The Opal Workshop

Welcome to my Opal Workshop; a place for those of you who are interested in what is being planned  next.... my creative ideas and the steps involved in bringing that new creation into completion - from an idea to finished article to being launched onto our website.

Discussion of  the various stages of working with one of my  new creations - points of interest may arise or just interesting points about opal in general which I will include along the way !



I hope you enjoy my Opal Workshop Corner!

Current Workshop Projects

Project 3 

This project is going to feature a stunning piece of Coober-Pedy Dark Crystal Gem Opal - exhibiting the glowing colors of a deep and beautiful sunset and inlaying it into a beautiful piece of Gem Queensland Boulder Opal.


My intention is to carve the dark Gem Crystal Opal  into the shape of a "leaf" - ( the straight line that can be seen in the opal's centre is simply a line I drew to orientate the lay of the color play.)

The Boulder Opal  is a beautifully patterned piece of Quilpie Gem Boulder Opal.

The brilliant emerald greens showing in the photo will sit positioned at the bottom, with the Cooberpedy Gem Opal being inlaid above, with the top of the "leaf shape" being aligned towards the top of the apex.

The shape of this stunning pendant will be that of a Teardrop and will measure approximately 23mm or 7/8" inch long.

The colors of  the completed pendant will be a lovely combination of emerald green, coppery reds and earthy yellows and browns.

The next segment will show the finished carved "leaf shape" of the Gem Crystal Opal, with it's outline drawn onto the boulder opal gemstone - ready for the carving process.


Here we have the piece of Dark Crystal carved and shaped and I have now also  marked the outline of it onto the Boulder Opal.

The Boulder Opal itself  has been trimmed close to the final shape of how the pendant will appear when completed.

Again, the carving out of the leaf shape into the piece of Queensland boulder opal will be a careful process, as I really am looking at making this as close a fit as possible for the finished outcome to appear clean and sharp.  ( Nothing like setting myself up here - I certainly hope all goes to plan !)

Anything else and it would look untidy.

Next update will see the carving out process well underway in readiness for the inlaying in of this beautiful piece of dark gem crystal opal.




This project is going to become a "Heart"Intarsia Pendant.

The first part of this project is to use a crystal green opal piece of semi-black opal as the "heart" shape with a black leadlight glass between it and the top piece of opal inlay.

This top inlay piece is multicolour crystal opal and is inlaid above the opal "heart" shape.

Both pieces of opal used here are from Lightning Ridge.




Here the shaping of the "heart" has been completed and the top third of the heart shape has been drawn onto the black leadlight glass.

Next step now is to carve the leadlight glass for an exact fitting of opal to glass.