How to Polish Boulder Opal With Aluminum Oxide Without Trapping Powder

[@redeyestones3738]

Perfect. I've had some boulder with a lot of iron stone (90% ironstone, 10% opal 😆) that I just haven't really even touched yet, because I wasn't sure how to go about polishing. Thanks again Roy!

[@RoysRocks]

Well now hopefully you will avoid any powder getting stuck in the face.

[@jeffholmes1362]

Colour or not, there is something special about boulder opal, that Koroit pattern is always lovely to see. Thanks for sharing, some good tips, we’ll done

[@RoysRocks]

It is great. When you can get a really dense piece without the sandy pockets the stuff is wonderful even without colour.

[@zoinkaboose]

I would love to see the results of your different polishing methods all next to each other on this type of stone. What might be really cool is to get a large enough surface to do different methods in sections on the same stone. In any case, I ALWAYS appreciate all the content you put up for us to learn from. Thank you, yet again!

[@RoysRocks]

Not a bad idea! I could slice one piece into 4 and show the effect of each on a different quarter.

[@debadams5676]

Thanks Roy, perfect timing, I’ve got a piece of boulder opal ready to final polish and I’m a bit more confident now.

[@RoysRocks]

Give it a go, if real nervous start thinner and you can always add more if it is not working fast enough.

[@nancycurtis7315]

Thanks Roy. I made mine way too thick. Now I know, "less, is more". Much appreciated.

[@RoysRocks]

Not too thick, not too thin but it just needs to be enough (should see that browning of the solution).

[@nancycurtis7315]

@RoysRocks I had a good look at the pickings from Yowah. Some of the sliced stuff has, "tree rings" of solid potch, in different colours. Beautiful in its own right. Couple have hairlines of colour for interest. Got one that has heen done ovaloid as a specimen. Been junked into heap. It had split. Got a lump of? In the middle, that looks like a nutmeg. It's bizarre... and an air pocket at top. Solid potch wit a nutmeg stuck in it!!!

[@bhutjolokia6990]

Great explanation Roy!!👍😎🌶️

[@RoysRocks]

Hope it helps a few people out there.

[@keatoncreates]

Hey roy, thought id mention ive had very good luck with car cut and polish compound for boulder oapl! 500, 800, 1200 2000 car polish then hand finished with leather glasses pouch and rouge compound, seems to help seal the gloss in (an option) if some one wants to try and not wait for polish powder car polish =) also works a charm on normal opal.

[@RoysRocks]

Car polishing compounds can be a range of different metal oxides so its actually the same thing most of the time.

[@pigeonbloodruby5330]

From your observation of first wetting the boulder opal to help prevent the aluminum oxide from falling into the crevices. Adding a surfactant to the water will help 'flatten' the water, reduce the surface tension. The water I think? should stay in the pores more readily while you polish. To take this further. Add a very small amount of borax and soap to distilled water. The borax and soap solution may help float the cerium oxide and possibly flush away particles, which may produce a faster cut and higher polish. I make a super-saturated borax solution for personal use, but crystals will form after 4 days. I would start with 2 tablespoons of borax to 1 gallon of boiling water with equal amounts of soap. Maybe use dishwasher soap as it's non foaming. Great video Tks!

[@RoysRocks]

I've never added a surfactant to the mix before but I have studied creating a suspension of metal oxide and it worked but... I'd need to be wearing gloves for the entire polishing stage.

[@pigeonbloodruby5330]

@@RoysRocks A suspension sounds good. There is a product called Gunny Juice that is marketed to the knife sharpeners. Suspended diamonds. He says that the diamonds are charged and that keeps them in suspension. I think something else is going on to keep the diamonds in suspension. Tks!

[@bbisyy4u]

Great video. I remember you doing a similar video in the past. This is a very good refresher. Thank you.

[@RoysRocks]

Yeah I think I polished a piece a while back but could never find it to send to people so I've saved a link to this one focusing on just the polish.

[@frostypop934]

Thanks, Roy. Am running into some issues on my big guy. Finding more blue, green and yellow, but, now finding these patterns like your specimen in this video. Where do I cut, eeek?!!!

[@RoysRocks]

Can be tough but if it were easy it'd just be boring! 💪

[@firstlast-mp1dc]

Great tips. I learned a few new things. Thanks.

[@RoysRocks]

Hope it helps and you can get some well finished Boulder.

[@bubbleox8631]

On a surface like that I always seek a very slightly doming as it makes the Finnish more important than the flatness

[@RoysRocks]

Pieces like this are more commonly finished with a flat slabbed face rather than cabbed for jewelry setting. They are more display pieces unless much heavier in the POC opal content.

[@offyarocka]

Thank you, this has cleared alot up for me!!!!✌🤠✌

[@RoysRocks]

No worries hope it helps.

[@MariaAndraste]

❤

[@bubbleox8631]

Lightly warm the stone immediately before putting the stone in warm warmer then into the fridge for 1/2 hour

[@hannagyllensten475]

I'm a novice, why do you do that? What should it result in, I mean?

[@RoysRocks]

I'm also not sure what those steps are trying to achieve? Also be careful temp changing vein-like boulder opal as the line opal lines will crack quite easily.

[@FiegAro2726]

❤thank you for this well needed video and info Roy..its exactly what i needed to help me with boulder i was busy with

[@RoysRocks]

Cool! Hope it helps and you end up with a shiny stone and no white powder spots.

[@coreymerrill3257]

Hey Roy, if you watch a movie called " the return of Captain invincible" staring Alan Arken , about half way into it shows an apartment with a GIANT hunk of carved boulder opal. It's spectacular and must now be worth a few hundred grand of it still exists. It's worth scanning for if the movie doesn't entertain you enough to watch it. It is mind blowing

[@RoysRocks]

Really? Very few movies with opals involved. I will check it out.

[@ThatOpalGuy]

great tutorial.

[@RoysRocks]

Thanks Don. Hope it helps.

[@pkgoldopalhunting]

good info mate

[@RoysRocks]

Had to get around to covering it at some point. Probably the most common question I get lately.

[@julianpye5406]

Hi what is the burr, is it just a cloth one

[@RoysRocks]

Dense felt like this: www.roysrocks.com/product-page/felt-polishing-bur-10-piece-kit

[@andystadi]

i just thought of mixing cerium oxide and aluminum oxide together for polish. could there be any benefits of this? i will try it for shure. thanks for all your videos. very helpful as a beginner. top informations you share! :-) greetings from Switzerland

[@RoysRocks]

It does make a difference in the speed of the polish but only slightly. CeOx is more chemical polishing of silica and AlOx is more mechanical abrasive.

[@andystadi]

@@RoysRocks thanks a lot for explaining me! i finished upgrading my genie after 4 weeks learning CAD designing and 3D printing, now i can finally start to do the opals 🥰

[@hannagyllensten475]

Main issue: can't seem to find anyone selling alu-oxide to Sweden, or, we found one company but they wanted 70-80 dollars for shipping of a small bag. Any suggestions? :-) And yea, I'm gonna try avoid polishing the sandy areas in the future, its just eating up my nova tips.

[@RoysRocks]

Oh $70-80 for shipping is insane. Even I am a better option for that, I reckon my postage cost would be less than half of that. I'll look into it and maybe add a bunch of European countries to my shipping list on the website.

[@cba1424]

Have you tried tumbling any with AO before ? I had a go some time back but used CO for the polish and they all just stayed dull haha not sure i want to go theough a month of pain again 😅

[@RoysRocks]

I'm not a tumbler man. I have heard people use it but never done any myself. It has a high hardness so should work in theory with many materials.

[@cba1424]

@@RoysRocks Nor me. I cab most things now but I had some scraps left over from parcels I thought I'd have a go. If nothing else it's shown some colours up I'd missed or couldnt see inside and got rid of most of the soft material. A few more bits to cab again 😁

[@410connects]

i bought a flat lap its a game changer

[@RoysRocks]

Yeah they are great. Perfect for stones like this when you want to get a slab finish. I've spent longer on the flat lap than any of the wheels I've tried so have become a big fan.

[@ikikenzio]

Saya tidak mengerti kenapa batunya tidak bagus setelah digosok....

[@UdoWerder]

Polieren kann man das nur " halbtrocken " mit 10 000der Körnung und das Finish , habe ich immer mit Xerox und viel Wasser gemacht . 😊😊😊

[@ResortDog]

Koroit, the boulder opal that eats diamonds.

[@RoysRocks]

Eats these poor felt burs as well 😂 Stuff is hungry

[@ResortDog]

@@RoysRocks And can be dirty dirty dirty glitter rock too. Good thing a little mud never stopped an opalholic, and we clean up well.