Welcome to Topshelf Opals. As a professional cutter specializing in opals, I am an admitted unreformed opalaholic that loves to reveal as much whimsical wonder and beauty as a piece of rough opal can produce. It is my goal to allow these opals to lead and guide me, to shape and polish these colorful rustic stones into pure eye candy, to allow them to come into fruition as objects of beauty to pleasure and inspire other opalholics like myself. You can rest assured that your opal has been cut and polished with love, excitement, anticipation and professional skill.

This newly discovered Opal found in Welo/Wello Ethiopia is a new find that is quickly gaining the attention of the opal community. The Welo opal is found in the high plateaus of Ethiopia. It was discovered in December of 2008 in the Welo/Wello region. This is due west of the Gondar Desert(see map). Some call it Gondar desert opal but it is Welo/Wello opal and called such by the miners and dealers. Welo opal is the most stable opal find in Ethiopia to date. Ethiopian Opals are region specific in character traits just like Australian opals. Most Welos are hydrophane opals. Having a more porous structure than other opals means that when soaked in water, the water will fill the opal allowing the base color to clear up. This process sometimes highlights the play-of-color, sometimes it makes it vanish. The best trait of the Welo hydrophane opal is that when it's dry and polished it can be one of the brightest and most colorful opals in the world. From my experience, the Welo opal is as stable as the best of all that I have cut. It can take twice as long to cut a finished stone, but the visual rewards are well worth the time. Different types of opals require specialty care for the beauty you enjoy... Welo opal is no different. No chemicals or detergents. If soaked in water, it will take one to two weeks to completely dry out and return to it original beautiful state. Do not try and accelerate the drying by any artificial means. Do not use ultrasonic cleaning for any opals.

Thank you for looking at my store and the consideration for top quality professionally cut opals. Unlike many opal sellers, I cut my own cabochons. Many years of cutting experience is put into the cutting of each opal. This ensuring you of a high class cut and polish which is not only essential but required for investment or resale value. Your opal cabochon will not be from a commercially bought parcel of cabochons with low quality cut and polish. I am not a reseller of commercial cut opals. I cut the cabochons myself and many of them are bought and used by high end collectors/dealers as well as used by professional custom jewelry craftsmen and craftswoman. Do you want to own an opal that shines of pristine custom elegance...a professional cut artisan opal? Here at my auctions, you can find that professionally cut and polished opal that you desire. There are only a handful of craftsmen who actually do professional work and give wholesale value to the general public in a retail setting. Do your homework and get the best quality for value in spending your money. We all know that the best way possible to purchase anything is directly from the source. Now, you can cut the middleman and mystery and get a professional cut and polished high quality opal direct. I specialize in Ethiopian Welo opals and It's my pleasure to reveal the true wonders of these hidden gems.

My "estimated" retail price is a price that Is based on my knowledge of opal grading from several professional opals grading reference books, as well as my working knowledge of the Welo Opal and opals in general. I have been cutting and buying different grades of Welo opal, since the discovery in early 2008. I have bought from miners, wholesalers and middlemen and have been cutting Welos exclusively since 2008. I have cut thousands of Welos to date and have been cutting different types of opals from around the world professionally for many years. I am not a certified appraiser, nor do I give appraisals. An actual opal appraisal is only as good as the professional appraisers knowledge of the gems he/she specializes in, so always look for one that specializes in opals to get a true appraisal. One very important component of an appraisal is the replacement value for your gemstone, and is based on many factors. My listed "estimate" retail price is an estimated replacement value for your Welo opal based on my comprehensive knowledge of this type of opal. All opal fields dry up over time and the value of your opal will continue to increase as supply and demand dictates. The highest grade Welos are fantastic Investments, as are all top grade opals from around the world. If you own an investment grade opal, you should eventually get a professional certified appraisal for insurance purposes.

Good luck and best wishes,
Doug