Rough Opal
Rough opal refers to opal that has been mined but not polished. It is still embedded in the surrounding material it formed in. It is sold to enthusiasts and collectors who will most likely polish the stone themselves, or even leave in the original state.
Rough opal is often sold in a parcel format, meaning it contains more than one stone.
The different types of rough opals being sold on opal auctions are as follows;
- Mine Run – Directly from the miner himself. These stones have not yet been cut or graded
- Off Cuts – The miner has cut the best pieces of opal from the stones already
- Rubs – The opals have been cut and worked into basic shapes, after having most potch taken away
Colour is the primary criteria for grading.
Thanks to lapidaryjournal.com and Eugene McDevitt, we have a comprehensive guide to cutting Australian boulder opal.
Opal Auctions stocks the following boulder opal categories;
Opal Information
Opal Galleries
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