Design
Well, the question could probably be enlarged to include ANY design! What is it that makes one shape, flow of lines, face, car, or whatever other item of human interest, better, or more appealing than another? Good question. At present, in the fashion world, we have a fixation for models who are very thin, almost bony. It reminds you of that once popular Jazz song:
BOULDER OPAL ABSTRACT STONE
The closest to the bone
the sweeter is the meat
one slice of Virginia ham
is good enough to eat
Don’t talk about my baby
she’s skinny but she’s sweet
The closest to the bone
The sweeter is the meat
Haaa… i really like that song. but having said that, it must be said that the anatomy of the model has varied greatly throughout the history of the human race, and in fact, it varies much between one race and another. Ethnicity can have a large bearing on your view of what looks beautiful.
Or, as someone put it: ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” and “One man’s meat is another man [or woman's] poison”.
Having made that point, lets turn our attention to jewelry design. In this case, Opal Jewelry. The Americans call it Jewelry, the English call it Jewellery. Thought I’d better make that point in case someone criticizes my spelling.
I often wonder when i attend Jewellery award presentations, how the judges conclude which design wins first, second, and third prize. Again, to a large degree, its just the opinion of individuals who interpret what they have seen published in some ritzy magazine, or hanging around the neck of a movie star, or a relative of the Queen of England. It’s a game really. An illusion. but isn’t that life itself? and isn’t it exciting? Life would be a total bore if there were no variations in styles, colors, and fashion.
That’s what i personally find fascinating. The first time i glared into the face of an Australian Opal. I just could not believe that there could be so many variations and patterns in one small chunk of rock.
chicken wire fence
Being such a showy stone in itself, some have expressed the opinion that the opal doesn’t really need a lot of complicated silver and gold decorating it. It just demands attention without the help of intricate design.
But what of the Jewellery piece itself? You cant just wear a rock around your neck!! How does an artist like Opalmine resident designer ‘Brusacci’ turn a polished stone into a jewellery masterpiece. More about this in our next post.
February 10, 2009 at 12:46 am
I do not know what makes a stone beautiful, but I can say with all certainty, that we recognize beautiful stones at first glance. Opal is the queen of gems, and plays all the richest colors of the spectrum as a swirling aurora of light. This is a stone that could easily be neglected by a careless observer if left in the rough. however, when rubbed out a bit, and polished to a perfect shine, the opal catches your eye immediately. Knowing this, I believe that what makes a stone fashionable, is the mind that shapes the stone to allow this fire to escape at optimal intensity and color. beyond this, I will conclude in stating that the mind that cuts the stone must be enlightened to the full potential of that stone to fully enhance it’s qualities.
So, What makes a cut stone beautiful and fashionable? The enlightened mind of the artist.
And What makes a natural stone beautiful? Nature.
February 11, 2009 at 2:07 pm
My thoughts on design and “what women want”
I will not echo the words of the individual above, nor the author. What I will say, as a woman and an opal fanatic is that the key to designing a piece for rough stones is to look within. Follow the pattern and the designs of the colors and shapes. Free-form is the absolute best way to appreciate opal’s uniqueness. The ebb and flow echoes the forces of nature that made the stone(s). And, just like in nature, no one piece tells the same story, and just like the individual, no one woman can, either.
February 24, 2009 at 2:27 am
I personally find beauty in most of God’s creations, even down to the lowly agate. But the Opal is most precious. It was included in one of the holy garments mentioned in the Bible. This stone represented one of Jacobs most loved sons, Benjamin. I find the jelly opal, one with lots of flash, of all colors, the most beautiful. Second, and only by a small amount, is the black opal, with the same qualities as the jelly Opal.
I do love much of the bolder opal, as long as there is a LOT of opal in the stone. I much prefer Opal with a good amount of red in it. But, as stated above, “Beauty IS in the eye of the beholder”, and that’s a good thing, for if everyone liked the same thing, what a boring world this would be.
Leon Evans
March 19, 2009 at 9:00 am
like leon i to find beauty in all gods creation but the opal wow it dose something to me. i can look at them 4 ever .and i must say i do love free style i think the opal has a mind of its own in the sence of what it wants to look like. and ive seen a lot of cuts out there. and yes peters works of art has cought my eyes. a true master with a love for the opal. i hope someday .to meet him in person.and to see the outback. and o yes bring home some of the rough from downunder. havent seen much of the bolder opal but what i have i really like it . the eye of the beholder in my case i love it all. my thanks to god and people like peter for something so beautiful. randy harmon
June 28, 2009 at 9:01 am
opal is found around the edge of what was originally , australia’s inland sea,the silicia permiates down through the sand stone untill it finds a cavity, the silica fills the cavity solidifies to become precious opal or potch, after reaching these remote outback areas you dig down 10 , 20, 50, to 70 feet then tunnel along at the rate of a few metres per day
when the miner digs out the opal he adds the colour for the first time, as opal colour is refracted light so untill that initial light is added there is no colour , we can truthfully thank our creator for this wonderfull design
June 28, 2009 at 11:53 pm
mac, how about sending us some still pics of some of your designs so we can publish them on this blog. your old mate, zak bruzak [peter]
June 28, 2009 at 11:16 am
haa… thanks Adam, Barb, Leon and Randy for your interesting observations. Yes, when you look at natural things, it takes your breath away, and its amazing how humans seem to get tongue-tied when trying to describe the amazing world around us. Even the most Godless are tempted to use the word ‘creation’ instead of ‘mother nature’ Well, if its mother nature and not something infinitely more intelligent, all i can say is that ‘mother’ is a pretty smart girl.
A few years ago, i gave a nice guy in the states a few pieces of opal to help him with his microscopic photography. Wow! you should see what he did with his specialized camera. He had it posted on the web a few years ago. i did a search but couldn’t find it, so if anyone does, please post it on this forum
June 29, 2009 at 10:45 am
ok pete [or is it zac] i’m in the the process of collecting all my pics together on a dvd when thats done i’ll send a few