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Polishing ring

Cutting & Polishing Opals

Cutting and polishing opals is an exquisite and patient process. It’s a meticulous skill that can be done with a cabbing/lapidary machine using sanding wheels to cut and shape accordingly. Here are the basic steps involved in cutting and polishing opals:

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  1. Rough Cutting: The first step is to take the raw opal and shape it into a rough form using a saw or grinding wheel. This is done to remove any big material like rock and sand that is covering the color and pattern of the opal attached to the surface of the gem.

  2. Pre-Shaping: After rough shaping, the opal is pre-formed using a grinding wheel to remove any scratches or blemishes from the surface of the stone as you try to shape it accordingly as you do this step. This helps create a more precise shape and size for when you’re ready to move onto the final shaping phase.

  3. Final Shaping Phase: The opal is then shaped to its final form using a series of diamond grinding wheels with finer grits. The grits on your wheel will vary on how deep you need to get to make it as smooth and as flawless as possible. This step is done to create the desired shape and size for the final product.

  4. Polishing: After final shaping, the opal is polished using a piece of leather or felt pad. You will use cerium oxide mixed with water to lather the pad as the opal gets massaged into the cerium to create a beautiful shiny finish. This step is done to create a smooth and shiny surface on the stone.

  5. Inspection: Once the opal has been cut and polished, it is inspected for any remaining scratches or imperfections. The opal may need to be recut or repolished if there are still any imperfections that are able to be cleaned from the opal. 

  6. Final cleaning: The opal is then cleaned and dried to remove any dust or debris from the cutting and polishing process.

 

Cutting and polishing is a drawn-out step by step process that requires time and patience. You may get frustrated or may not get the right steps to achieving what you hoped for the first time but with some practice and adjustments as you go along you can do anything you put your mind to. With proper care and handling, the finished product will be a stunning piece of jewelry or display item.

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