Ethiopian Opal Variety Is Wild! Black Opal, Chocolate Opal, Matrix Opal, Crystal Opal, White Opal.

[@malysyforethought1195]

That chalky one is really interesting and if you can get it stabilised without losing any colour, it'll be a unusual and pretty gem.

[@ThatOpalGuy]

its pretty great as a specimen

[@RoysRocks]

I'm sure I can stabilize it if I want to. I have some other bits that I might test it on first just to see.

[@Jaireeopal]

Thanks Roy I was actually looking for some I fo on these opal only cut aussie ones appreciate it

[@RoysRocks]

No worries. Give them a chance they can be super fun. Maybe more for carving than cabbing but still very interesting.

[@blanksy_-]

i really like them rough too .. especially the chocolate ones .. unique in the nodule and the glassy look is like a polished finish anyway ..

[@RoysRocks]

I'll be leaving most of them uncut I think but will take them to the lab to test on a few instruments out of interest.

[@JoaoNunes-qp5el]

Best opal of the world

[@RoysRocks]

I'm not sure I would put them as the best but certainly underrated and could even be the best value.

[@SuperBroncosguy]

Very interesting! I actually bought a 24 ct rough Welo opal of of Amazon. Didn't expect much for the $12.95 but when it came 2 months later it was nice! it actually weighed heavy @ 46 cts and really had all sorts of color & fire. Sent away for another & got white potch + my money back. Oh well, still have the first one. (I think they sent it by mistake.) Lol Thanks for the info!

[@RoysRocks]

Haha 50% strike rate aint too bad.

[@FiegAro2726]

Thx Roy for delivering once again another banger of a video..much appreciated

[@RoysRocks]

No worries. Mixing it up with a bit of Ethiopian and fire agate.

[@jay8353]

Hey Roy, thanks for the excellent explanation on the Ethiopian opals. I have watched your other vids on it and I will give it a go and I will definitely try your method of drying too. I know this doesn't have anything to do with this video but i was wondering if you have had much to do with Australian wood opal? Ive just purchased some to give it a go cause I love petrified woods so having beautiful opal wood is awesome.

[@RoysRocks]

The wood opal from Aus is pretty cool. You can find it in a few different places. My tip is to set aside the ones with really good wood features and dont over work them. I have some that I have simply hit with a nylon brush on the dremel and some AlOx polishing powder to shine it a tad. I haven't done a video on that before but I probably could.

[@jay8353]

@RoysRocks it would be good to see, it's something for you to think about anyways.

[@tianafrancis9827]

Great info as always. I see a lot of flashy reds in the welo (?) opals.

[@RoysRocks]

Yeah red is actually one of the more common colours from the Ethiopian fields. Probably to do with the pH of the soil and the volcanic nature of the land.

[@tianafrancis9827]

@@RoysRocks fyi. I have been checking around for a jeweler to set my opals and find most have closed. I don't shop at big stores. I like to support the small guy. I have not seen any opals in my journey, yet.

[@ResortDog]

There is a certain layer in Virgin Valley where the little nodules of opals pull in the sides like Wolo. The white Shewa is "hydrophane" thats what it was called and is when it powders when it FIRST dries, not just goes white or clear.and the other was chocolate and the most stable cut with the rind backing it.

[@RoysRocks]

Yeah white and crystal is hydrophane for sure but not sure what you mean by "powders when it FIRST dries" I have had no problem drying it back to almost the original state as long as you pull the water out of it with a desiccant. Also, the chocolate I have been advised should NOT be cut with any of the host rock still attached on the outside as the expansion rates are not equal so will lead to immediate cracking.

[@ResortDog]

@@RoysRocks I cant remember where I was told to cut the thunder egg on the back, but when done its basically a thin backing like a boulder opal. Big has always been asking for cracks however it is polished. Some opal here when it is found is clear/clean to the matrix and only changes once when dried. Generally crystal does all the opacity changing. Our banks are moist still, not crustied out by the millenniums. Some opals change irreparably when dried and become the brilliant chalky like powder on the surface and it has to be ground off later to polish the inside opal as it does not change back to clear ever. The Shewa was the first electric hydrophane I saw past what we mine.

[@nancycurtis7315]

That chocolate coloured stuff is kind of intriguing. Just those deep tones in it. Looks like glass scales flaked off. The other one looks like a crazy type of Yowah nut! They have lovely colours and patterns in them all. I like honeycomb patterns.

[@RoysRocks]

They are pretty cool. Only downside is the stability for jewellery setting purposes.

[@nancycurtis7315]

@@RoysRocks Nice to look at though.

[@hannagyllensten475]

So pretty, I'm happy to have a few rough Ethiopian opals and a cut stayish mine-stone ❤️

[@RoysRocks]

Best Stayish stone is one you dont need to cut and polish yourself. 👌

[@soozieq697]

I didn't realize that Stayish had issues like that. I have watched Global Prospecting cut some really nice pieces of this material, and they've never mentioned anything about it having issues with cracking.

[@RoysRocks]

Strange. Stayish is very well known to not cut well and remain stable. Even after mining they undergo a process of careful drying or the majority will start to splinter. Its why there is not a lot of it on the market and the others dominate.

[@SevenResources]

Stayish I'd known to be very unstable. But a stable non-hydrophane may have been discovered near Stayish. We have cut few ourselves. I think some of the stayish is also showing signs of stability cos demand has increased significantly and price has also increased.

[@steve81nz39]

bought four pieces of stayish lovely colours they all fell apart. the white and chocolate i've had good results particularly the white.

[@dcallan812]

I have lots of Ethiopian Opal, it was so cheap when it first came out and still is cheaper than Australian. I love the phantom opal and have a few specimens in water as they just flake away if dried very interesting 2x👍

[@RoysRocks]

It certainly has shot up in price though. I think people are finding it better to work with than originally thought.

[@jeffholmes1362]

Great coverage of all the types Roy, did I see a post where you’re being interviewed? How’s that silver smithing going? After two years of planning, I still haven’t started 😂😂😂

[@RoysRocks]

Yeah podcast with Jullian. He is banking a few up before launching but it'll be out one day. After planning the silversmithing for 2 years I have... officially started. Nothing amazing yet but videos are being recorded and should start coming out at some point when I feel better about it.

[@handlesmademeloseauniqename]

I don't often see high grade Ethiopian material that hasn't been cut yet. It's either already cabbed high quality or low quality rough.

[@RoysRocks]

I think many miners keep the good stuff for themselves and their friends to process. They would have the best eye for it and the most experience.

[@handlesmademeloseauniqename]

@RoysRocks makes sense, it's tough to get close to the source with any stone.

[@koalabear4964]

Hey Roy! Ethiopian opal is pretty much all I cut, so I appreciate this video. I must ask, is the stayish that touchy? I have a 5.7 gram rough stayish on my dresser begging for the dremel but I'm having second thoughts about cutting it after hearing from you and my vendor about it splitting apart in water. If you had a cabking or similar cabbing machine would you dry cut this material, or would it still fail somehow?

[@RoysRocks]

I have still managed to cut it without too many problems if you check that video on the channel search for "stayish" or "black opal". It is notoriously difficult to get a good one cut from start to finish as you can see from the pile of shattered dreams Pulitzer sent me.

[@koalabear4964]

@@RoysRocks Thanks for the info Roy. Yep yours split right in half. Absolutely brutal. Don't think I can handle that trauma so mine will sit on the dresser for now. Gonna wimp out and cut a white base teardrop today instead.

[@huanyujin6223]

Magic Roy

[@RoysRocks]

Made by the earth magic.

[@Famo59]

Nice Opal 👍⛏️

[@RoysRocks]

Its a decent collection building up and I just keep adding.

[@goldcambodia]

good!

[@RoysRocks]

Its fun stuff. Hopefully people warm up to all the possible Ethiopian opals in the future.

[@bbisyy4u]

Seriously? Give it a crack? You’re hilarious 😂. I’m sure I would crack the crap out of Ethiopian opal. Very interesting info on the differences on the types of Ethiopian opal’s.

[@RoysRocks]

Haha why wont any of my replies to your comment go through?! KZbin is stuffing something up.

[@bbisyy4u]

@@RoysRocks you would make a great teacher. Your posts are very informative and I always look forward to your next post. Hope you have a great day or night. Whatever it is over there right now.

[@azilelaufer9831]

Honeycomb welo ❤

[@RoysRocks]

A fantastic pattern for sure.

[@bentationfunkiloglio]

I tried cutting Ethiopian water opal once. Ironically, I did have pretty good success with one of those suckers, but it was an ugly test/throw-away opal. All the others eventually cracked. Oh well. They’re rather inexpensive, so not a big deal.

[@RoysRocks]

It is pretty fun but the stability is really what can let it down. Even though I can keep them from cracking if I sold it off and it was mistreated then it would certainly crack.

[@ThatOpalGuy]

give it a crack. ooof.

[@RoysRocks]

Haha I say that accidentally to beginners all the time and feel like it is bad luck.

[@Scarlet_Soul]

Just remembered not to eat the tasty looking gummies

[@RoysRocks]

Some of the crystals do really look edible. Like a coloured sugar.

[@tllt4983]

When curing opal does anyone use a automated humidor? The slower the better, right.

[@jay8353]

That's a really good idea,it's definitely something worth trying

[@RoysRocks]

I have thought of testing it out and if I was doing a lot of it I would commit to it for sure. Get a set crack free method and use it every time. It would be better controlled and faster than how I currently do it.