Continued from page 1
Doublet: Opal with an attached dark coloured backing.
Drive: A horizontal underground tunnel.
Free-Form: A naturally shaped opal – something other than
oval or round stone.
Harlequin: Type of opal pattern with a checkerboard
appearance, rare and expensive.
Hoist: A bucket attached to a framework in a shaft,
used to carry dirt to surface.
Level: Usually layer of opal bearing dirt.
Matrix: Any material with specks running through it.
Nobby: Nodule of opal almost exclusively from
Lightning Ridge.
Parcel: A collection of any number of opals, either
rough, rubs or cut, offered for sale.
Pinfire: Type of opal pattern where specks of different
colour covers whole stone.
Potch: Opal without any colour, also called common
opal.
Puddler: Forerunner of agitator, a mesh drum.
Rough: Opal in its natural state, as it comes out of the
ground.
Rubs: Opal pieces intially shaped with waste material,
sand removed but not yet cut and polished.
Seam: Opal found in a layer rather than in nobbies.
Shaft: A vertical hole down to a mine.
Solid: A natural occurring solid piece of opal, cut into a
stone.
Tailings: Material left after opal dirt from mine has
been washed.
Triplet: A stone comprising a thin layer of natural opal
with an attached dark backing and a clear quartz
capping.
Windlass: Forerunner of hoist, hand operated device for
raising buckets of opal dirt to surface by
by means of a cable and drum with handles.
Yowah Nut: Small ironstone boulder, containing opal either as
a solid kernel or in concentric layers.
That concludes this 7 part series. I hope you have enjoyed reading - "Natures Fireworks" - A begginers Guide to Opal.
Together, these six articles when printed out, combine to give novice, opal enthusiast or collector who has a little or no understanding of opals an insight into world of these Queen of Gems.
Best wishes and have a great day
Stuart Bazga
www.kulpunyaopals.com
Kulpunya Opals was established several years ago to provide the UK and Europe with a specialist supply of opals. We import directly from key suppliers in Australia with whom we have developed strong and long-term relationships. This ensures the products are always of the highest quality, and each represent excellent value.