OPAL CUTTING IS UNUSUAL WORK FOR A WOMAN
Precious Btones always have a particUlar appeal for women, but it is unusual to find a woman earning her living by preparing the rough stones for setting, such as is done by Miss S. O'Sullivan, who for the last four yeara has been an opal-cutter. Miss O'Sullivan, wlio is a Melbourne girl, passed through Brisbane recently on her return from a six months' stay in Hongkong, where she had been supervising an opal exhibition with Mx P. Ralston, a Canadian opal expert. Miss O'Sullivan said is was quite by accident that she become interested in opal-cutting, but once her interest was aroused she followed it up methodh cally. She learnt her trade in Germany at Oberstein, a famous stonecutting centre, where opal cutting has been an industry for more than 400 years. "The actual cutting is an interesting process," said Miss O'Sullivan, when discussing her work. ''In Germany water power is used, but in Australia we use electricity. The opals are shaped on a carborundum wheel, and then sent to a jeweller for setting. They are imported from Australia." This -Australian girl has • travelled widely with opal exhibitions, but she is now plannmg to stay in Melbourne with her parents„
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Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 20, 8 February 1937, Page 4
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208OPAL CUTTING IS UNUSUAL WORK FOR A WOMAN Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 20, 8 February 1937, Page 4
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