Cutting & Polishing Opal
The Lapidary Process:
A Step by Step Guide to Cutting Queensland Boulder Opal
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| The miner cracks a nice looking Boulder. | Luckily it's full of good veins of opal. |
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| The Cutter/Miner Slabs or Blocks the rock exposing the vein all the way around the rock. | With the help of a small incision it can be split as the veins are thick and true. |
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| This is good hard rock which splits well.... | Revealing multiple faces of opal. |
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Shape selection can now be made. photo taken by Stephen Aracic |
The trim saw is used to preform the stone. |
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| Now having been glued or stuck with wax on to a dopstick the stone is ready for fine shaping. | The stone has an undulating surface so delicate sanding & polishing is done using small wheels on a dental lathe. |
Cutting: Pleasure, Value Adding or Profession ?
 Cutting Display, London Exhibition 1886 |
Opal cutting is a specialised job but many miners do cut their own. Others prefer to leave it up to the cutter,wholesaler or manfacturer to decide the shape and cut appropriate for making jewellery.
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 Cutting, Opalton QLD 1902 |
The first lapidaries on the Australian Opal fields at the turn of the century rigged up sewing machines, bicycles etc. creating hand or foot operated contraptions with which to cut and polish Opals.
Some miners prefer to sell completely rough material just as they find it, others choose to block and face, or 'rub' it to reduce the element of hidden surprise. |
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Opal Cutters Camp,3 Mile Lightning Ridge 1910 |
There has always been a strong demand for cutters services on the opal fields, particularly in Lightning Ridge where most of the Opals found are sold as cut and polished gems by their finders. There a single stone may provide enough money on which to retire.
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Peter Christianos' Hong Kong Opal cutting factory 1963. Very little has changed since then! |
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