Thread: Opal markers

Mike, you probably need to buy a jewellers faceting machine or some such tool. A man can never have enough tools you know. You will need all the other gem cutting and polishing gear as well. Set up a new shed for gem work. "Him with the most tools wins" . . what I'm saying I guess is, if you have to ask, you will not have clue about gem cutting, and it is a whole new world. I know very little, because once I found out about all the gear, I gave the idea away. You should be able to buy what you need, or have it custom made.

Best of luck Mate.

As Buzza said opal cutting and polishing is an skill that takes quite a bit of time to acquire, I've been doing it for 20 yrs and I still learn new things about it, unless you want to tool up and spend several months getting the hang of it, just tee up a local opal cutter to do it for you

Micky,

There's a guy in Melbourne that cuts opal into the very fine slices needed for triplets (the common bluish hued stuff you see on some cheaper jewellery but still can be pricey depending on quality) You may want something cut a little thicker as the thin triplets can be very brittle so unless you're putting a thick protective clear coating on them, they might just crack under pressure. Ask perhaps about doublet thicknesses. That would give you a more white looking inlay. If you were to go the thin triplets you'll need a black backing and some sort of solid protective clear topcoat. He cuts all sizes and could probably accomodate what you're looking for. Give him a call, his business name is Only Opal and his number is 03 9738 0033. His name is Geoff. I just got his number off a google search so dont know if it's still correct but he's been around for 30 years and certainly knows his stuff.

Thanks for the information. The purchase of more machinery is out and it appears you need to get quite a bit of gear and of course there is the inexperience factor. I have noted that you can buy small round gems of ebay quite reasonably so might go that way. I was given an oyster bottle full of opal and a rock backing twenty eight years ago after delivering a bulldozer to Opalton west of Winton QLD. The bottle has amazing display of colour and would yield quite a lot of useful cuts.

Thanks for your help

Regards Mike

There is a gem related club, or society type of thing in Hobart, and I believe you can go along there and get advice and use their machines.... maybe these are all over the country. Or maybe it's just another weird Hobart thing.

There are lapidary clubs around here too, so I guess it's country wide.

I've got a film canister half full of saphires I've been meaning to learn how to polish - the local lapidary clubs are the go.

Hi Mickyg.

I've just joined, and this is my first reply (ever) on any email forum, anywhere.

I've been making a few classical and flamenco guitars, and a few months ago bought some pieces of beautifully patterned agate (small whorles, circles and other markings) with a view to cutting out from them a few fretboard markers for a guitar.

Two points;

Firstly, in a previous incarnation, I was into facetting sapphires and other gemstones, and so have all the equipment available to cut circles, flats and angles onto stones, and polish them flat, and

secondly, I'm lazy, and haven't done any of this, notwithstanding that the facetting machine sits staring at me every day, as I sit at my computer.

If you want to send me an email, or perhaps give me a call (I assume that there is some way of privately exchanging personal information, so that I don't have to remind myself to keep checking back on the forum), maybe we can help each other - you help me, by giving me a kick in the rear to do something for myself, and me help you by perhaps, once I've set the facetting machine up, cutting and polishing markers for you.

For fingerboard inlays, it's important to the player that the inlays be flush with the surface of the 'board. Opals are usually cut and polished into egg-dome topped cabochons, that is the surface is curved in three dimensions. This is no matter whether they are solid opal, doublets, or triplets.

To get this really right, you'd want the surface of the opal to be cylindrically or conically arched to match the radius of the fingerboard, and then you'd want to inlay them perfectly flush with the fingerboard surface.

A custom lapidarist (is that a word?)...OK, semi-precious gemstone cutter, could do this for you quite nicely. They'd be drop dead beautiful, too.