Uploaded February 2022 | Updated September 2026, 7 hours ago

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For decades opal has been traditionally cut into the oval cabochon shape, but now opal carving is quickly becoming a great alternative. We discuss the pros and cons and examine some incredible examples of carved opal.

This video was made with the help of Down to Earth Opals, at Lightning Ridge. Special thanks to Vicki and Andrew at DTEO.

** if you're wondering what was blurred out on the left hand side, it's a prop relating to a future video that I forgot to remove before filming. 😂

0:00 Introduction
0:47 Cutting Opal
1:21 Definition of Cabochon
3:20 Opal Carving
4:50 Freeform Shapes
5:33 Carving Technology
6:35 Freeform or Free Shape
7:04 Freeform with Carved Elements
7:56 Maximising Yield
9:01 Basic Carving
10:10 Carved Opal in Jewellery
11:06 A Work in Progress
12:16 Art Designed by Nature
14:12 Difficult Decisions
15:35 Conclusion
16:04 Acknowledgements

Down To Earth Opals:
https://www.downtoearthopals.com.au
facebook.com/DownToEarthOpals
instagram.com/down_to_earth_opals

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#lightningridge #opalcutting #opalcarving