



There's drama in the skies, what the mines yield, and in the search for opal; it's palpable. In someway, I don't feel like I missed the gold rush here in the USA. I imagine it is a tad similar here, in the outback of Australia.
We started out this year thinking about designing long, big, statement boulder opal earrings for this 2017. In part, because Bill (Kasso) brought back from his annual Australian trip, some outstanding "large clean faces" of rough boulder opal. That does not happen often..
Bill broke down all the rough boulder opal that you see here, isolating the seams of cuttable gem opal, then cutting away the excess iron stone. As one can imagine, it takes some time; but how beautiful is this! His next step is to decide what shapes to cut.
As far as I'm concerned, the hard part is to pick which pairs I want! The possibilities are endless when you have this at your finger tips!
The blue green colors of this boulder opal is a favorite of many people in the states; classic boulder opal! Bill and I collaborated
this year (basically, he asked me what shapes I wanted), I responded with; leaf shapes, onion shapes, and teardrops. In the past when buying gems I've been relegated to purchasing finished cuts, so being able to have input in the shapes is exciting!
Here are a few of the results.
Boulder opal earrings in 22k & 18k gold with blue zircon accents. We felt that these earring would be perfect for brides that want something unique, and would have an earring that they can wear with their blue jeans after their special day. Gabriella Marks, the photographer, really captured the beauty of these boulder opals, in this simple, but elegant earring. Pairs are hard to come by since the rough boulder has to be thick enough to split down the middle so you get a matched pair of gem opal. The opal pairs on the right turned out beautifully and made many a jewelry designer very happy at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show this year. https://www.kalledjewelrystudio.com/collections/earrings/products/boulder-opal-earrings-8
https://www.kalledjewelrystudio.com/collections/earrings/products/boulder-opal-earrings-9
Custom Boulder opal necklace is done, delivered and loved! That is an artists idea of perfection. My collector had purchased a lovely black opal pendant and wanted me to incorporate it in a larger piece. You can see it top center (oval). 22k & 18k gold with tsavorite garnets, hessonite garnet, hanging from 18k gold orange sapphire chain.
This boulder opal looks like a window with an ocean view. A very significant piece, it's about 2.5 square. I have blogged in the past about the rough that Bill Kasso got that was full stripes of color, this is one of them. I accented it with rough aquamarine, spessarite garnet, peridot, orange sapphire, topaz and blue zircon. It hangs from luscious tanzanite beads and an orange sapphire 18k gold chain.
http://www.kalledjewelrystudio.com/collections/jennifer-kalled/products/boulder-opal-pendant
When Bill Kasso starts cutting his rough boulder opal, koroit opal, yowah opal, etc... it is a very exciting time for him and of course for me. When I saw these leaf shape boulder opals that he cut for me I flipped. These are going to be big earrings; not for the faint of heart, or worried about when one is going to wear them... you just do, much like the Nike sentiment... Iv'e accented them with 6mm blue zircons (that are luscious), and tsavorite garnets to pull out the famous blue/green tones that are cradled in the iron stone matrix.
I am constantly amazed... for two incredible weeks we witnessed the most extraordinary colors that I have ever seen on a beach, in the waters of the Bahamas; as I have shared with you already, my new boulder opals mimic it perfectly. This piece is in the beginning of the design stage.... Ocean, palm leaves and bougainvillea surround the neck....
Upcoming pieces in new designer jewelry pieces or custom work; from Bill Kasso's new strike of Boulder Opals. Amazing stripes in these boulder opals!
Petrified Coral Opal in "This is the Night" bracelet. Boulder Opal from Bill Kasso.
Boulder opal necklace with black tourmaline, blk. drusy quartz, diamonds & topaz in 22k, 18, & 14k.
Boulder opal with black tourmaline and blk. drusy quartz in 22, 18k, 14k.
"My Nights" the beginning of a series inspired by Dana Cunninghams new CD along with Jeff Oster & Max Dyer.