That’s right. I am going Wild… Acres that is. At this moment, I am writing about my first class in Opal Cutting at the Wild Acres Retreat near Spruce Pine, North Carolina. I am about 3300 ft above sea level among picturesque mountains and dangerous falling acorns. (Ouch… oh, it was only my head.)
Well, it wasn’t my first class. My first official class begins tomorrow, bright and early. My teacher’s name is Sarah Lee Boyce. She’s been teaching Opal Cutting for a long time now, and she teaches mostly here and at a school called William Holland in Georgia. Let me tell you, she’s a straight-shooter type of person, but also very, very sweet. (I know this because of how nice she is being to a little, old beginner like me.)
Basically, what she did tonight was go over the outline of the class. We will be learning how to handle our opal cutting/cabbing machines; learn to “read” opals of all kinds; cut the opal so as to not lose much rough; repair any mistakes if need be; and finally grade and price opals.
So, I bet you are really wanting to know, “Why Opal Cutting?”. Well, for this session, it was my first choice. I like opals of all kinds, and I thought it would be cool to learn how they were cut. Maybe, even cut some decent ones to make pendants for my jewelry a la Hooks & Toggles Exclusives. (To be honest though, my very first, first choice would have been Silversmithing, Beginning, but that was not available this session so I went with Opal Cutting instead, but don’t tell Sarah.)
Anyways, I think it is going to be a very interesting class. Hopefully, I will learn a lot and grow as a jewelry maker as well as someone who designs jewelry.
Here’s to me not screwing up… too badly.