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[John Robinson]

So I have cut and polished that flash opal I was talking about earlier. The problem is that it is an irregularly shaped stone and I refuse to cut off anymore of it. I do have a stone with three straight edges that is not quite an isosceles triangle.
Where can I go to get a pendant setting or the material to make a setting that will fit the stone.
IMHO, it is better to make the fitting fit the stone than it is to cut an opal to fit a relatively inexpensive standard fitting (?) that

[Bluetangclan]

If it isnt a calibrated sized stone, you like wont find a premade fixing for it. If you are using premades then your best bet is to use stencils and make calibrated stones. Also according to Paul Downings pricing algorithm a calibrated stone is worth more than a freeform stone. With opals the way they are though freeform is often the only way to get a nice stone without cutting out a lot of color.

In order to find mountings for freeform stones either make friends with a silversmith or welcome to the wonderful hobby of silver smithing. (or gold if you have a fat wallet)

[hummingbirdstones]

Time to find yourself somewhere to learn silversmithing.  Your community college may have a jewelry class where you can learn the basics, or your local rock club may even have a shop with instruction.

[Orrum]

There is always regular wire wrapping or my love whichildren is cold forge wire wrapping or as I teach it...Hillbilly Wire Twisting! LOL

[John Robinson]

So I am suppose to destroy 50 per cent of a 15 Ct flash opal just to please some author?

I'll take the loss, instead...

I thought about both wire wrapping and metal clay as ways to make custom fittings. Of course, being here in Oklahoma, there could be a dozen Native American silversmiths within a twenty miles radius. I wonder who I need to contact to find out (?)
 
I was also wondering if there was serrated silver ribbon that could be soldered into a custom fitting?

[ileney]

Did you post a picture? Why not take a class at your local metalsmithing shop? There is usually something available somewhere nearby that can teach you to make a simple silver setting in 10 hours of class time or less. If not, as you say, there are always local silversmiths or even etsy. I personally wouldn't cut down a high quality opal for any reason but stability of the opal itself ( e.g. to cut out a flaw.) Calibrated stones are fine for low to medium quality opals, but personally, I think it's a crime to throw away high quality stone.

[hummingbirdstones]

John - Where in the wide world of sports did you get that idea?  Nobody said you should cut 50% of your stone off, and especially not Paul Downing.

I don't believe I've ever cut a calibrated opal.  If I have, it was an accident.  Dr. Paul Downing is an opal expert and AGTA award winner, not just some author.  I don't know why I'm so ticked at your statement, but you really should read his book and learn something.  He's who taught me and many others how to cut opal because he authored a book.

[vitzitziltecpatl]

Here's a thought. If it's your first opal just leave it as-is and cut another one. You'll always be able to look at that one and enjoy it because it was the first. Or else someday you'll figure out a way to cut 2 or 3 smaller stones with more pleasing or convenient shapes. With good planning you don't have to cut away 50% of anything, and you'll wind up with pretty much the same value - sometimes more.

Try to find a club somewhere in your area, or find bead shops, or hand-crafted jewelry sellers at swap meets. Any of those will connect you with people who can start you on the way to getting stones set or learning to do it yourself. 

[womanwithatorch]

There are some smiths in your local club, Oklahoma Mineral and Gem Society. Also, my friends at Arrowhead Supply in southwest OKC offer beginner classes and they are nice people  http://arrowheadsupply.net/silversmith.html

There is something about the tone of your post that has got me riled up.  I am an Oklahoma native (though not Native American).  I've been making sterling silver and gold jewelry since 1978, when I took metalsmithing classes in college. Its rewarding and enjoyable but it isn't easy, quick, or cheap.  We don't have nearby access to advanced instruction, yet I get requests each day that cause me to need to learn advanced smithing techniques. I spend a great deal of time studying (books!), and am grateful for the generosity of people on forums like this and in local clubs who are willing to share their knowledge. So, since you cannot (yet) make a custom setting, I hope you will expect to pay fair market price for someone else to make it, be they Native American or not. Or start learning to do it yourself.  Making a custom setting for your opal is only the beginning. Then you will have to set it. As you are studying up, you may learn that opals are notorious for cracking during setting. Good luck.

By the way, I feared cutting my first opal, if it had not been for a generous person in the Tulsa club I might never have. Haven't got around to making a setting for it yet, too busy making stuff other people dream up.

[John Robinson]

My apologies to all. I know that Paul Downing is a well respected expert. I am just irritated by the idea that lapidary art takes a back seat to conformity in the market place. It the buyers, after all, not the experts who set the standards for commercial opals.
I am also peeved at the idea of cutting a beautiful piece of opal just so it exactly like In shape every other cab. If  I can afford to I would like to keep the opal as it is, but I will most likely cut a seven Ct oval from the 15 Ct triangle

[womanwithatorch]

And my apologies to you. I agree, the stone itself should dictate its final size and shape, not standards set by industry. I'm a firm believer in letting the stone be the guide when it comes to cutting, same for designing its setting. That's how I work. It might take longer, so be patient. Follow your instinct, don't cut the opal down until/unless you really feel its what you want. Sometimes, setting the stone aside and working on something else for awhile brings new insight. Meanwhile, you can be cutting more stones and learning metalsmithing and stone setting. Don't be discouraged, just have fun and make lots of beautiful rocks!

[Neural]

I personally don't like sacrificing fire for form.  I've seen rough that allowed me to cut ovals, but some of the best stones I've seen were either non-conforming shapes, or even carved free-form.
Also, if you like the stone so much that it is causing emotional distress to get through this part of the process, set it down and keep it as a collection piece for a while.  Work on other stones for a time, etc.  Come back to it in a few months and look at it again.  On top of all that, if you just cut it, it's good to let it sit for a while and let it decide if it's going to crack/craze or not.

I know people have mentioned wire wrapping, but I am strongly against both wire wrapping and typical gem settings other than bezel.   There are some very long lived opals that are in 4 or 6 point settings, but a bezel is going to last the longest and protect the stone the best.

[ASO]

Keep in mind that when people talk about calibrating a stone it doesn't always have to be a oval or circle.  One of the first things you should do if you plan on doing allot of this is to invest about $50 in buying different calibration temples get as many ovals as you can find and a set of circles, then get different shapes like triangles, trillions, cushions, and whatever else you can find.  They will really come in handy.  What I like to do because of the fact that calibrated stones are worth more per ct is to face a stone mark possible problems with the stone and then grab different temples hold them over the stone and see if you can cut one of the shapes or sizes you have without much loss.  If you cant no problem then cut a free form as long as the stone will be worth more than the cost of having it set in a custom piece.  If it does come close to one of your temples than cut that shape and you will end up with a more valuable stone that will be easy to find an inexpensive setting for.  You can buy findings in almost any calibrated shape and some can be modified to fit a non perfectly calibrated stone, metal is easy to grind.

Hope this sheds some light on the idea of calibrating for you
   

[ASO]

Defiantly pick up and read all of Downings books he has good incite into the world of opal.  I think you would be hard pressed to find a professional opal cutter out their who hasn't memorized them all.  I personal like to try and find other books from old-timers weather its about gold prospecting or opal cutting those guys really knew their stuff and you can usually find some long forgotten tips.   

[John Robinson]

Thanks and I have found that the Honeymoon Period, I have with each new opal is short lived. Then I am on to search for the next great beauty I can call Mine! For a short time...