To learn more about this material, check out the intro video I set up for you here:

https://www.opalauctions.com/products/information-on-stabilised-queensland-matrix-rough-opal-1419149

Pre-Stabilized for Your Convenience

Are you a professional Matrix Cutter or an enthusiastic hobbyist looking to work with some of the finest Queensland Matrix Opal? Look no further. We've taken the extra step to pre-stabilize this opulent material for you, making your cutting experience smoother and the end product even more stunning.

Why Pre-Stabilized?

Professional cutters often stabilize Queensland Matrix Opal before getting down to the cutting process. This stabilization not only reduces material wastage but also eases the cutting process and enhances the final appearance of the stone. However, stabilization is usually not accessible to most hobby cutters due to the specialized equipment required, such as a large slabbing saw, a vacuum chamber, and cactus juice (a stabilizing resin used in the turquoise industry).

The Process

Imagine Matrix Opal as a sponge. We've used a vacuum chamber to pull cactus juice into the matrix, turning it into a single, hard piece. This is then solidified in a commercial oven, making it easier to cut and polish. All you have to do is focus on the cutting process. Simply place your template on the stone, draw your desired shape, and cut. Calibration is also easier if you have a specific setting in mind.

Finishing Touches

The stabilization process itself provides a beautiful finish to the stone, eliminating the need for a resin coat. However, if you prefer a glassier finish, you can apply a hard-curing resin like epoxy 330. Please note that when polishing without a resin, it's best to avoid cerium oxide as it can get caught in the pores of the material. Instead, take the material up to 3,000 or higher grits for the best results.

A Few Tips

• Polishing: Do not use cerium oxide; it's not suitable for this type of material.

• Coating: If you prefer a more glass-like finish, use a hard-curing resin that won't yellow over time.

• Drying: After coating, place the stone on a Ziploc bag to dry. Once dried, you can clean up the edges and admire your work.

Whether you like your opals rough and natural or prefer a glassy finish, this pre-stabilized Queensland Matrix Rough Opal offers you the flexibility and quality to create a masterpiece. Happy cutting!

NOTICE: OUR OPAL AUCTIONS SHOP "53FROGS" RUNS HUNDREDS OF NO RESERVE AUCTIONS EVERY WEEK, BUT THEY ARE SPREAD ACROSS OPAL AUCTIONS IN MANY DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.

COMBINED SHIPPING IS AUTOMATICALLY SET UP FOR ANYTHING THAT IS BOUGHT FROM OUR SHOP "53FROGS" AND PAID FOR AT THE SAME TIME.

Please read all of the below before buying any of our opal rough.

• When opal arrives, and you are not 100% happy, you can return for a refund.

• But if you alter or cut the rough, it is yours, and we cannot exchange

• However, if you touch any piece, you are accepting ownership, and Negative or neutral feedback cannot be left

• Please study carefully before cutting.

• Images of the rough opals are taking with water.

We grade our opal in ten different categories as per the table below. The grade of this parcel is in the Auction Title.

Grade

Description

#1

Top Grade-Mostly Reds/Pinks- Dark/ Patterns -Expert Cutters

#2

Very Bright- Clean- Mostly Red/Orange/Yellow -Expert Cutters

#3

Gamble- Red/Orange/Yellow -Nice Blue/Green --Expert Cutters

#4

Very Thin or Carving material- Intermediate/Expert cutters

#5

Large Single Gamble piece - from Beginner to Expert cutters

#6

Mid Grade Easy cutters - Intermediate cutters

#7

Mid Grade Gamble Rough- Intermediate cutters

#8

Beginners Cutting Rough- Beginning cutters

#9

Craft Material- Not Appropriate for cutting cabs

#10

No Colour Potch- Not Appropriate for cutting cabs

Opal rough is notoriously hard to read and even harder to cut. Years ago, as a young cutter, I wanted to learn how to work with this material but found it difficult to find smaller parcels that I could afford. We spend a lot of time and effort grading this material, so you can pick the opal rough that is most appropriate for your skill level and budget. Please, Please don't buy cheap beginners rough from us and then give us negative feedback because you haven't cut precious zillion-dollar gems. It doesn't work that way. I've cut tens of thousands of opals, and although I won't get it right every time, I think my grading is pretty accurate. I take the time to do this so that your cutting experience will be fun and allow you to progress in difficulty, and reward you over time without making some of the very costly beginners' mistakes.

Here is a brief description of the criteria we use when grading the opal rough:

#9 "Craft Material" is not opal that is appropriate for cutting cabochons. This rough is best for Chipping and putting into floating pendants, craftwork etc. If you want some cheap material to set into your concrete front yard cats eyes or have a mosaic in the bathroom, you want to spice up; this might work for you :)

#8 "Beginners Cutting Rough" is excellent for beginners to get used to cutting this material without worrying about destroying great opals. It is a mix of Nobby and Seam opal. It will cut lots of picture stones and low-value opals. You'll learn to cut open nobbies, chase colour bars, deal with sand and get a general understanding of what it feels like to cut opals. Great material for practising cutting lovely shapes and bringing that talent sharp before attacking more expensive colour. We sort out everything with no colour in it, so 97% of this material shows colour, and 3% will be a Nobby opal that may or may not have colour inside.

#7 "Mid Grade Gamble Rough" is excellent to hone your skills and learn to read trickier opals. This material is full of thin colour bars, colour bars that run diagonally through rough, wavy colour bars, tricky sand spots, and blind stones where I can see that there is colour in the rough but have no idea how deep it goes. Very challenging, sometimes very rewarding rough. Sometimes you cry.

#6 "Intermediate Easy Cutters"- exactly that, with an intermediate skill level, you should be able to cut lovely medium brightness sellable opals from this material. They are generally clean, and you should have a pretty good idea about the kind and size of finished opals you will cut from watching the videos.

#5 "Large Single Gamble Pieces" Pretty much what it says on the tin. These can range from beginners to expert level. Cutting big stones like this is a very different skill from cutting small "pointers" or standard 1ct-3ct opals. These are great fun to cut and can be very rewarding if you get lucky.

#4 "Very Thin/Carving" Most of this material is super thin and appropriate for making doublets.

#3 "Gamble Expert Cutters" these look very bright/colourful and show good promise, but I can't see that they will cut a clean opal. The best blue/green material I find in the parcel also goes into this bucket.

#2 "Expert Cutters Clean" will generally give you precious bright sellable stones. They appear very clear to the eye. It looks like the colour bar covers most of the stone.

#1 "Top Grade" this material represents only a small fraction of our inventory. It is the very best material we find. Red on Black, Deep pinks, lovely patterns, strong black opals all ends up in this category. If I yell, "WOW, I want to cut this one!" it goes in this tiny dish.

All opal cutting is a gamble, and classifying is just my opinion based on my opal cutting journey and current skill level.

When you get your rough please look it over carefully, both wet and dry.

With rough opal, we are happy to offer no-hassle returns as long as the opal has not been ground/snippet/altered. You cover the shipping costs.

Payment required within 48 hours of auction end. If you select Standard Shipping, we are not responsible for any lost or damaged items.

Payment via PayPal or credit card via PayPal.

We ship all items within 48 hours of payment unless it's a holiday we will ship on the next working day.

Standard Shipping Time: ETA 5-21 working days

The buyer is responsible for any customs/import Duty or taxes levied in the buyers country.

Guarantee: Your satisfaction is guaranteed, and you can select a no-hassle return as long as the material is in original condition. If you are not satisfied for any reason, send back (unaltered)the item/s within seven days after you received it. It will take 2-3 days for us to check the items carefully. A full refund for your purchase, minus the shipping cost, will be given as soon as the items are confirmed to be in their original condition.