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Published at 27th Apr 2020
Modified at 4th Jan 2023
How To Cut Ethiopian Opal
Ethiopian Opal is cut and polished in a similar method to most
other Opals from around the world. Learning how to cut Ethiopian Opal is
as simple as cutting most other Opals but with one exception. The
exception comes from the fact that Ethiopian Opal is Hyrdophane, that
is, it absorbs water. So more importance must be made in selecting and
sorting the Ethiopian rough.
Before you cut Ethiopian Opal
All Ethiopian Opal Rough should be fracture tested before cutting and polishing or you could end up re-cutting a stone with crack in it.
One popular method is to use blunt metal object like a screwdriver with a blunt end and use a rubber mallet to tap suspect areas. This will result in cleavage on the weakest point of the crack. You might end up with several pieces but they should be stable after this.
Another method is the water treatment method. By adding water from cool to warm water you can expose cracks and make sure you dry out the opal completely.
Note it has been common practice to fracture test Gemstones and Opals for centuries. All major carving centers of the world fracture tested rocks before carving as it is and was very time consuming to cut a stone so they wanted to be sure they had a stable one.
How To Cut Ethiopian Opal
- Set the Opal on your dop stick using glue. This is better than heating Jewellers wax for Ethiopian Opal
- During cutting use as much water as possible
- Do not use excessive pressure, let the Opal guide you
- Shape and polish the Ethiopian Opal and enjoy the display of colours after you have finished polishing
- After cutting let the Opal sit in a warm place to dry out.
Some people suggest cutting Ethiopian Opal dry but we get better results cutting with water.
SHOP FOR ETHIOPIAN ROUGH OPAL
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