Opals and polish

[LydiaNiz]

A lady has given me some rough opal that she picked up on honeymoon - she wants one small piece set in a ring.
I'm amazed at how easy it was to shape - I ground off the matrix, wahcked off (technical!) and part that had a cleavage line, and used fine grade wet and dry (wetting the opal along the way) - she doesn't want it evenly shaped (thank god), but it's come up very nicely - but a bit dull. If I get some cerium oxide and make a slurry to polish it, should that do? And what do I use to best apply it? (I'm a dremel girl) Thanks for any advice!

[Dennis]

I would start with a fine diamond polishing paste, maybe two different grades (lots available on line under lapidary polishing paste), on a cotton mop such as Cookson 999ACO. You need to run your machine quite slowly and avoiding pressure, keep the mop moving or you will get tram lines.

Because opal is very soft, you might get the best final shine with Vonax, which is really meant for acrylic, but used on a new clean mop. Hope this helps, Dennis.

[LydiaNiz]

Thank you Dennis, will post some pics when I'm done

[LydiaNiz]

Here are the two chips (have now done them with acrylic polish)
what do you think? Need more shiny shiny?
5045

[Dennis]

Can't tell from the photos, but the colours are pretty.

[LydiaNiz]

hopefully this will give a better idea of the sheen
5047

[Dennis]

If I look closely, I can just make out your face Lydia, so it must be OK.

[LydiaNiz]

sorry for any scares ;-)

[LydiaNiz]

here it is in place

5087

[MeadMoon]

It looks lovely Lydia, I like the shape of the ring very much.

[LydiaNiz]

thank you :-)

[medusa]

Was doing a bit of a search before making a new post.

1< beautiful ring Lydia
2, what did you use to shape the rough with? I want to fit an opal cab into a preexisting bezel and can't get one ready made to fit. I'm bricking at the idea of shaping it myself but will have to do so. Suggestions?

[LydiaNiz]

Thank you. I ground away the matrix stuck to it with one of the pink carborundum points. Used increasingly fine gradients of wet and dry, gave it a good ri se in soapy water and then luxi plastic polish on suede cloth. It wasn't super shiny, but certainly shinier than I hoped!

[medusa]

Cheers Lydia. I love opals and have been eyeing up rough for months but have been too afraid to commit.

[LydiaNiz]

there's another one I've shaped in my comp entry this month. (ooooh). I am so sad though, I had a lovely claw shaped bit that had ridiculously beautiful green and orange fire, but I was too touch setting it and shattered it. Bum.

[Dennis]

I can't bear to part with them even broken Lydia, so they live on in my box of shame.

[medusa]

a box of shame…. if only all mistakes could be put inside one.

[camalidesign]

Loving that ring Lydia! :)

[christmascakegirl]

This is just beautiful - I have such a soft spot for opals too.

[LydiaNiz]

they are lovely. Dennis, the parts were so tiny, it's just making my glamorous concrete/painty floor prettier :-(