Watch how I smoke treat an opal (This is NOT Australian opal)

[@johnnywadd9918]

I tried smoking opal but it wouldnt fit in my bong

[@blackopaldirect]

😆😆

[@travismiller5548]

Good problem to have, i suppose

[@MacIsMyLover104]

😂😂

[@rivierahousewife]

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽🤣

[@irish-medi-weed-grower5240]

Small bong , or big opal ?

[@RoysRocks]

Justin: "I'm going to try smoking this opal" Me: "Well... he is more of an opal addict than I am it seems."

[@blackopaldirect]

hahahaha

[@sharonlewis7638]

Again lmao

[@jimmyzahir8038]

Hello from a mimosa bc up on van cou ver bc

[@jimmyzahir8038]

Yesvancouverisland

[@idonthaveaname42]

🤣

[@joeisabella6811]

I have to say that I really enjoy when you go all mad scientist on opals to see what happens. Best wishes to you and yours as always mate!

[@juliancannone432]

I bought some very high quality ethiopian and cabbed some beautiful pieces, but didn't know much about them. After cutting I told a friend I'd give her one of my opals (one that lost most color and didnt seem to be of much value). After a couple weeks the opal dried and regained it's color. It was one of the most incredible opals I've seen in person. My friend was convinced it was Australian. No dead spots, flashes of red, green, yellow, blue, aqua, with color visible in all settings of light. And I just gave it away for free :(

[@blackopaldirect]

def was not Australian

[@juliancannone432]

@@blackopaldirect I know, but it looked very similar

[@erisQ23]

I give away Opals all the time! One of my favorite things to share, but I'm one of those gifting types. Seriously fills my cup enough to keep me off of psych meds, not just giving away Opals but gifting in general, acts of service, etc.

[@whybutwhy4137]

Honest to Buddha I have learned so much about Opals from you and your videos. I didn’t take me long to fall in love with opals and I love watching you cutting them. Thank you❤️

[@thegreatxyz]

you could use something like a "HENDI Smoke infuser" that they use to smoke food, it produces a lot more smoke that you could blow directly on the opal.

[@Flowstatecaptain]

Try setting it in a bowl full of “backflow incense burner” smoke? The smoke is separated from it’s heat so it sinks, being denser than air. I imagine it would be better for marinating a stone. 👍

[@DrDIYhax]

Have you tried this

[@DrDIYhax]

@@user-cv7cw5xz7i how does one go about doing that

[@jeniflowers618]

The color comes back when it dries. It has a tube like structure that the water fills. Can take some time to dry but in a few hrs to a day the color comes back. It also becomes more white when you cut and work them. Yes they do crack fairly easy when working them. But are beautiful and very affordable for a small home base business like myself.

[@erisQ23]

Me too! Once or twice a year I like to splurge on a parcel between 3 & 5 hundred dollars worth of Australian, but it's been rare that I get a very good deal for that price point, usually gamble rough that's meant for practice for beginners. (Danny if you see this I'm not talking about you, you're my favorite, and if I could go through you every time, I would!) Anyway... I'm no beginner, but I do so love all the benefits involved with even lower quality Australian opal, compared to Ethiopian. However, I definitely see a few silver linings involved with my necessity to use Ethiopian as a default in my business, including the fact that I can make freeform carvings, and see full color all the way across the entire surface of a fairly large finished piece. This isn't always the case, and of course there are devastating blows here and there when I'm very satisfied with how a work in progress is going, as the form and structure is just so flowy and beautiful, and then just as I'm starting pre-polishing steps, Bam! 😐 -it splits in two or three, (or more). But over time, I've managed to find certain ways to work the stone that mitigate the odds of that devastation via my own particular handling of the stone, assuming of course that the material is good quality to begin with and was treated well before it got to me ...

[@debrabelton3161]

Ethiopian opal is beautiful and after absorbing water the color does comes back. I have all types of opals and other stones some treated, heated, irradiated, etc. If the treatment is permanent I have no issue with it as long as it is disclosed. You have a right to choose not to work with the Ethiopian stone however they are beautiful and rarer than it's Australian counterparts. It's not an inferior stone, just different. It almost sounds like the lab-grown vs earth-mined diamond argument. They are both diamonds/opals.

[@themoon8321]

“We’re gonna try and smoke an opal” My mind: *you holding a huge opal cigarette*

[@andrewgraham7659]

I could have sworn he was going to make an Opel Astra make backfire, thus creating smoke.

[@benmillion1660]

I thought that too. He was gonna smoke opal

[@Moregems]

I am sure your intention was not to deceive but you left us with the impression that once wet Welo opal goes clear and stays clear when actually in a day or two it returns to its original look before wetting. Also washing your hands is typically not long enough to affect the opal although I make sure I wipe the opal dry after washing hands.

[@AngFox-b6i]

Thank you for saving my Ethiopian opals in the nick of time. I thought I could wear them swimming and showering. You are very helpful, kind and concise.

[@donm6578]

I would be interested to see the smoked opal cut into a stone. The color appears to still be present. Might look nice without all the blackened potch/sand surrounding it

[@makkyd123]

normally ethiopian opals are smoked after they are cut.

[@anitataco6488]

I have a lot of smoked Welo and they are still gorgeous! They retain their color play and actually are more stable in color. 90% of the welo beads and cut stones I got have turned an unfortunate yellowish brown and are ruined. They were stored properly and only took maybe a year for it to happen. Stranger still, other beads and stones right along side them are still as white or clear as when I got them. I don't know why or how to predict which will turn, so it's too risky to even think of ever purchasing more. If for some reason I did, I would only get the smoked black, because all of those I have still look the exact same as they did the day I got them. I'm going to try to turn the bad ones black. I can't make them worse than they are now, that's for sure!

[@Sterlingjewels1]

@@anitataco6488 is it safe or risky to smoke treat it by our own self? I also want to apply this on my opal but I'm scared of cracking it

[@davidpoynter6546]

Does the opal that went clear when placed in water change back after it drying or is this a permanent change??

[@1.4142]

It changes back in a few days to weeks

[@michaeldenison7339]

As it dries, yes. It absorbs water, and then it dries out. It takes a week, usually, to get back to a neutral state. You will see if slowly change back over that time. So long as you are cutting it just with water, the stone will not be harmed.

[@blackopaldirect]

It can go back but if it’s in soapy or dirty water repeatedly it will get dirty

[@KRDKmovie]

I would love to see you slice the smoked one. Your channel have made me fall in love with opals (only Australian though), keep the videos coming mate!!!

[@cathybaldry7822]

Before finding out from your channel I never would have known that water etc could impact this type of stone soo much. Thank you

[@blackopaldirect]

Yeah I know but this doesn’t happen to Australian opal. 🤷‍♂️

[@thomaspownall2989]

I tried a Propane Torch on a piece of quartz once..... keyword, Once. Lol. Thank you OPAL DIRECT! From a humble rockhound in Oregon

[@victoriameredith629]

I'm picturing shards of quartz rocketing across the room, you diving for cover with a rock chip embedded in your forehead. I'm really sorry, but my mental picture is hilarious. :)

[@blackopaldirect]

Victoria Meredith been watching too many movies 😆😆

[@I_am_Dad_Son]

I've seen videos on people treating opal with some concoction with a sugar base thats heat treated over a period of time, then concentrated sulfuric acid is added and is treated again. It really does bring out amazing color even in lackluster opal. Not sure how well it would work with welo opal as you demonstrated the color fades when soaked in water. Seems like matrix opal and wood opal from other regions are treated this way quite often.

[@DaftFader]

I've seen people treat opal in warm sugar water for 24 hours then in weak sulfuric acid for the following 24 hours right after. the sugar water gets into the capilaries of the opal, and then the acid turns it dark.

[@DaftFader]

Just make sure it's not concentraited sulfuric acid for lab use as you'll have a problem when you put water into it as it'll react ... household cleaner style sulf. acid should be fine as long as it's got no adatives and is just weak acid only.

[@blackopaldirect]

Yes that is Andamooka matrix opal. A very different and one expensive type of treated opal

[@chiefof]

Black Opal Direct "Johnny was a chemist, now Johnny is no more, what he thought was H2O was H2SO4!"

[@mooonienelson2126]

I've seen carnelian treated this way or something similiar

[@terrypussypower]

@@DaftFader I remember spilling a load of conc sulphuric on my lab coat at University, and it smoked like a mother! I couldn't get that thing off fast enough.

[@Drusille]

i bought one that turned completely clear the first time i washed my hands, later on i put some body lotion without realizing i was wearing the ring and half of it turned milky with no play of colour at all and opaque, so I bought an opal from justin and forgot the first one ( luckily it was not expensive but very disappointing)

[@blackopaldirect]

Yes it can happen. I’m sorry it happened to you

[@Drusille]

@@blackopaldirect thanks to that happened i discovered your channel and your website, so it's all well if it's well in the end (dunno if i translated this correctly hahaahahah)

[@brookeggleston9314]

@@Drusille Close enough to be understood!

[@BakingRecipesManisha]

Very useful and nice video. Thank you! Does smoked/treated Ethiopian opal still absorbs water? Even if sugar treatment is made?

[@shawnstatzer95]

I hate smoked opals, but learning the process via you I did truly love. Thank you.

[@Kerrsartisticgifts]

I just bought one and smoked it last night. I followed your example in this video. The opal I got was a cabochon with a high dome and a honeycomb pattern. The auction pictures and video made it look mainly blue with orange and yellow and green flashes. It was almost clear when it arrived but it did have very nice flashes of colour in the sunlight. I don't think anyone would have guessed it was an Opal unless they were familiar with that type of stone. Anyway, I was curious and wanted to try smoking it as I had already seen this video of yours. It worked, but it turned out a dark brown. I have yet to see a dark brown or any brown Australian opal. I will say this, when you hit it with a light now, it's all deep red and emerald green flashes inside it. It is really beautiful in the moments that it's flashing. I have submerged it in soapy water this morning but it didn't change colour at all. I was expecting the smoke to come back out of it and I expected it to turn clear. It didn't do any of that.

[@blackopaldirect]

Some Ethiopian opal will take treatment and some won't. How to tell which ones will is a good question and maybe some else who knows more about them could chime in a do tell

[@scyc8]

It’s amazing how many shops, dealers, sellers say that these types of opal haven’t been treated at all.

[@erisQ23]

There are currently two mines in Ethiopia, near Welo province, but not at the proper mine that produces most of the welo opal, and the Lion's share of Ethiopian opal in general; ...anyway; -there are two separate mines just outside of welo, one of them is called the stayish mine, and the name of the other mine escapes me at the moment, but both of those locations produce (more one than the other); A) : dark brown "chocolate" opals, (these are generally encapsulated in very hard to get through clay to dark rust colored stone, other than the part that's broken open to show color. And geez, almost as unstable/ tragically precarious of a material as I've ever tested my patience to work with, second only to the extremely limited quantity of Black based nonhydrophane opal that readily comes out of the other one of those aforementioned mines

[@choppergt750]

I had some cracked and totally dehydrated Mexican Opal that I experimented with. I was told to use a brown paper bag from the supermarket to smoke the Opal in. Since these stones were already polished and then had gone completely dry and were beautiful but worthless, I gave it a go. They came out perfectly black with bright color. They were almost chalky in texture and would "bite" on the tongue test before and after the smoking. The same sort of material can be found in Southern California at Nowak Opal mine in the Mojave desert although some is cuttable and stable. In the Mexican from Queretaro which is in a red Rhyolite, the So. Cal, which is in the vugs in a Basaltic lava flow and the Opal up by Gerlach Nevada which also comes from the vugs in a basaltic lava, the Opal has a high water content and should be put in a bottle of water immediately, and left there. In my experience very little is stable over a long period of time. As far as I know there is no way to stabilize this chalky material and make it usable in jewelry. I had my dest luck with Spencer Idaho Opal that comes from a black rhyolite. To me it feels slightly softer than the better Australian material, but takes a great polish and has lots of color although usually in thin layers so making a doublet or triplet is the best way to handle it. In it's natural state it varies from pure white to clear layers and some in the pink range. I have seen fire layers over a 1/4" thick that cut very nice solid stones that are perfectly stable. I have not tried smoking Spencer Opal, but due to it's lack of porosity, I wouldn't think the smoke would penetrate far into the stone and would likely wear off in time.

[@aaronneumann3839]

Bother old method is to boil in sugar water,sounds crazy but it will bring out the flashes. Ethiopian opal is also extremely fragile.

[@SK-gb6zq]

Your videos are really informative and mesmerizing, I appreciate them so much!

[@azmattic306]

I've never seen smoking rocks end so beautifully. Usualy it end with auntie pawning her couch.

[@anitataco6488]

🤣 Good one!

[@ablasttv]

Have you tried doing this with a kitchen sized smoke infuser? Might get the same effect without risk of too much heat from the direct flame from the paper.

[@EdWolfram]

Does the sulfuric and sugar heated soaks work?

[@blackopaldirect]

That’s only for concrete Andamooka opal

[@makkyd123]

@@blackopaldirect should work for any porous opal as well. as long as the sugar and acid solutions can penetrate the stone (and I bet they would)

[@SmithnWesson]

I have seen some videos where they soak the stone in sugar water and then follow that with sulfuric acid. Basically, the sugar reacts chemically within the sulfuric acid, and releases carbon into the stone. Seems to me that the sugar method would be more efficient than the smoke method. A higher percentage of carbon can be put into the stone in a shorter period of time.

[@MrVALLEYHUNTER]

Don't put these opal in acid. It does not work out.

[@guntherhunter5231]

You could use a neutral wood with a small cold smoker, which is basically just a smoke box with a pipe attached to it that transfers the smoke to another box so it doesn't get any of the stress fractures from the heat.

[@blackopaldirect]

True :-) my technique was very primitive

[@guntherhunter5231]

@@blackopaldirect I would just throw the "opal" in the bin tbh

[@robertholmes6348]

Excellent opal for making a secret message ring or pendant! Anyone done that yet?

[@SassySmartAss]

What a great idea!

[@blackopaldirect]

😆😆

[@victoriameredith629]

I feel a novel coming on....

[@osageriverfool101]

If I were smoking it I would put it in a Masson jar light my paper then blow it out for the smoke then put a lid on it and let it smoke for a long time

[@blackopaldirect]

great idea

[@victoriameredith629]

I was thinking something like that as well. Showed my science kids how to create a vacuum strong enough to suck a hard boiled egg into a bottle, and the smoke stayed suspended in there a good long time.

[@makkyd123]

I don't think you need to get defensive about ethiopian opal - aussie opal is gorgeous, and so is the best african opal. I've seen aussie opal that was unstable and cracked, and cut aussie opal is a little more mechanically brittle than cut ethiopian (according to published comparisons). If customers know their opals are hydrophane they won't be upset when they get them wet (its a transient change anyway). Smoking opals is terrible I admit, but its easily detected and no-one could mistake a smoked one for a genuine aussie black one. The real risk to buyers is buying rough ethipian to cut - it almost always cracks during cutting in my experience. I don't pay extra for large size rough since I know I'm going to end up with smaller pieces (I only pay for color and pattern quality).

[@michaeldenison7339]

You can see the crazing in the stones. Simply use a light, look for any crazing, and where it exists, decide if you can make a stone out of it depending on where the cracks are. If it is craze-free, you will be good to go . . . so long as you do not subject it to too much heat.

[@blackopaldirect]

Well said

[@makkyd123]

@@michaeldenison7339 You can see existing cracks for sure. The issue is when the stone is wet for cutting new cracks appear and old ones propagate further through the stone. The best advice I'd had for this is to rub out the stone as quickly as possible. But that's a risk as well.

[@1.4142]

I wonder if you could treat it by submerging it in dye, the same way they dye tumbled stones. Personally, I like to keep the opals as they are.

[@blackopaldirect]

I filmed something with ink and it soaked in a little. But it was not worth the Filming

[@juliancannone432]

My friend spilled cranberry juice on one and it looks pretty cool. He calls it ethiopian cranberry opal lol

[@1.4142]

@@juliancannone432 or make actual chocolate opal by pouring hot chocolate on it

[@valiantsfelinesmccarty6678]

@@blackopaldirect so your calligraphy or scrimshaw inks did not go into the stone is what you're saying like what we use and sell to people who do scrimshaw on bone Stone and some synthetic materials?

[@evanalian]

I have to admit, while I love Australian opals, Ethiopian welo opals are amazing. My mother just bought me a gorgeous welo opal for mother's day.

[@blackopaldirect]

Very nice!

[@anitataco6488]

How's the main body color on it now, at 8 months later? Have you found it's discolored at all? It is beautiful, no denying that, I've just found it to be so temperamental in changing unwanted colors like from white/clear to yellowish brown. I truly hope yours is still like the day you got it! If it is, beware of lotions, perfumes, etc. it will soak it all up like a sponge and unlike the water, it won't return to original if it "dries" out.

[@evanalian]

@@anitataco6488 I haven't had any problems with it. I do have to be careful, since it does go clear in water if left for too long, but since I don't use perfumes or lotions I don't have to worry about that. Even when it goes clear it always dries out and goes back to white. No cracks either.

[@anitataco6488]

@@evanalian Yay! I'm so happy to hear that! It's so disappointing to find them discolored. It sounds like you're the perfect person to be able to keep one looking nice! Mine were in storage cases, not exposed to anything at all and 90% went a really unfortunate shade of yellowy brown within a year of storing. I was in a bout of depression and had no will to create and when it finally lifted, I was shocked to find my beautiful stockpile ruined. Thousands of beads and cut stones. Pure devastation. I just wonder what they do or don't do to the ones that stayed true to original. I can't tell a difference between which will discolor and which won't. I'm going to see if I can smoke them black. I can't make them any worse, that's for sure.

[@evanalian]

@@anitataco6488 I'm sorry that happened. I would be so upset! Hopefully you can salvage them in some way!

[@Abby_the_cat]

I got my first opal yesterday im so proud its a fire opal from Etheiopia its so beautiful in real life 😊

[@blackopaldirect]

Thats great I am glad you like it.

[@Rookie_Rockounding]

Man oh man, the plain water change is incredible. Honestly that’s nuts. Thank you for doing this mate. 👌

[@roler8036]

Justin, I wonder if you have ever had cut an Indonesian opal and if so, what is your opinion on the quality?

[@blackopaldirect]

It is also volcanic opal

[@jimmurphy6095]

Excellent comparison, Justin... Does the stone go back to white when it dries out, or does it stay clear after being submerged?

[@blackopaldirect]

Thank you. YEs some do go back and some don't it just depends on the stone and its density I guess

[@thefeatheredfrontiersman8135]

How stable is Ethiopian opal compared to Australian opal regarding flintnapping? Could you Knapp an Ethiopian opal into a Arrowhead?

[@blackopaldirect]

Good question I am not sure about that one

[@ResortDog]

Ive only seen slabbed Australian opal knapped as the Ethiopian forms in funky shaped nodules without color bars in hard potch per se.

[@skullfetish2539]

When you add smoke to a piece of pottery,we use organic material like hay and you put a lid on top to keep the smoke in contact w the piece,might work w opal..

[@Blumack21]

G'day Nathan Thank you for this episode on Ethiopian Opal. It is good to know and be aware of possible frauds. Thank you. Andy

[@AdamsAdams-fc1ld]

You can get a table top smoker that takes wood pellets, they are used in bars to smoke drinks.

[@zeeclowns3985]

I am a new sub, thank you so much for sharing, I'm learning heaps and enjoying the time spent watching. I missed the last live stream, I have notifications on I hope I don't miss any more. Have a great day everyone Peace

[@blackopaldirect]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@mr.universe740]

There are handheld smoking devices used in cooking that you could use, it’s basically just a small vacuum with a bowl for sawdust and you just lite it and it goes.

[@Bodybuildingcore]

First and thanks for teaching what smoke treating opal is

[@1.4142]

you are #2

[@billyethornton]

I've been watching your videos for a good while now and hate to say it but I just subscribed upon watching the last one , not this one but the last one prior to this one . Dude , you're the kinda guy I'd like to sit down and enjoy a pint with ....I bet you have some stories ! I'm from North Carolina in the USA and live close to the grandfather mountain range in a area that once produced gold . Opal's really interest me and the way they are formed in more so . I saw you do the happy dance once and lmao to it and then I realized with the find you had worked out in hand I would have too .....Love your channel !

[@blackopaldirect]

we shall have a pint one day and you can drink me under the table haha

[@imzimansvideos]

Hmm atleast now i know Y when i buy Ethiopian opal its already been treated to black (not sure how) but looks good but compared to my ausie opal not that good. Depends on the piece i guess ..untreated shewa opals lovely. Treated Andamooka opal is my favourite

[@jerrys6194]

Thank you for the knowledge of making this video to pass on educational information about opals!

[@blackopaldirect]

Our pleasure!

[@tomdoyle6030]

Looking out for us all , great guy , thank you

[@pkgoldopalhunting]

when the ethiopian opal drys dose the colour come back or is it lost for good

[@blackopaldirect]

It can come back but some pieces never change back. You just don't know. Thank you for being a subscriber for over a year :-)

[@pkgoldopalhunting]

@@blackopaldirect i normaly smoke meat that i hunt not rocks ha ha

[@willshaw6405]

Good job, mate! Great closeups! Once smoked, though, wouldn't all the nice dark bg be ground off as you cab it? Also, wouldn't it be better to set the rough up ABOVE the burning bit on a screen or little grill to get the smoke, but not the fire??

[@Paul-044]

Thank you for the great info and your honest opinion. That’s why I watch ur vids and also to see all of your beautiful work. 🤔👍🏻

[@wintuwarrior5266]

Seems if you could do that with paper, you could use wood pellets for a stove to get a more controlled outcome

[@brownsnake9750]

Hey when the stones are smoked to be jet black, does the colour dissapear when its wet also?? Waz hoping you would wet that brown one.

[@MrKraft-fg7dh]

Could you use A bee smoker ?

[@blackopaldirect]

Possibly could.

[@mollynakamori]

Thank you SO much for this valuable information!

[@blackopaldirect]

Glad it was helpful!

[@donslaymaker8487]

Wife says “Thank you very much for this information..” 🥰 I say I love your shows especially when the ladies come out to say hello. And your are 🤪. I know because I am too.

[@MCC4RTHY1]

Change very easily = cracks 😆 thank you for being so kind

[@blackopaldirect]

changes to clear but CAN crack also lol

[@yubz1496]

rarely cracks

[@noahz42]

Maybe this has already been said, but something like a candle in a jar might work where you light it, put the opal in next to it, and then seal the jar so that all the smoke will be trapped when the candle goes out

[@OlJarhead]

Thank you Justin for sharing your knowledge!

[@davidstoner7448]

Huhhh......mmmm???? Cool science project for the kids. But for us opalholics, we want natural, earth mined, Australian opal delights. Ha! Good information to know. Thanks again Justin for the education. Be safe. Much love from California 😎🤙

[@blackopaldirect]

Thank you David

[@tropicsalt.]

I knew about the rare cause of some cracking, but I've never seen this before. Thanks for the very interesting vid.

[@LokeshThakur]

Hey just wanted to know, does an opal lose its value if it is treated?

[@blackopaldirect]

Yes it does in Ethiopian opal. Andamooka matrix opal is worth more as there are not many colors shown before it’s treated. But anything treated in opal is not worth much

[@LokeshThakur]

@@blackopaldirect I was hoping i could pvt message you and ask for your expertise, i am looking to purchase an opal, and wanted to know in your opinion if it is worth it, is there somewhere i could message you?

[@AlternateDargon]

I wonder if the paper having ink in it is important. Could be making it not come out as a clean color. Id cover it in kindling like a proper clean white oak or something that burns clean and then cover it and let is settle.

[@sandmaker]

Once again thank you for sharing your knowledge. Be safe and stay healthy.😷

[@blackopaldirect]

Thanks, you too!

[@melin1969]

if its just a case of letting smoke hit it could you use the good old smoker on a barbi to obtain the results your after ?

[@billbaker9623]

interesting information on Hydrophane opals, but I have to ask if you smoke an opal do you see lots of pretty colors? ;-)

[@blackopaldirect]

Hahaha I doooooooooooooeeee

[@rightfromtheart]

From what I understand, that white one that soaked up the water and turned clear, will dry out after a few days and return to the original color splash it had before soaking it ;-)

[@blackopaldirect]

Sometimes it will do that and sometimes pieces will stay white and some will crack. You just never know

[@michaeldenison7339]

The worst is that oils and perfumes will penetrate it. It is cheap, which I can afford to work with. But it does have its drawbacks. I would love to work with some Australian opal. But it is out of my price range. I could try with stones that are low quality, if for nothing, just the experience.

[@blackopaldirect]

Great to learn on but cutting it is very different to Australian

[@rawdawgpendants5490]

Is hydrophane the same as ethiopian? I have hydrophane, and its yellow with play of color dry, and pretty much the same wet except it does clear up a bit but clear yellow. But i just ordered 200 worth of ethiopian rough. Ill let ya know what i think.

[@blackopaldirect]

yes it is

[@grindooutlaw189]

another great vid Justin; I dont know how I missed this, but I wish I had watched this before buying hydrophane rough people say if they get wet with water that they should get their color back - but I dont know if I believe that anymore. Also the volatility is REAL! - I dont think I'm ever going to sell ethiopian opal stones b/c of these concerns, but perhaps I'll experiment with epoxy to stop the inevitable cracking and crazing! God I love australian opals...

[@robbybobby6483]

Put opal in sugar water at 170 degrees for 3-5 days. Dry off liquid but do not wash. Then put in an acid resistant container inside another container with sulfuric acid in it . Cover the large bowl then heat to 170 degrees for 3-5 days. Results vary with opal quality.

[@SeithonJetter]

Hum... purely random thought. BUT what about taking some coloured resin, putting the opal into a pressure chamber while submerged in the resin and using the vacuum to pull the resin into it ? I now that some places did the same with rubies.

[@bjeweled21]

Have you tried sugar and sulfuric acid?

[@blackopaldirect]

Thats only for Andamooka opal. but it may work I haven't tried it

[@bjeweled21]

@@blackopaldirect If I had a piece of white Ethiopian opal I would try it. I am not a big fan of the stuff. Very pretty much of the time but way too unstable for me. If it works I would suggest opticon soaking for weeks.

[@bjeweled21]

Maybe even throwing it under a vacuum.

[@sandysimon7313]

I wonder if there’s a way to coat the opal so it can’t change like that, maybe in resin?

[@tonywild6581]

That's a smokin hot opal Justin. wonder what its like inside, was interesting to see the opal clear, and could still see some colour flashes.

[@phenomhu]

It's hydrophane opal. Containing lot of water I wonder if it can explode when heated. I cook and burn fairy opals and they are dangerous if not totally dried. I've only cut some Welo opal in the past but never knew how color change by the end of the process :) It is always a surprise. Better stick with Ridge material.

[@vladm9384]

Have you tried the sugar and acid method. The results are amazing.

[@krisdoyle3031]

I saw opals being smoked in a screen layered wood box above smoldering log fresh off a fire.they said Important to keep heat down

[@Ojja78]

I watched a video of someone who treated an Ethiopian opal by soaking it overnight in sugar water which I guess pulls the sugar inside the opal. And then they put it in the oven at around 500° and the sugar that went inside the opal blackened and charred.

[@inlikeflynn673]

Cool vid Justin!

[@blackopaldirect]

Welcome

[@Smith5783]

You're a good bloke offering to help people out with their online opal shopping, if I were to buy something I think I would just be coming to you. I'm not sure if you have covered this in a video but has the price of quality Australian opal gone up like the price of gold over the years? and if so have certain types more than others? I assume it has although I would appreciate your opinion on the matter. I could only justify a beautiful piece or two or three, if they were likely to hold their relative value over time. I did a bit of searching but couldn't find much info, maybe you know of somewhere I could start reading. Thanks!

[@blackopaldirect]

Opal has gone up in value over the last 10 years. They will hold there value in my opinion.

[@valiantsfelinesmccarty6678]

Value is relative to the economy of the times. Please don't invest in things if the only reason you purchase them is that you hope you can get your money back in the future. Then you're not purchasing it for the beauty of it, you're purchasing it for the resale value. That's not why a person should purchase jewelry. Especially as we have seen the real can go upside down in the moment and you're not going to have the time to try and liquidate your assets and get your money back on something to cover your losses the only thing you can do is hold on and if you thought you would be able to sell your necklaces Opals quickly before everyone else well everyone else who did what you are thinking of doing is going to be in the same situation drives the price down for the resellers to give you practically nothing and then they turn around and wait. To give you an idea 30 years ago I invested in antique buttons with a friend who lived in Czechoslovakia and had found a warehouse full of so I bought a ton of them I'm not kidding I haven't even sorted all the boxes. Unfortunately at the same time a woman found a huge cave I mean cave and she brought them by The Boxcar load back to the United States and dump them on the market now I had a flat price I needed to get to break even she ruined it for everyone not just me but anyone who is in the Vintage button business she was liquidating hers at less than $0.05 a piece and people were even asking me to sell my newer buttons for less and I just stopped selling. That was hard I was one of the first people on eBay selling, that was hard. however I was not able to sell my merchandise for what I had paid for it. I was not willing to take a loss and it did not harm me to hold on to it. Today I sell my buttons for much more than I paid for them I've also made sure there's an inflation increase into the price every year. There's a specific formula for the inflation of a country that's how they come up with the cost of living. you never want to be dumping when everyone else is. You want to be the person purchasing and try to give the people at least a fair value but you know you're not going to give them what they could have had before the economy Tanked. in my business we get many people who come in and asked us if we will buy Estates and we do. We usually give a flat dollar amount and then afterwards if I find things that are of exceptional value and sell them for a good price I'll send the extra money to the family. The family didn't know those items were valuable and shouldn't have been in the state junk, but if I had given them to them they would have simply taken them to an antique dealer who would have cheated them out of their money it happens all the time especially in my town. As an antique & personal property appraiser we always warn our clients when we do insurance appraising that remember the economy at the time that you need to sell your investment may not be where you need it to be for the money you need out of your investment. If you're going to purchase a piece of jewelry and if you are afraid of losing money then look at it and figure out how much money are you willing to lose. If something urgent happened to you & you needed to get the money immediately we call that liquidation value. Usually it's 1/3 to 1/4 of what a person would have paid for the item. If you're lucky & the economy is in great shape & you're not so distressed you don't need the money within let's say 2 weeks you could then probably guarantee using the internet & qualified sellers such as a discreet estate purchaser Etc it would help get you the value that you need but don't ever invest in something like that hoping you can get your money back out of it. You purchase jewelry because you want to wear it. It is beautiful & it looks good on you or the person you purchase it for. If you want to buy an investment buy stocks bonds or property and be careful where you purchase your land because if it's overrated you may find yourself flipped over. You have to think about we just came out of a major recession in 2007 through 2010 people lost everything in that population some of them losing right down to the point where they didn't even have a car to drive and all they had was a suitcase. I never thought that they would go from living in a beautiful home driving beautiful cars wearing luxury clothes and of course they're beautiful jewelry but in trying to save what they had they had to liquidate while everybody else was liquidating Etc I know this post is long but you can't think of Jewelry in the manner that you're trying to. The pieces I have I bought since I was young I bought them because they were beautiful and at the time I had the money with me & I could purchase them without harming myself or hoping that in the future they would make me money so that I can invest it in something else. They're all personal pieces for me. I enjoy them, treasure them, get compliments for them & have even been asked if I would be willing to sell them. They were good choices after I went to college to learn how to appraise pieces like that I found out I had invested well even though that was not the plan. They are well above the value that I put into them. I don't have a great deal of jewelry because I'm not a showy person but what I have is value: real gems real gold or silver Etc. I never liked costume jewelry I have a small amount of it that was given to me by my ex-husband. He liked a certain brand and it was really pretty and it went with the clothes that I wore for him. I like them and it doesn't bother me to wear them. But while everybody else was buying Cookie Lee which didn't make sense to me it was so expensive and yet it was made with elastic come on. I was buying vintage pieces from the 20s the 30s etc. Real pieces made with real stones or real metal. Purchasing an opal if that's what you want would be simply something lovely that you could treasure enjoying the Flash & the compliments you will receive. Best of luck in your choices.

[@mwilson14]

Is there a way to hydrate sard back to opal?

[@devincarton2943]

I have noticed that the opal changes colour when water is introduced...does it return to its natural state over time?

[@jamesfancher7508]

i'm still on the fence about whether or not i want to treat mine with opticon. I will lose money in the short run, but my customers will get a stone that won't yellow over time, especially in a tobacco household etc. decisions decisions

[@anitataco6488]

I had so many yellow on me. Not all of them though, and they were all stored in the same cases and place. It's strange.

[@Stacey-m5q]

Love the videos Justin.....very informative

[@lukemighty4063]

I smoked an opal once, I saw lots and lots of colours.

[@amberty2002]

But does the Ethiopian opal revert back to its original colors once taken out of the water??

[@FatBellyChemist1234]

Smoke n opal... BBQ with beer on the side as refreshment? cooking bacon?? IDK. Note: I haven't ate my breakfast when I've watched this.

[@blackopaldirect]

you will break your teeth lol

[@Bartyron]

I have seen in the series Outback Opal hunters on Discovery that they keep them in water sometimes. Is that a clever thing to do then?

[@kennethlakey8338]

I wonder if there is a way to make this type of opal more stable

[@marymaynor3345]

Also when Ethiopian opal is being cut on a wet wheel the opal gets wet and when drying the opal that was just cut will begin to crack everywhere. That is why when a etheopen opal is being cut it is such a large stone that will need to be recut to try to get these cracks out. If a person is lucky that person can cut the cracks out they might have a etheopen opal that was cut many time's to get the cracks out after it's dried through many wet and drying time's. Most etheopen opals do not come to pass because of this cracking and recuting prosses. I'd take Australian opal over Ethiopian opal any day.

[@makkyd123]

This is not true for most welo opal (from the specific welo field). Other ethiopian opals from other fields do craze after cutting though.

[@blackopaldirect]

I have never had a good experience with them but I haven't learnt to cut them properly so I should not really say otherwise

[@marymaynor3345]

@@makkyd123 the one fact that I can say without a doubt is that Australian opal will not crack due to getting wet and then drying. It doesn't matter witch field or part of Australia it comes from it will not crack due to drying. I did one time buy etheopen wello opal for a short time to educate myself. I bought the white etheopen wello opal because it looked so much like Australian opal but when I got it in the mail it to was crazed and that ended it for me that was the education I was looking for. I bought it because if a person is going to buy and sell Australian opal they should know what etheopen opal looks like. I now know how to identify both. Since then I've had people try to pass etheopen opal off as Australian opal and they get blocked for doing so. Etheopen opal is cheap and to me not worth getting taken from someone that would pass it off as Australian opal. Australian opal costs a lot more for good quality and etheopen opal to me is not a investment gem. But each to their own.

[@chandlerdavis952]

Get a covered insence burner the kind that has small holes on the sides not top. Make a tight bunch of sage set it and open inside plug openings with clay leaving only one or two holes light sage blow out fire cover with top. Reducing number of holes will build up more smoke. Might have play with it until you get the right amount. Or put them in a meat smoker.

[@jameslund2658]

Dawn dish soap or a degreaser should be able to pull out some of the smoke oils.

[@jespervelling4684]

Hi, I know this video is from quite a long time ago, but... I have recently had to deal with some of this Ethiopian opal and I heard that if you submerged a piece in red wine for 48 hours it will turn it into a lovely black opal when it's dried.... And, well if it doesn't work at least you've had to open a bottle of wine... So cheers🍷

[@rtyhgfplmkoi4784]

I tried smoking some opal once but it was only potch

[@markmcarthy596]

I just oked a smopal too 💨

[@jamesbarisitz4794]

Shay Stafe buddy.

[@blackopaldirect]

haha nice one Mark haha hey thank you for being a subscriber my friend

[@markmcarthy596]

Black Opal Direct -Absolutely, there’s a lot of competition for views on You Tube but I just really appreciate real people 🙏

[@blackopaldirect]

Mark McArthy I def appreciate that. 🙏