Rough & Specimens Only 210 items

Buy No Reserve Rough & Specimen

Our sellers have permission to offer images of rough opal wet to help expose the colour to buyers.

This is a standard procedure for the opal industry. When your parcel is delivered to you, most rough will be dry and maybe dusty with no colour. Do not be alarmed as when it is placed in water the colours will be as per our images and or video.

Opal in Australia is offered in jars full of water or glycerine to stop any mould or algae from growing in the jar. If you purchase jars do make sure you fully wash the rough and dry it before working to cut the rough. As its important there is no bacteria in the water.

When cutting rough, we strongly recommend you wear mask and plenty free flowing water. Also, commercial vacuum if you use dry polish or rubbing down. Rough opal can be offered as virgin, rubbed down or gamble.

• Virgin opal rough has been mined and opal has not been touched by cutter.
• Rubs are when the cutter has rubbed the rough to expose the colour
• Gamble rough is rough with glimpses colour bar, these can be rubbed or virgin and the bar is gamble if it cuts good or not.

Many opal cutters have the One third rule. One third opal rough your loose on, one third you break even and one third you make good return.

It is difficult to estimate how good the opal will cut, and even opal rubs can change when you rub on diamond wheels to final polishing pads.

Ethiopian rough is most economical when large pockets are found and boulder opals are good for new and experienced cutters. Black opal rubs are expensive and only experienced cutters should cut these opals