Australian opal are easy to cut and can be worth more than diamonds as a precious stone, it all starts with the rough. Mined by Australians, far in the outback it’s close enough to the ends of the earth as most people will ever venture. I visited Lightning ridge after leaving my real world job back in 2001 and haven’t looked back since. I thoroughly recommend working with opal for those looking to enjoy lapidary. And even more importantly cut a precious stone to make a profit. I supply Rough straight from the field in Jars or buckets, however the mine run comes, all the gems are left for you to find.