Gold smithing: making an 18k gold opal pendant.

[@emilyjayne77]

That is beautiful!! Goodness me! Opal deserves gold! Stunning..

[@theopalmills]

🤪👍

[@michaelprue9024]

As if the doublet wasn’t already very beautiful, setting it in that gold bezel just kicked it into high gear. Nice job Phil.

[@johnoakes6772]

Looks good. Well done custom job , an original makes it more personal being "not off the shelf".

[@theopalmills]

🤪👍

[@edshiner9863]

So, now you can add goldsmith to the list of your accomplishments. A great achievement, though not close to the achievement of sharing happiness with others , that you do with every video that you release. Thanks Phil, you inspire many of us, to take an extra step that we may not of otherwise taken,. May you, and all those that you love, be healthy and happy.

[@theopalmills]

Thanks Ed, it’s definitely a “one hand washes the other” with respect to sharing happiness, the feedback has been genuinely encouraging . Cheers. 🤪👍

[@scott5349]

Good to see you working with gold Phil , no doubt you'll knock it out the park . Best wishes my friend .

[@theopalmills]

Ty 🤪👍

[@fishwithandy]

Hi Phil , wow That looks Fantastic , great video

[@theopalmills]

Ty 🤪👍

[@juliehaffenden6254]

Just discovered you! Beautiful opal in a beautiful setting. Thanks for sharing this. Truly inspirational.

[@annakeye]

Here I was thinking that gold wasn't going to work with the colours of the stone and here we are. It's a stunner. Good work, Phil. Colour me impressed.

[@theopalmills]

🤪👍

[@alan1340]

Absolutely beautiful, an oustanding result. I can see gold becoming your fav working material.

[@theopalmills]

🤪👍

[@Mrob2734]

Looks stunning, the gold is perfect for that stone. Awesome job.

[@theopalmills]

🤪👍

[@olegpetelevitch4443]

Thank you ! Your info is very good as a 3rd generation jeweler of 38yrs ! always like to see other ways or pick up info !

[@theopalmills]

Thanks Oleg, it’s all one great big learning curve, gotta love KZbin, so many jewellery making videos. 🤪👍

[@joekalmar1085]

good job phil, gotta love full directional stones

[@redeyestones3738]

Wow, that pendant came out a real stunner! Happy for you. The finish on the gold is superb.

[@Dklinge]

Beautiful, well done, eye catcher. Appreciate you. 👍

[@hudmumper]

Aaaaand BOOM! The adventure begins. 😊. Glad to see you bit the bullet as I appreciate it must have been a little nerve wracking. 😆 And I'm also glad to hear you say you were impressed. To be honest, I am mighty impressed. The doublet is very nice, but putting it into gold ... just wow! It really looks stunning as others have noted. 👌 . 2K subs is pretty impressive too. 😊👏 Nice work all round and very enjoyable video.

[@theopalmills]

Ty 🤪👍

[@annblakeway7691]

All the below comments say what I'm thinking. Wow! Impressive work, and a very patient job for a new project 👏

[@theopalmills]

🤪👍

[@scarlettardis2018]

Well done on ya first gold piece Phil. Good job mate, looks beautiful!

[@theopalmills]

🤪👍

[@firstlast-mp1dc]

Looks beautiful. Thanks for showing us the gold shavings in the jar, I hope they eventually add up.

[@theopalmills]

🤪👍

[@Pasci]

Nice Job, Mate... I learn a lot from your work. Thx for sharing your knowledge with us and for letting us participate in your growth.... Big praise and keep up the good work💪

[@MrDutchman100]

That is a Rocken pendent very nice done. Maybe I do one. Cheers

[@shawnstatzer95]

That is amazing. I hope to be making some for the Australian black opals that I bought to resell. Thanks.

[@mikefriend1514]

Great job! Thickness of the gold setting so important as a frame for the opal.

[@tonyrandall7161]

Hi Phil. Nice job & well done. Hope the wife gets the first of many. I'm off to mooka on sunday for a catch up with my brudda Greg. Keep up the good work 😎

[@theopalmills]

G’day Tony, I’m about a week behind you, hope to be there next weekend, have a great trip. 🤪👍

[@1catfishuntermiller753]

Hiya Phil, beautifully done.

[@theopalmills]

Ty 🤪👍

[@Honeyhound]

Impressive for sure and beautiful

[@darrenbayre162]

Awsome job Phil looks great 👍

[@theopalmills]

🤪👍

[@susannesamuelsson2930]

A very beautiful opal and gold pendant...you are amazing Phil! All things we do for the first time are scary and gold is expensive but it's a good idea that you pretended that gold was silver then. You are as good goldsmith as a silversmith and you did it! Big warm hugs from me and my cat Trollet who was mesmerized by the speedy parts of the video! 👋😊👍💎😉👍😍

[@theopalmills]

🤪👍

[@susannesamuelsson2930]

@@theopalmills 👍😍💎😉🏆 You did it!🥇

[@jasonbrown5263]

thanks for the tips ive just started working with gold, the pendant looks awesome 👌

[@theopalmills]

🤪👍

[@samkellam6051]

Well done so beautiful!!

[@theopalmills]

🤪👍

[@juliehaffenden6254]

Just discovered you! Beautiful opal in a beautiful setting. Truly inspirational. Thanks.

[@surajitsaikia4139]

Congrats mate, ur channel is growing fast and hope that all ur dreams will come true.

[@theopalmills]

Thanks Surajit, I hope you and your family are well, “Cheers” to “free trade” 🤪👍

[@pkgoldopalhunting]

looks great mate love it and great colour stone suites gold keep it up

[@theopalmills]

🤪👍

[@grantivers9091]

Keep up the good work buddy...OPAL MILLS ROCKS

[@theopalmills]

Ty 🤪👍

[@jeffholmes1362]

Firstly, congrats Phil on 2k subs, well deserved. What a beautiful job and a lovely stone, the initial outlay cost would be scary, but that result, stunning. Really enjoyed watching you make this.

[@theopalmills]

🤪👍

[@Opal-Joerg]

Well done - luv it. Great skills!!!

[@theopalmills]

Ty 🤪👍

[@scarlettardis2018]

And good job on the subs

[@theopalmills]

Ty

[@kaynef6637]

Well done Phill that is amazing , looks stunning

[@CooberPedyOpals]

Good job on 2k subscribers Phil, we all love the videos and that looks great with the gold and I can’t wait to see next video.

[@theopalmills]

Thanks Caleb, not sure if you got my email, but let me know if I can help. 🤪👍

[@CooberPedyOpals]

Hi I got the email and I have had a talk to my parents but I still have not decided but I have talked to a few opal cutters about it and I am still considering thanks a lot Caleb.

[@e.j.s.familyblog781]

Wow

[@theopalmills]

🤪👍

[@jakemikolajczyk9729]

Love it

[@theopalmills]

Ty 🤪👍

[@sierrahjmartinez6703]

its great to see a gold setting for opal for once. I know silver is cheaper but you can't beat gold. it just elevates opal. I actually got my first solid Australian opal necklace and earrings in 14k yellow gold from Costco of all places! its thats hard to find gold and opal...plus diamonds. 18k! thats some pricey material and looks very hard to bend. its so pretty though 😍

[@theopalmills]

G’day Sierrah, Costco? Who’d have thunk? I will definitely be working with gold again, I know it’s more expensive, but, if I start off with light settings for the smaller stones, the gold can go a long way. The gold did seem a harder metal, but i was being gentle trying to reduce unwanted makers marks for less cleanup after. 🤪👍

[@scarlettardis2018]

I spotted a $320000 diamond ring when I walked into Sydney's Costco. Needless to say I was surprised to find a ring in Costco as I was making assumptions about what they stock. I've seen all sorts of stuff in Costco now...even seen a Mahogany and Gold handled coffin there once....weird place that Costco...

[@stevenpolack4444]

Nice first piece of gold bud👍🤘 Congrats on 2k subs. Best of luck ✌

[@theopalmills]

Ty 🤪👍

[@kimbuckley1472]

Love it well done with your 1st 👌😍

[@theopalmills]

Ty 🤪👍

[@Nobbybuttons]

nice work, very lively stone...cheers

[@theopalmills]

🤪👍

[@jonmaegdlin4278]

Silver wicks heat away from the torch. Gold does the exact opposite by holding it where the flame is. Adding oxygen to the flame concentrates the heat in a tiny cone. Gold doesn't need the whole piece heated up, reducing the chance of melting it into a bubble. Very good job at heat control.

[@theopalmills]

G’day mate, thanks for the info, I didn’t know about the heat, I treated it like silver. You’ve just made things a lot simpler, so many times I thought it was going to melt the bezel, or the loops on bails. 🤪👍

[@prospectvic]

Bloody nice mate, the gold does really compliment the opal alot mote I reckon buddy

[@theopalmills]

🤪👍

[@thesilverco]

Beautiful!

[@theopalmills]

🤪👍

[@sandysimon7313]

Beautiful!❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

[@theopalmills]

🤪👍

[@matthewhayler601]

Great job PHil. Beautiful doublet but I wondered y not a solid. Being a higher price.

[@theopalmills]

G’day Matthew, this was the first time I have worked gold, the doublet I made for a client from bits left over from the parcel I cut/carved for them, they requested this stone set in gold. I think we were both wondering if I could do it. 🤪👍

[@matthewhayler601]

@@theopalmills well you certainly did it. Excellent piece buddy.

[@Famo59]

Awesome job. Thanks for sharing this. Cheers Famo59 👍🍻⛏🤓

[@scottpeters5624]

2k subs,, sweeeeeet. And deserved, Really nice metal work there . Stunning outcome. Do you rinse items in fresh water after pickling.,, Did you find gold much softer than silver to work?

[@theopalmills]

G’day Scott, thanks, yes I neutralise in bicarb soda as I have it on hand for matrix treatment , then fresh water. I found the gold to be roughly the same but more durable as far as leaving tool marks, much better behaved than silver. 🤪👍

[@pijnto]

Came out well may I suggest you burnish the inside edge of the bezel it will make a remarkable difference

[@Kerrsartisticgifts]

Hey, could you melt the gold filings and trimmed pieces use them as solder?

[@theopalmills]

No, gold solder is made from a mix of components with the most significant addition being the low melting point metals such as indium, cadmium, zinc and tin. 🤪👍

[@phoenicianstones4783]

Your very talented Phil. I wish I knew how to make jewelry like you. Quick question , how much is a gem de-Valued if it’s a doublet ?

[@theopalmills]

G’day, from my understanding of pricing doublets, you have to consider the price of an equivalent solid, and around 10% of the price of a solid. You may have started out with a white/grey based opal with a weak translucent colour bar, and once you’ve isolated the bar and added a blackened backing, it will now look like a black opal and that’s the classification for its valuation, not the white/grey it started out as but the black it now is. So it could either be because of the weak coloured stone it starts out as, or, the stone got too thin with colour still worth salvaging, that the decision to make a doublet was made. 🤪👍

[@phoenicianstones4783]

Thank you so much”. I have often wondered how much and now I know. It’s best to doublet when a stone is to thin and if a stone has good color but looks better with a black back ground. That’s why a true black opal is the highest priced opal?

[@theopalmills]

@@phoenicianstones4783 yes, black opal has the natural advantage of colour contrasting best with a dark background, so a doublet is made in this way to better enhance the colour. I’m not in agreement with this, but some countries are calling doublets made with opal top and bottom “natural opal” for marketing purposes as it can’t be called a solid and they don’t want to call it a doublet.

[@phoenicianstones4783]

I agree with you , they are not a natural stone if you have to enhance it in any other way. Period! But”””, they are beautiful make sure you know what your buying!

[@neilhamill318]

You'd have to been very pleased being the first or the 50th time. I'm sure the buyer would have been as well.

[@nickielevan5628]

Kind of a rude question but im just starting and not sure how to charge

[@shawnali5935]

How did you determine the gage of the gold bezel?

[@theopalmills]

G’day mate, I didn’t consider actual measurements, it’s more by eye. I wanted a thick enough bezel for strength, so around 1 mm looked good. I haven’t got a background in jewellery making, I just do as I please based on what I think I know. 🤣👍

[@superstretch83]

Didn't show bezel setting . The only reason I watched. Lol

[@nickielevan5628]

So how much would this sell for?

[@theopalmills]

Selling can be subjective, wholesale, local or international retail, it depends on the market you have access to, anywhere from au$800-$1500 (rough pricing at the time this was made)

[@redeyestones3738]

Always wondered if you live next to a track, or if all your neighbors are petrol heads, or both. Always sounds like ppl are having vehicular fun outside of your studio.

[@theopalmills]

🤣👍

[@MrDutchman100]

Sounds like you live next to a race track in the video.

[@theopalmills]

🤣👍

[@joestanosheck1453]

Are you selling this piece? I would like to buy it.

[@theopalmills]

G’day Joe, sorry mate, this piece was made for someone. If you see an opal you like on this channel, as long as I own it, I’m willing to set it, you can email me if you’d like, I’ll put my email link in the video description, to assure you it’s mine as I’ve had someone try to pull a scam on viewers comments with a false link. 🤪👍

[@kaynef6637]

Gday mate

[@theopalmills]

G’day Kayne 🤪👍

[@kaynef6637]

@@theopalmills hope you are having a good weekend .

[@menow.]

That is a ridiculously thick backing. Lot of useless added carat weight. PS: You didn't show pushing that bezel over the stone. Can't have been easy. 18K is pretty stiff.

[@theopalmills]

G’day mate, the stone is a doublet, as with all opal the price is regardless of the weight, the stone is valued by many factors then divided by the carats to arrive at a carat price, hence excess backing reduces the carat price as excess weight is one of the factors considered when pricing. The backing on the doublet is to ensure stability, strength for setting, not just to blacken the background. I don’t have any certification in jewellery making, but it’s not rocket science, I’ve learned that I can use almost any thickness of bezel a long as I file the bezel thin where I want to push it over, I don’t just squish in the sides, I actually work the metal to fold it over, encapsulating the stone. I’ve never set a loose stone. I’ve shown my bezeling process in other videos, but filming it is hard as I block the camera a lot, you just see my knuckles. 🤪👍

[@menow.]

@@theopalmills Thanks.

[@tombeeks3406]

sounds like isle of man tt races in the audio lol

[@tombeeks3406]

if you trim and file into a drawer you wont loose any gold

[@CockatoobirdmanBill]

I love the look of the gold but without the opal I don't think it will look that good (Lol ) Be well and be safe................

[@theopalmills]

🤪👍