Рет қаралды 347,445
This 8 minute long video shows the entire process of polishing a rough 250 chunk of opal from start to finish. This includes wet grinding on a Diamond Pacific Genie, and Dry final polishing with diamond paste.
Even more importantly, it shows why larger Ethiopian opals are so rare. They are highly prone to cracking during, and after they are polished. This is due to their hydrophane nature; they absorb water. So as they are allowed to dry out, their surface contracts and creates cracks. Much light the surface of a desert as it loses its moisture.
I consider myself a savvy cutter and an honest gem merchant. So I always ensure that any stone I sell is totally stable before It goes on the market. This video illustrates why. And also why you should always ask a stone seller how long ago a stone was cut. If cut very recently, it may be worth it to wait. Instead of placing that burden on my customers, I take the burden and risk of waiting for a stone to stabilize before I sell it.
Diamond Polishing Paste. I Like this color coded stuff that is cheap and despite its lower price, seems to be well graded:
amzn.to/3oJEZLk
Mounted felt buffs. At least 10 of them, but It's good to have extras.
I am using these:
amzn.to/3x2aZyf
I run a Nova type wheel on my genie, which is a soft diamond cutting and polishing wheel. They can be ordered in sets of 6 here:
amzn.to/3qQKHhl
This stone is not yet for sale.
However, there are currently several Ethiopian opals listed on my etsy shop here which are over 10 carats and are priced at below wholesale costs:
www.etsy.com/s...
Disclosure:
I am a member of the Amazon Affiliates program and Earn a commission on any sales made through the links to the products I endorse. I make a great effort to only endorse products which I myself use and enjoy.