950 carat uncut gem rough opal - I'm going in!

Join me as we uncover what lies beneath the surface of this colossal rough opal from Lightning Ridge. There are challenges to be had when tackling an opal of this size and you need to make sure you have the right equipment to get the best result.

So stick around and see what we end up with!

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[larryd]

My great Aunt had a jewelry business in the San Diego, and she loved working with opal. I am not sure where she got the majority of her opal, but I remember she did travel to Australia to buy rough opals that she could cut and polish. It's been a long time, but I remember she showed me a ring she made for her older sister ( another great Aunt ) to celebrate her cancer going into remission. She lived almost 20 years after that time...and the other one got Parkinson's disease and passed quickly.
I love watching you take an opal in the rough and making something spectacular from it! You're an amazing artist!

[troutymctrouttrout]

I have a friend who does chalk art - in fact he travels to Australia for this frequently. When he begins a new piece he starts with colours you'd never expect like dark greens and blues. I asked him once why he does that and he explained that he needs those colours as a base to bring out the natural hues in the skin tone of the subject he's painting. I was always floored that he could perceive those details.

I get the same feeling when I see you examining a rough opal. How you notice a little line of black or a glint of colour that leads you to a conclusion I never could have come to...well it's a joy to watch an artist ply his trade!

[chrisberry]

I love your integrity and honesty in everything that you do. Thank you for being a shining example to us!

[Solistics.ScienceOfLight]

Your work is pure inspiration, filled with all the most important feelings of suspence, momentum, turningpoints, mid-points, plots and decision making . . . you are a role model and quite an exceptional opal yourself. Thank you for all the great work in HIGH SPIRITS of JOY & RELEVANCE.

[rosemaryabbott]

Honesty is always appreciated in any negotiation. Many people love the colors of opal but don't have the price, so they seek more affordable forms of opal. I consider these options essential to keeping a person's hopes alive for achieving higher value opal. Especially black opal. We can't all afford it, but we can sure admire the beauty of it, thanks to you. God bless.

[donaldtoulson]

I started watching you 6months ago and i fell in love with opals and was fascinated with the skill and thought it takes to cut them, love your show and you really are the Bob Ross of opal.I was so inspired I went and bought my own lapidary equipment. Thanks

[johnc.hammersticks]

With my limited equipment cutting beryls, saphire, and spinel, I can get a clean cabochon. but I learned from you Justin to always inspect your piece for any remaining scratches between steps and get off any left over residue. It has helped so much with my technique even with hard stones. This channel is my absolute favorite; this is my education until the time when I'm properly equipped to cut opal and buy from you and the BOD family. Thank you for allowing us to share in these beautiful stones with you.

[darreno]

I don't object to treated gems and minerals as long as they are not sold as natural. Keep up the good work. God bless

[moisesvazquez]

It’s a pleasure see you doing what you love to do. I can see how you enjoyed every single gem you shape. Thank you

[ViKee]

My opinion, which isn’t worth much is that I love my little opal. It’s not real, I’m certain. It’s tiny, I’m certain of that too. To me it’s invaluable though. It was a gift from my daughter for Mother’s Day when she had her first job at 16. She didn’t make much money but she was a valuable employee. I still think they couldn’t have run that little movie theater without her. She was assistant manager by 17. But that first year she bought her mom a little opal ring and I wear it to this day. She’s now almost 40. I think my opal no matter if it’s painted, is the most beautiful one I’ll ever own. I love your videos. I feel the nerves for you when you tackle a beauty. We go in with you. 🤟🏼🤍

[virginiasullivan]

Justin! I very much like these start to finish videos. When I saw the size of that stone I stopped everything I was doing to see this. It was a beautuful stone to begin with, then you brought it to life. Thank you very much for sharing.

[rikspector]

I was a custom picture framer for over forty years .
We sometimes made frames that were not solid in a corner, or'
cleaned glass on a big picture or found a speck of dirt inside .
It was tempting to ignore it, but my boss would say,
would you want a picture or frame like that?
My answer was always no, and although we sometimes only broke even or lost money on a job,
we developed an excellent reputation and the confidence of our customers.
That is the most important thing for you to have, the confidence and trust of people you sell to.
You are doing the right thing!
Cheers,
Rik Spector

[konagirl]

Thanks for being honest! Early on in my learning experience, I almost purchased a heart shaped triplet being sold as a natural lighting ridge opal. I questioned the jeweler during my trip into NYC and was lied to that the white and black on the back was supposedly the rough. It didn't look like any rough that I'd ever seen before and thankfully I could see all of this through the setting. I am so thankful that my little voice, the one in your gut, was screaming that it just seemed too good to be true. It was and I kept walking down Madison Ave., but I'm sure that he sold it as genuine. Luckily remembering my Grandmother's antique opal ring and how the back side really looked saved me. Unfortunately that ring of my Grandmother's wasn't worth anything but sentiment because she partially cracked the stone and it couldn't be fixed without it crumbling to pieces.
I so enjoyed your videos and I love watching. I just get mesmerized by the beautiful colors that appear and your skill and patience in finding that color thru the cutting and polishing. Thanks so much for sharing your talents. 😊

[MichiganRocks]

This is the first video of yours that I've watched. Someone watching my channel suggested that I watch it to get better at my camera angles when making my own lapidary videos. She was right, you do a nice job. I'm impressed by your phone mounting system. It looks like you have a track behind your cab machines so you can just move your camera back and forth. It also looks like it's completely out of your way when you're working. I use a tripod and have to wrap my arms around it, making it more difficult to work. Anyhow, thanks for some good ideas. I think I'll be coming back for more. This was a very enjoyable video to watch.

[DianeGraft]

As for doublets and treated opal, if they are sold honestly for what they are, then they let so many more people fall in love with opals. I can't afford a top quality black opal, but I could afford a beautiful treated or doublet stone. And I've watched the process of treating, watching a stone where you can barely see any color suddenly have all of its fire revealed. Or how a thin pale color bar lights up into brilliance when a black backing is put on. But I might prefer a triplet, because I'm very hard on my jewelry, and I'd be afraid of damaging the surface of an opal, but a triplet topped with a harder material would be much safer for me to wear.

[fredferd]

When this guy says, "Well, it's time to get back to the old grind, " he really means it. GREAT AS ALWAYS!

[PK-oyfe]

I wish I had gotten into gems and minerals much earlier in life. I had to restart my career after a mva...and would have loved to have the equipment you have and one ounce of your talent and bravery to try! Nice work☺❤ I wanted to add that I have purchased Opal triplets for earrings and set them and sold them ...but always explained the triplet to customers so they knew what they were buying. Unfortunately I've seen many unscrupulous business owners that don't but I spent many years as a nurse....and that reflects even in my gift shop work!.

[margiebrown]

I appreciate the fact that you can not guarantee who will end up with the gem after it leaves your hands. I also appreciate your love for the natural gem that you are such an amazing artist with and not wanting anyone to end up being taken. Thank you Justin for being you. 🥰

[gillianlemire]

The value of any stone or piece of art is completely subjective. If someone really loves the look and the price is right I would rather they have a bright 3 ct doublet gem versus a 0.5 ct hazy natural. As long as we remain educated as consumers and sellers commit to being transparent and honest. That is what I love about your work! Thanks for honoring these stunning pieces of natural art!!!

[paulblyde]

I really enjoy watching a true craftsman at his trade, I've watched several of your clips and enjoy them immensely .