrop shaped gem! Miss your live shows! ❤BOD!😊
Thank you! Cheers!
Your opal wizardry has put a fine glow on my day! Now off to peruse the beauties on your website for a small infusion of opal magic!
Haha nice 🙏
I went away for a little bit. Your videos are so much more sofisticated now. But the opal is still the Star...❤
Welcome back!
Your thumb looks like it's healing nicely. 👍
Wow those cut super nice . Good job
Thanks Rob
@@blackopaldirect visited oz years ago sydney alice springs uluru cairns gbr and port douglas. Luv. It there. Always love black opal too
I like to see the other side of the stones! nice video!!!
Excellent video Justin. I would love to see a video on various girdles and cutting techniques for those
Glad you did that. They look beautiful.
A master at work.
Thank you for sharing this with us.
👍👍👍😎😎😎
When my 11 year old was a baby, he would always pick up pretty rocks and put them in his pockets. This has developed into such an interesting hobby FOR BOTH OF US! We have boxes of "pretty rocks" we've collected over the years, going to mines, at the park, walking around the neighborhood... anything that catches our eye!
Sir, you are very good at your craft so I must assume you love rocks as well😊😊😊!
When you quit learning, you should be dead. I absorb knowledge every single day. And this is one of the channels that helps me do that. I don’t cut gems, but this is fantastic knowledge to have.
Just beautiful Justin. You have made amazing gems from that piece. Thanks for sharing 👍 from Liverpool England 🇬🇧
Thank you very much!
This set is lovely. Really like your cutting and talking videos best
Thank you so much 🙂
welcome back justin.
Thank you
I agree 💯%
Beautiful stones! And as much as it hurts to have had to cut that big stone to get rid of the curved potch, I can't help but feel that what you ended up with is much more usable than the giant stone would have been. As lovely as it was, it was SO large that you really couldn't do much beyond a pendant or maybe a brooch with it, and they would have been large enough to be awkward to wear for a lot of people. The smaller pieces may be less dramatic, but they will be a good size for more everyday wear. And if you *want* a statement piece, the colors and patterns match well enough that you could do a really beautiful bracelet with the big oval flanked by the two rectangles, or the rectangles on a necklace with the drop between. So many beautiful options!
You did a great job as usual Justin 👏! I loved the opals 👋💎🥰👍, a master opal cutters touch for sure! Greetings to you all at BOD! 👋❤👍
Thanks so much Susanne
Brother, If I ever travel to Australia with my family, I would love to meet you and your family. Really admire what you and your family have built. Before finding your channel, despite a love for geology, I hade jo idea the amazing beauty that opals held. Thanks again for teaching us so much. My kiddos love the videos as well
Maybe one day!
Got no idea but watching u work is relaxing 😎 cheers
Lovely. I'm glad you made the tear drop. And I think the pair would make nice cufflinks.
Nice results 👍
Personally, I would have probably taken a test slice from one end just to see what was going on inside before taking it to the wheel, having said that, it all worked out quite well for you, you ended up with some lovely stones.