From Rough Nobby To Brilliant Opal Gem

Today I’m cutting a dark opal nobby from Lightning Ridge that caught my attention for one main reason — the color sitting right on the surface. At first glance it almost looks like it should cut easily, but when I shine the Gemfish IF1 through the color bar I start to see a few shadows that make me wonder what’s really hiding inside. Pieces like this can go either way.

The shape of the nobby already resembles a finished gem, but the real challenge is in the fine detail. There are small pits, sand spots, and an uneven color bar that means every move on the wheel has to be careful. Take too much off one side and the best color could disappear completely.

In this video I walk through the process step by step — examining the stone, removing the skin, shaping it on the wheel, and slowly working toward a clean gem while watching for inclusions that could ruin the opal. This is where patience and precision matter most. Sometimes the smallest adjustments make the biggest difference when cutting opal.

Watch to see how this Lightning Ridge nobby reveals itself on the wheel.

Thanks for watching :)