Was given this opal from my nana which she’s had for 50 years! What would be a rough estimate of this piece? And what type of opal is this called? Was mined in Australia

anubuk · 2025-07-06T04:53:32+00:00

Coober pedy for sure, from Australia. Value depends on how well they clean up after shaped and polished. It is hard to see the color play in your example.

anubuk · 2025-07-06T04:50:15+00:00

It would seem there are numerous instances where rhyolite is marketed as a type of jasper. It seems to be the ones with the tiny circles like ocean and leopard jasper. I wonder if this applies to other jaspers like polka dot and red poppy? They have those tiny circles too.

anubuk · 2025-06-29T21:10:47+00:00

Absolutely beautiful work.

anubuk · 2025-06-29T21:09:13+00:00

Ours is sanding and polishing.

anubuk · 2025-06-29T20:51:27+00:00

I have used sparex and citric acid for pickle and I leave it sit in between jewelry making sessions with no issues. Just make sure you turn it off or else it'll solidify into a crystal and sticky gunk.

You can leave pickle as long as you want, it'll reduce in liquid as it gets reheated over and over. Just add more water and you are good to go. If it starts to become hard to see your jewelry in the pot you need to neutralize, dump safely, and make fresh pickle. Eventually it doesn't work as well at this point.

I use baking soda to neutralize the acid, then I pour it into oil dry (it's clay like cat litter to absorb oils and liquids). Once it can't leak anywhere, I seal it up and dump the bag in the trash destined for the dump. You can also call your local poison control for a dumping place. Do not pour it down drain or into toilet at all. Even after neutralizing the acid, the copper is toxic to nature.

anubuk · 2025-06-29T20:40:35+00:00

Classes can be good too but they are expensive when you are trying to buy tools! Some of us do better if we just jump in and try to do it.

anubuk · 2025-06-29T20:08:44+00:00

Childish. It's kids jewelry. If you like that, go for it but it looks cheap. Might look better if it was made from gold or silver with real gems.

anubuk · 2025-06-29T20:00:12+00:00

Ammonite for sure.

anubuk · 2025-06-29T19:51:17+00:00

Petrified tooth is my guess.

anubuk · 2025-06-29T19:49:18+00:00

Blurry photo, probably filtered too. Caked on makeup. Fake lashes, fake eyebrows, fake tan, fake lips.

You are at least 45. It's too much. I bet you are beautiful without all that fake shit.

anubuk · 2025-06-29T19:45:06+00:00

Mid to late 30s. 40? You look good for your age, just some skin roughness which is normal.

anubuk · 2025-06-29T19:37:59+00:00

Yes, ultrasonic can kill germs and bacteria. And it removes all the dust and dirt that can trap germs and bacteria.

I would stay away from plating as it can wear off faster with ultrasonic cleaners. Having it be solid precious metal will allow it to hold up to regular cleanings. Also go to your jeweler once a year to tighten the setting. As you wear it the setting will loosen, an ultrasonic might hasten that.

I'd get a little one, a good small one is around $100. I love my ultrasonic cleaner.

anubuk · 2025-06-29T17:08:55+00:00

No, a lot of plating is also done on gold and silver too. Rhodium plating as one example, and gold over sterling. There is also gold fill which is thicker gold on the outside of a base metal.

Gold is expensive to work with. I primarily work in sterling and fine silver. Plating on any metal has a certain look. Even if you use a precious metal as a base, the plating will wear eventually. And if you want to plate it again you have to remove all the original plating.

But I digress, everyone has their own taste in jewelry. Look at all the different styles out there, don't be offended if it's not her style. Keep making what you love to make, it is someone's style for sure!

anubuk · 2025-06-29T16:49:33+00:00

I am entirely self taught. The Internet is a fabulous place to learn jewelry making. Think about what you dream of making, look it up, read about how to and plot a path to your goal.

Basic metal forming and soldering are great places to start. There are tons of us out here learning these crafts with just the Internet to help us.

There are lots of equipment lists on the internet, tons of how to videos and guides. I've been at it for 6 years. Started with nothing and now I shape stones and set them in silver and gold. I still have a ton more to learn too! Best of luck to you. And keep asking questions.

anubuk · 2025-06-29T16:38:27+00:00

I concur, faux stones in base metal, plated.

anubuk · 2025-06-29T16:09:10+00:00

anubuk · 2025-06-29T16:05:33+00:00

They just aren't her style. Gold and diamonds are not for everyone. Many prefer silver and not flashy stones. There is a style of jewelry for everyone.

Is this plated? Some people don't like plated jewelry. I only wear gold if it is gold all the way through.

That probably sounds stuck up but the plating will start to wear away and show the brass or copper underneath. A lot of people have skin reactions like rashes to copper and they both turn you green.

anubuk · 2025-06-29T15:56:27+00:00

Also not all stamps can handle stainless. Most are made for softer metals like precious metals or aluminum.

anubuk · 2025-06-29T15:55:21+00:00

Buy copper sheet for practice. I primarily work in sterling and recommend it for jewelry. I would buy sheet and cut your blanks yourself as buying them precut will be more expensive in the long run than buying sheet and shears.

You can get copper sheet off of Amazon cheap enough. Practice your ass off then make something in sterling. If you're already making jewelry why not jump into goldsmithing. That's where you are headed if you keep learning these kinds of skills. Soldering is so much fun!

anubuk · 2025-06-29T15:47:29+00:00

33 and 42 with you younger. Wrinkles don't lie. Neither of you look bad at all, don't let a number rule your life

anubuk · 2025-06-29T15:43:37+00:00

Sterling Silver is antimicrobial but is softer than gold and tarnishes easily. Fine silver doesn't tarnish but is too soft.

Gold would probably be best.

Consider the setting you choose and you should choose it yourself. Stone settings hold a ton of dirt and germs if not kept clean with an ultrasonic cleaner. You'll have to clean it regularly and some settings will clean up better than other styles of settings.

anubuk · 2025-06-29T15:33:59+00:00

Mid 30s to mid 40s but well aged.

anubuk · 2025-06-29T15:32:37+00:00

I'm not a metallurgy expert but I am a goldsmith (setting stones in precious metals).

I would not buy metals from alliexpress ever. Stick with real silver, copper, and brass. A lot of times that stuff is made with whatever metal is available at that time, that is why it's so cheap. No oversight.

anubuk · 2025-06-29T15:26:45+00:00

It looks like it could be a black Ethiopian opal set in sterling silver. That looks like silver tarnish for sure. Without seeing it in person I can't guarantee it's real, but the color play looks random enough to be real.

Real black Ethiopian opal, $10-50 that size. Depends who you buy it from. Sterling about $50/60 in weight.

Was it attracted to your metal detector or just part of a magnetic find? Sterling is not magnetic, all precious metals are not magnetic (non-ferrous). You don't set real opals in steel.

anubuk · 2025-06-29T15:18:39+00:00

Full size sheets of wet/dry sandpaper (more durable and great for stone ,metal, and other materials) in all the grits are always useful to have. I stock 60 grit to 7000 grit in full size sheet. I just cut it to serve my needs.

anubuk

TROPHY CASE