Accidentally Cut a Black Opal Gem. Lightning Ridge Black and Dark Crystal Opalized Wood

[@bf2nwn2]

What a beauty! Great result. They're such a beautiful stone to work with. Thank you Roy, enjoy your break.

[@RoysRocks]

Lightning ridge does have some magic to it when it works out.

[@tonyvandijk4339]

What a winner!! Good luck and have fun with all the new projects. And happy holliday

[@RoysRocks]

Having a few days off in a row have already got me flying through a bunch of projects. Spare time is amazing.

[@elishadoyle8191]

WOW what a beautiful stone. You did an awesome job as usual. I love the potch running thr

[@RoysRocks]

The little lines are a cool feature in my mind.

[@Famo59]

Well done.. Will be looking forward to see how you turn an Opal and setting them in jewlery.. Merry Christmas 🎄

[@RoysRocks]

Hopefully 2025 will be me setting a hundred stones and selling them off.

[@jackophof8882]

All the best for 24 and look alive in 25

[@RoysRocks]

Hopefully, I think 24 almost ended me. Bad mental state with a really bad end to the year for work. A few extra weeks and I would have really struggled.

[@PerrenialMillennial]

Opal is my faveorite gemstone, what a beauty! well done :)

[@RoysRocks]

My fave as well. Impossible stone to beat.

[@bbisyy4u]

That’s a real beauty Roy. Hope you have a very Merry Christmas.

[@RoysRocks]

I will with this being the last stone I finish before tomorrow. A day of eating and drinking to come. I better finish cooking these fairy opals today.

[@nicolemurray-jeffery7433]

Gorgeous stone Roy. Hope you had a nice Christmas, enjoy your leave and all the best for the new year 😊

[@RoysRocks]

It was a long day but pretty good. Still working away though on the opal and jewellery. Can't rest if you want to get almost good.

[@karenjones7111]

Beautiful. Enjoy your time off. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. ✌️♥️🧑‍🎄

[@RoysRocks]

No time off for me. Just a different type of work. This one more enjoyable.

[@chadatchison145]

Nice job, thanks for the video Roy.

[@RoysRocks]

No worries Chad. An unexpected winner this one.

[@kenoathiog1156]

Lovely stone !!! Happy holidays 🎄🧑‍🎄👍👍👍

[@RoysRocks]

You too man. Bring on 2025!

[@glennsowacke9752]

Awesome video Roy!!! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

[@RoysRocks]

Thanks Glenn, hope the year finishes up well for you too.

[@stevenhoover9294]

Looks great. Good luck with 3 weeks off and enough time to sharpen new skills

[@RoysRocks]

Hopefully enough to become a decent beginner jewelller.

[@bentationfunkiloglio]

You killed it. Nice! I’m finding that learning bezel making/setting is all about practice and making mistakes. That’s why I started with boulder opal. My first settings weren’t great, but that’s ok with boulder. Just end up the rustic looking jewelry. :)

[@RoysRocks]

True I have been practicing with cheap stones like pink opal (should be the first video). Some of the lower quality Boulder opal is probably a genius decision and I might do that as well.

[@gazzog6252]

Awesome Roy great job and merry Christmas man

[@RoysRocks]

Thanks, was a fun stone and surprisingly easy going.

[@ccccarriemchardy9216]

Simply Beautiful. Merry Xmas everyone!.

[@RoysRocks]

and happy new year. Hopefully 25 is a better year for all.

[@pkgoldopalhunting]

great looking stone mate

[@RoysRocks]

Yeah another lucky one.

[@jeffholmes1362]

Nice job Roy. With nice colour taking the wood grain away can be forgiven.

[@RoysRocks]

Yeah I now need to dig through the collection to find another lightning ridge wood bit so I can do a video on polishing a specimen display.

[@123bbbooobbb]

love that colour thx roy

[@RoysRocks]

So do I, the LR blue/black is one of my fave combos.

[@ManMountainMetals]

Merry Christmas 🎅 🎄 ❤️

[@RoysRocks]

Merry xmas and happy new year! I havent seen a man mountain metals video in a bit. I'll have to see what you've been up to.

[@ManMountainMetals]

@RoysRocks my kitten 😸 video went bacterial with almost 1200 views before the algorithm dropped 🫳 it.

[@jay8353]

Hey Roy, that stone turned out beautiful and I think the odd potch line actually gives the opal character. Ive started silversmithing now too,and I have made a few mistakes along the way,trying to run before I can walk . I'm doing other stones ive rock hounded before I get into opal, I'm actually doing a agatized wood coffin shaped ring today lol. I shaped and polished the stone and im doing the bezel and shank today. Anyway have an awesome Xmas and see ya in the new year, cheers

[@RoysRocks]

Oh cool I havent tried any unusual shapes yet. Once I get a standard oval bezel 100% then I might move on. Like with science I want to get a grip on the fundamentals before aiming for the stars.

[@jay8353]

@RoysRocks I did and oval carnelian with an open back and a matching ring. Im still very green at it but im happy with the results, especially doing it from finding the stone to the finished set stone. I'll send you a Pic if I can find your email

[@jay8353]

​@RoysRocks I sent an email

[@allistairmitchell3845]

Beautiful❣️

[@RoysRocks]

I was pleasantly surprised by it for sure.

[@zoinkaboose]

I agree, wood opal is amazing! The character some pieces have can be quite interesting. Moving away from nova points? And why soak it after cutting?

[@zoinkaboose]

Oh and why soak it after cutting?

[@RoysRocks]

Yeah I am leaving the nova points behind I think. Too hard to get and expensive. The soaking is to get the glue off the stone (just overnight)

[@zoinkaboose]

@RoysRocks Ahhh, I see! Good thinking. Thanks for the input. Happy holidays, wishing you all the best for 2025 and beyond!

[@dustyblueberry3313]

What a beautiful gem. Well, this video answered a question I had, which was... Can there be flashes of precious opal in ("common opalised") opalised wood?! Thanks for sharing all your knowledge! 😊 Wishing you, your loved one's and everyone else a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year for 2025, Cheers! 🎄🌟🎁🎅🎀🎉🥂

[@RoysRocks]

There can be some colour hidden in there for sure. Just always a chance of sand deep within. Somehow finds a way through the wood grains.

[@dustyblueberry3313]

@RoysRocks bloody sand, how it works it's way in everywhere, lol! Enjoy your time off work and your jewellery making, have fun 😀

[@TheKegtwo]

Great stone Roy. On 27th December 2024 I am retiring, so guess what is getting uncovered and put to work. Have a safe and merry Christmas and talk to you next year.

[@RoysRocks]

Oh man I am jealous, puts my three weeks of leave to shame. I'd love to go full time and "retire" which I dont think I ever will.

[@FreeYourMindArt]

That is a beauty

[@RoysRocks]

Its much better than the display specimen I was planning on carving with it.

[@morgan07151]

What would something like this cost? So beautiful! I would love having a ring with those colors!! 👍💎💙💜🖤

[@RoysRocks]

Not a huge amount, the stone is quite small and things like the potch lines lower the value rapidly though I think they look cool.

[@jakewelford]

This is a nice final piece, how much was it in the rough?

[@RoysRocks]

Came in a large beginners bundle so can't really price the single stone. Probably less than $5 if you just average out the weight of the parcel.

[@MrSkrilla316]

You did a kenny wayned shephard {blue on black). Did you grind off the wood texture on the back as well? If not, might try to open back it if the texture isn't too obstructive, then you can always flip it around to show it is a fossil. I always have issue with under 300 grit burrs chipping the opal on the edges.

[@RoysRocks]

Yeah unfortunately the wood texture is all gone just a standard cab now. Are you using electroplated or sintered? The electroplated burs will chip a lot more.

[@stevenhoover9294]

Just out of curiosity, what would you value this stone at?

[@RoysRocks]

Probably only around $100-200/ct. Its only blue, pretty small and people don't like potch lines in the face as much as I do even though it makes it more interesting.

[@cazrelda169]

Wow

[@RoysRocks]

It was a surprise to me as well.

[@malik-gs9of]

Hi

[@RoysRocks]

Hi 🙌