I’ve got a bit of a problem… and it’s connected to opal. Not in a bad way, more in a “my brain won’t leave me alone” kind of way. I love learning new things, I love improving, and I love creating. And because of that, I’ve ended up with a huge amount of loose opal, stones that are already cut, polished, and completely ready to be made into jewellery.
Some of these opals have been sitting in my stock for years. Normally I sell them to jewellers or hobbyists around the world, and sometimes I make custom pieces. But recently I realised something: I have so many beautiful stones just waiting for their moment. So why not start turning more of them into finished jewellery myself?
Designing My Own Opal Jewellery
That thought pushed me into designing a whole range of pieces. I’ve spent a lot of time creating jewellery that isn’t overly elaborate, it's simple, clean designs you can wear every day. I want the opal to be the hero, not the metalwork, so the shapes are intentional, comfortable, and made to show off the colour and pattern of each stone.
Because I love learning and improving, I’ve been practising until I can consistently make each piece match the design I had in mind. That means accurate settings, clean lines, and a final polish that does the stone justice. With so many loose opals ready to be set, it just made sense to start building a proper collection.
This video is Day 1 of that journey - taking those designs off the bench and turning them into real jewellery you can actually wear.
Cleaning, Shaping, and Preparing the Silver
In today’s video, I’m working through the first batch of pieces. It’s not glamorous work - lots of cleaning, shaping, heating, and refining. But it’s the foundation of everything that comes next. If the settings aren’t right, the stone won’t sit properly. If the polish isn’t clean, the final piece won’t shine the way it should.
It’s slow, detailed, repetitive… and honestly, I enjoy every second of it.
Watch Day 1
The Start of Something Bigger
If you’ve ever seen one of my stones and thought, “I wish that were a ring” or “I’d love that as a pendant,” now is the perfect time to reach out. I’m building up a collection of ready-made jewellery, but I’m also open to making pieces from stones you’ve already seen on my site - especially since I have so many loose opals ready to be set.
This is Day 1 of what might become a whole new chapter for me, maybe even the start of a small opal jewellery empire. Who knows?
That’s Day 1 — Day 2 Is Coming Soon
After hours of heating, cleaning, and preparing the silver, that wraps up Day 1. There’s plenty more work ahead, but you’ll have to wait for Day 2 to see what happens next.
If you want something made, or you see a design you love, get in touch before I get too busy.
Stay tuned for Day 2.