How To Carve Opal Into A Pendant

Admit it ladies, there is nothing better in life than the feeling of finding the perfect piece of jewelry. This will be the piece that makes your heart lighter, your appearance flawless and will finally attract the attention of the handsome bachelor two cubicles down who hasn't even glanced your way since he started working with you a year ago. While it is unlikely that a piece of jewelry can solve all of these issues for you there is something comforting and confidence inspiring about wearing a beautiful piece of jewelry.

There is something even more inspiring about knowing that you shaped that piece of jewelry with your own hand. Those who have already learned how to turn their love of jewelry into a career will understand. At no other time will you be able to find a pendant, bracelet or earring set that suit you so perfectly than when you have created it yourself. It can be difficult, however, to learn the trade and, taking the theory, put it into practice.

Opal is one of the most sought after items for jewelry making due to its serene appearance and multiple facets of color. It appears as the ocean-as though the smooth appearance of its exterior is simply masking the other world underneath. Opal can be very difficult to work with. It is necessary to first have the proper tools. The easiest way to shape an opal is to use a flat lap machine with a polisher that will allow you to adjust the speed; opal is a soft stone, and excessive force will cause it to crack. This will ruin your masterpiece before you have even begun. A decent flat lap machine can be purchased for around five hundred dollars.

The purpose of the flat lap machine is to allow you to shape, smooth and polish your stone in one easy step. All you have to do is use the machine to shape your raw material into whatever shape you would like your pendant charm to be. The possibilities are endless; feel free to experiment. It may be wise to start your practicing on other, less expensive and less difficult stones to get the hang of it before you start using your opal. You can use these other stones for other projects later. Be sure that you take the proper safety measures when using your machine; the last thing that you want is to have an errant piece of opal go flying into your eye and ruining your vision so that you cannot focus on your masterpiece.

Once the stone is shaped it is time to turn it into a pendant. The easiest way to apply your charm to a chain is probably going to be to purchase a silver head pin, attach it to a loop and put it on a silver chain. There are hundreds of ways to finish a pendant, however; feel free to experiment!