CUTTING AND CARVING

When starting out you can be overwhelmed by the sheer number of options when it comes to cutting your first opal but you should strip it right back to the basics.

In essence all you are doing is scratching a stone until you have exposed the part you want then make the scratches so small you can't see them and the stone becomes glossy.

Opal being a soft stone makes this process a bit easier than other harder gemstones.