Once the parcel of opal reaches our offices we are ready to begin grading the rough stone. The rough is sorted into relative values, then sent to the factory for cutting. Often we hold back unusual or very high quality opal until we find it necessary to cut.

The higher grades of stone are given to our most skilful cutters who carefully identify the run and direction of colour in the rough opal; this dictates at which angle the opal is cut. The angle of the cut can alter and change through a single piece of rough, a skilled cutter chases the colour slice by slice.

This is the true art of cutting, for if an opal is cut in the wrong manner its value and more importantly potential beauty are lost forever. Opal House has the skill sets and team to maximise the yield from the rough opal we source. We process opal on a scale which is unmatched by any other opal jewellery manufacturers.

Depending on the size and shape of the rough opal it is then cut and polished into either free form which follows the shape of the rough or calibrated shapes and sizes essential for making large scale commercial opal jewellery. The basic range of calibrated shapes are oval, round, pear or teardrop and marquise. The sizes we cut are dependant on the shape of the stone, for example ovals are produced from 5mm x 3mm to 16mm x 12mm

Depending on the size and shape of the rough opal it is then cut and polished into either free form which follows the shape of the rough or calibrated shapes and sizes essential for making large scale commercial opal jewellery. The basic range of calibrated shapes are oval, round, pear or teardrop and marquise. The sizes we cut are dependant on the shape of the stone, for example ovals are produced from 5mm x 3mm to 16mm x 12mm