Straight from the mines in Lightning Ridge I shape a parcel of uncut gems

[@charlestipton6287]

Pause every one. Hit the like button cause the black opal team deserves it ! Lol from mine to table

[@charlestipton6287]

Oh yeah like other comments aswell

[@charlestipton6287]

500 k subscribers let’s go

[@rupertmiller9690]

Every time I show someone this channel for the first time, they always remark about how much gets 'wasted'. I'm getting practiced at explaining why it only looks like that and how the best gem is being looked for, not just the biggest shiny object.

[@mm6705]

I mean, they are right. He only cares about the best parts, usually grinding away hundreds or more dollars of smaller stones he could have just cut off. He also doesn't usually do freeform, so he loses lots of carats shaping into ovals or drops.

[@noumenanoz8819]

​@mm6705 it may look like it was viable but much of what he sands off is full of potch hard for us to see on video I imagine.

[@benjaminrapp7418]

​@@mm6705I don't know jack about cutting opals, but I've felt the same way before. I see all these tiny little corners and stuff with color getting grinded away. I'd imagine it's simply not economical to shape and polish all those little chips when working with all these big show pieces. Still, I'd happily take them off his hands. I'd love to make some rustic jewelry with the chips or even just to have a little piece of black opal since there is no way I can afford any of his bigger stones.

[@chir0pter]

@@mm6705 no I think they are used to boulder opal and other cheaper opal, where matrix is always present. Lightning Ridge opal shouldn't be cut this way. On occasion he may decline to slice off some chips in favor of grinding, but there's an overhead to every opal he prepares and sells, better make sure each can earn its keep.

[@jmicaha2655]

​@benjaminrapp7418 so I've heard him explain before, that he wants to only provide the best. He's not trying to devalue his hard work. By offering the gems as cut offs, especially if they have inclusions, his high tier gems lose value. He also works hard to make the decision of cutting versus grinding, and when he chooses to grind away color instead of cutting it, it's usually because he'd lose too much material on a big gem, or that the cold did have inclusions in it

[@adriaanhuibregtse6646]

Smart thinking

[@lastlight4252]

I love your commentary on how you decide to cut a stone. Lots of lovelies today.

[@queenmab1999]

Sometimes I love the beauty of the rock itself that surrounds the opals :) And thankyou for all your rubbing on out for us right on camera!! lolol whoop whoop!

[@teuviraupokotea4830]

Good morning 🙏 from Auckland, New Zealand 🇳🇿

[@deborahkizer4664]

Always beautiful . 👍💙💛💜❤️❤️🧡💚💯👍✌️😊

[@clarysagemannoroth]

Good evening from Nova Scotia Canada!! 😊

[@steveclark4291]

Thank you Justin for another fantastic video of cutting Opals !

[@youbetoomuch]

Nice this should be interesting 😊

[@statewench2828]

I was so glad to see you slice the fist stone. All the rest are just beautiful

[@scottlubsen9004]

Me too.

[@steveclark4291]

Justin , I'm glad that you did a little of the back of the first Opal ! When I first saw I was wowed by it !

[@alistairmills7608]

"Should be nice" 😂😂😂 That's stunning colour in the unexpected stone from the back of the Green Blue

[@bentationfunkiloglio]

Gorgeous gems! I get excited when I cut a $100/ct opal. Can't imagine cutting opals worth 10x that or more. One day ... :). Thank you for sharing your treasures in video.

[@hazelvance6183]

I love love love the stone chipped off love the colors

[@Phoenix_Enterprises]

Showing off the slicing skillz. Noice stones Justin. thanks for sharing

[@deb4787]

I just loved hearing only your gentle voice! this time. The last few had to much drama for me 'ol ticker! thx for all you do. Bless you.

[@sandmaker]

Beautiful stones, a fine touch of the hand. Thanks for sharing.😊 😷⚒

[@shanna74]

I was holding my breath on that first one the color bar was so thin on the green blue side. Nice slice love that red

[@scottishwifie14]

Hello from Bonnie Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@nancycurtis7315]

Straight from Volcano watching, to opal watching. Doesn't get better than that!!!!! Hi Justin, family and opalites around the world. Lovely stones. Greetings from Dimboola, in Victoria, Australia 🇦🇺.

[@janetsmiley6778]

I've been doing the same. I hope you saw Isak fly across the pool last night. I was holding my breath.

[@nancycurtis7315]

@@janetsmiley6778 I've become an avid volcano watcher over the last couple of years. Awesome, powerful, magnificent. (If watching from a safe place.) Awful if your homes are disappearing. Greetings from Dimboola, in Victoria, Australia 🇦🇺.

[@ralphrotten1905]

😂😂😂 as I come to the end of rubbing this out. 👍🏼

[@raspybob9905]

I wish! One day!

[@scottlubsen9004]

That chip you snapped off look’s more colorful than the primary side. lol

[@Dawgzihk]

Love this style of video!

[@katiewood6036]

I know it's no good for you but I love stones with potch webbing in the face. And in my favorite colors.

[@tilionsouls7349]

love just the sound of the wheel and the cutting! wonderful and enjoyable as always.

[@DerekWalsh-l4i]

Good morning Justin, from Shetland. Good to see that you have sorted the picture quality. This is SO much better. Just add Tameka and everything will be perfect! Best wishes.

[@dannmarceau]

Beautiful cushion cuts.

[@ThatOpalGuy]

lovely video. I always enjoy watching you manipulate and rescue those tiny pieces. You are the Boss Ross of opal cutting. thanks!

[@madelynl.5351]

Some tough calls in this parcel. I'm amazed at how you are pulling gorgeous stones out of something that looks good, then looks not-so-good, then looks good again. You are genius!

[@blackopaldirect]

Thank you kindly

[@sinisterscorpion1331]

Thanks Justin! I always learn something from every single one of your videos. I also find them extremely therapeutic. Theres some little beauty's in that parcel for sure 🎉

[@geraldgalbo9144]

Always spectacular 😊

[@samael335]

6:45 That it looks like using a mirror to grind a stone.

[@robinhollow4ever]

Such beautiful colours in the not-harlequin piece. 😺

[@nancypiros9133]

Wow Justin, you had quite a few beautiful opals in this session. Love watching you think your way around which way to cut some of the more complicated pieces. Thank you❣️

[@blackopaldirect]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@coldpond]

Would love to see these gems in their final settings close up. Enjoy your work. Thank you.

[@viridiangreen8259]

💛 the first opal reminds me of a beautiful opal watch face that I saw in Sydney years ago - so beautiful

[@mphmph1198]

I actually enjoyed how the remaining black potch accentuated the pattern, and at some angles, made it appear almost three dimensional. Good call.

[@mjhessler7293]

Not sure if it was the lighting or camera angle but seemed like a kind of chevron pattern in the stone at about the 12:35 mark. Love your work I could watch it all day.

[@Glengarries]

Another awesome session thanks. Always amused why people worry about why some opal needs to be removed. I am new to cut and polish but it is quality over quantity every time. The first stone I cut was a cracker at 19.4 carats green and blue on mostly black. I got $1500 and knowing what I know now I could have cut 3 stones and would have achieved easy that for the best. Not crying over spilt milk it is just part of this wonderful journey into opal mining and cutting. Thank you Cheers Mark

[@OpalholicsAnonymous]

This parcel has some insane colors

[@scubapro54]

Love the video. I wish you would leave in the sound of the wheel and the grinding. There is something about it that is soothing.

[@alistairmills7608]

Gosh the green blue is gorgeous

[@victoriaharrison-sewell6717]

My remark is: Wow, how beautiful it is, & as an artist, as well as a crafter l really love the way the light bends the colours, & how essential it is to shape to get that effect..thank you for sharing..

[@blackopaldirect]

Thank you so much!

[@janetsmiley6778]

This was a very good parcel. You got some nice pieces from it. Love your channel, Jason.

[@trumpatier]

His name is Justin

[@hazelvance6183]

oh my I almost missed you was bathing my beagle

[@hollychiron]

😂

[@lloydbellis7360]

Turned out nice today. Nice results 👍👍👍

[@TheArtisanTouch]

Love it. I have a 100ct of lightening ridge coming any day can’t wait

[@gracewashburn8276]

My goodness that was a beautiful pieces I know I haven’t said much lately just haven’t felt up to watching anything but anyway I love the stones they’re gorgeous. I’ve got to go through your orders and see when I might be able to afford.❤❤❤

[@nobodyhome8148]

I often wondered why you didn't slice between colour bars ......... good to see it happen here 😉

[@glenjones5416]

Well done Maestro. I really was hoping the one u sliced would give better red/yellow side, but u got a good gem anyway. Nice save brah!!!

[@pennywells4433]

A long time ago, our little town of lakeview oregon had a rock shop. They sold baby food jars with Australian opal pieces, $20 a jar. It was a great deal. I had fun making some nice gems. That rock shop is gone and the wonderful owners have passed away. God bless them! 12:56

[@nobodyhome8148]

Very pretty collection ! Excellent work as always 💜

[@scottcalder2770]

love the ridge going back again soon

[@ceanothus_bluemoon]

Lovely and varied parcel. Always mesmerising watching the process of finding the best stone within. Thanks for sharing.

[@chimpyfil]

Love watching Justin cut- sometimes just listen to shows over while i cut😂. Very therapeutic, I agree. Mad respect🙌. Lightning ridge is an addicting challenge, even in comparison to cutting other types of opals. This channel has always been very honest on what results when the rough hits the wheel❤.

[@lorenrobertson8039]

Oh I just love the blue ghostly blobs on a stone! beautiful gems! For many of us, chips are all we can afford...so don't discount the chips of the world.

[@V27RV]

Appreciate these type of videos Thank you j

[@Gigi-14]

Nice little parcel 😊

[@katlon8889]

Beautiful! I certainly would love to own one

[@kaynef6637]

Gday Justin

[@chir0pter]

5:00 nice thinking!

[@Debbie4729]

Wow,what a rollercoaster!So emotional!It is so scary to cab expensive stones-you want to do it right,not loose too much material.That one that had the unusual back and beautiful front-wow,I don't know how I would have handled that! Pretty gems,great video!

[@blackopaldirect]

Thanks for watching!

[@stevenspain6850]

You are very talented to do what you do with the opal I always fancy the red fire type

[@TraumaQueen65]

It's not the size of the package that matters but what's inside! 😁 Some outstanding little gems today. Congrats Justin

[@skoitch]

My favorite one had the blob of potch in the middle! I’m weird like that!

[@scottlubsen9004]

Hi Justin, from the USA

[@CrimFerret]

The pink and red in that unplanned first stone were pretty amazing so I'm glad it cooperated and let you get something nice. As far as the pauch in the other side. I think when it's jet black like that, it can actually add interest to an opal, especially if it's mostly greens and blues. I guess it was the day of the cushion cuts. You got some gorgeous stones out of those including the chip and the cut off piece. I could tell a couple of those were taking every bit of finesse you had because the color bars were so thin.

[@riazcheema9086]

What a lucky man You are.

[@samanthafairweather9186]

Great job Justin! I would've loved to see those other stones getting done, as I think they looked the best!! 🌈

[@flyneagle8873]

What you do is simply exceptional, my words are inadequate to describe your ability to reveal what is hidden.

[@jessicahart2115]

Beautiful..🤩

[@DougAskin]

Very interesting watching you cut these, I like the ones with red in them not so much the greens and blue ones. Lightning Ridge is an amazing place, I lived there for a few months in the 80's, not to mine but for the lifestyle, the off grid living appealed to me. The ingenuity of the miners is amazing too. I was a friend of the radiator repairer

[@leannemori9688]

You have magic hands, Justin.

[@juliafayeconner594]

That little one you cut off of the back is really pretty.

[@normfredriksen1381]

Thank you Justin. Another wonderful edge of the seat cut. Will there be a follow up on the polish?

[@AusOpal]

What I really enjoyed about this video is the thought process and seeing expert like you can make a wrong decision anytime. I feel it was the right one here that is amazing yield . I like to keep the stones as big as possible but you showed how to yield with bunch of smaller ones awesome thank you. Wonder why you opted for cushion cut not rounds? I love cushion cuts they are underrated in opal .

[@blackopaldirect]

More weight and rarity

[@Michael_Maxfield]

Your rough has more color than my finished stones, lol. So jealous. :)

[@chir0pter]

10:32 looks like some red underneath that green?

[@jeffreyallen3796]

This first piece makes me think of my Harold Hodges tooth with the black potch showing thru part of the stone and I think I want to get it back on the wheel so I can make it pop more color bar looks thick so....... But I am nervous about it not looking better. Color on the back is beautiful

[@tunneltime8885]

Papa bear was my favorite. I’d wear that in a ring.

[@scottlubsen9004]

Justin, how many opals do you cut and polish in an average day?

[@annetteku1]

I miss the loud soothing noices of the mashine and the grinding And there is too little zoom and showing of some of the Stones So most of the usual enjoyment from other videos are absent. I put it on my playlist anyway. Thank you Justin for sharing your work With the world🥰💚

[@RexytheRexy]

Always such a pleasure. That rolling-flagstone was a beauty. For it to be harlequin, it needs precise geometry, but do all the sections have to be of precise/equal size as well?

[@oldinuselesshancox5194]

Greetings, thanks for post nice shiny, you ok ya sound a bit down , take care of yourself as you say 🤙🖖

[@PatRick1981-s1w]

Need the wheel sound back!! I like it!

[@buckyes6749]

It would be so nice to work with that kind of rough.

[@ghlscitel6714]

Youre holdin a fortune in your hands.

[@susanmiller6023]

I love the king stone there's a depth with it, it's the exact colour I want for a couch and chairs for my living room. That's if I don't die before I get the chance of disabled person housing in London. 😅

[@Swangale]

One-carat Justin - grinding everything down to one carat

[@chir0pter]

25:44 the half and half works better than most part-crystal, part-blacks

[@scroogemcduck7251]

Can you do something about the volume please mate, I love watching your videos and listening to you explain why you do certain things the way you do, but even even with the volume of my phone at max I struggle to hear, cheers mate, much love ❤

[@didisinclair3605]

Hey Justin.. does the color of the sand tell you how easy/hard it will be to rub it out? Love every second of your videos!!!

[@shadusia]

So therapeutic and exciting to watch at the same time :) curious how did they turn out polished and what was your take home after the parcel purchase. Thank you for showing us your world!

[@jef____4054]

Hi Tamika ❤😂

[@SuperRodriguez2005]

Is potch also called "common opal"?

[@albertoalmeida3424]

Is this some kind of sorcery?

[@hazelvance6183]

no sound

[@eirintowne]

I was so frustrated and worried that you would just grind away all that beautiful colour off the back of that first stone that I am still working on breathing calmly, even after seeing the back turn into what in my opinion was a more interesting piece than the big one! If yyou disagree, that's good, it's just preferences, and the more different, the better for the cutters!

[@christinechildress5021]

I felt the same way. A lot of beauties in the bunch. ❤BOD. Have a great Monday to all😊

[@janetsmiley6778]

That slice was genius.