The Most Stressful Black Opal I’ve Ever Cut Turned Into A $21,000 Beauty

In today’s video, I’m cutting what could be one of the most beautiful black opals I’ve seen in a long time. But, of course, this one is not giving itself up without a fight. From the moment I put it on the wheel, I knew this was going to be a challenge. The inclusions running through this gem had me second-guessing every single decision. Do I go deeper and risk losing that incredible green and blue color? Do I play it safe and leave the flaws in? Or do I take the biggest risk of my cutting life and keep going until I get a perfectly clean gem?

This one had me stressed from start to finish. And just when I thought I’d won, more inclusions showed up. If you’ve ever worked hard for something only to have it keep pushing back, you’ll know exactly how I felt sitting at that wheel. But I kept going. And what came out the other side is something I’m incredibly proud of. A clean and stunning 7 carat Australian black opal worth US$21,000. I lost 2 carats fighting for it, and I’d do it again every time.

As always, let me know in the comments whether you could see the inclusions? Did I make the right calls? I’d love to hear your thoughts, and if you’re a cutter yourself, tell me what you would have done differently.

Thanks for watching. See you in the next one.

Thanks for watching :)