CATALOGUE

SEMINARS, BOOKS and READINGS

Seminars

Tucson
Tucson has the largest collection of gem shows in the world in one place at one time around late January - early February of each year. We have had a booth at the Holidome for years and in 1999 initiated a series of Opal Seminars. We are happy to report that our Opal Seminar at the Gem & Lapidary Wholesalers Show at the Holiday Inn Holidome in February 2006 far exceeded our expectations. We are gratified with the reception of our seminars on opal mining, cutting, buying, and using our favorite gemstone. The more we all know, the better for the OPAL industry and us the consumers.
Tucson 2007 workshops will include previous topics and presentations that focus on commercial uses of opal. Opal by House of Tibara 2007 Tucson Annual "How to" All-day Workshops in-depth information go to Seminar 2007 Schedule, Registration.
American Opal Society
The American Opal Society Show in November 2007 at the Clarion Hotel (formerly Quality Inn), 616 Convention Way, Anaheim, California. Over the years Tim has presented various topics at their seminars. For membership information go to the AOS website: http://www.opalsociety.org.
California Federation and Other Club Shows
Tim's slide presentations at these shows have always contained current topics – Australian mining, unstable opal / mine locations, microscopic fire patterns, cutting and polishing opal, maximizing opal yield by better cutting, etc.

Publications for Your Library:

Seminar 2002 Tibara Opal Book, by Tim and Barbara Thomas
This useful publication is professional, and combines 101 years of opal mining, cutting, buying, and using of opal of four opal lovers. Granted, it is not like being at the seminars, but it is the next best thing unless we edit the video tapes into an entity for sale. It contains excerpts of experiences, discussions and present and previous presentations.

The cost is $30 post paid. Satisfaction guaranteed, 10 day perusal. Please call with your credit card or mail a check to PO Box 1717, Clovis, CA. 93613-1717.

Australian Opal, by Fred Ward. We offer this book because it is a good synopsis of all the major fields in Australia and includes cutting info as well as some beautiful photography. Cost is $19.00 post paid.	Beautiful Opals, by Len Cram. Lennie is the recognized authority on the history of Australian Opal. This publication has gorgeous photography and gives an outstanding sense of opal lore. Cost is $21.50 post paid.
Beautiful Lightning Ridge, by Len Cram. A hundred years of the world's most famous Black Opal Field. This book will be available January 2001. Cost is $21.50 post paid.	Rock Color Chart - With Munsell Color Chips Munsell Color Chips in the black to white range are used by the Lightning Ridge Opal Miners Association as a world wide standard for describing the degree of black in the base color of "black opal." Available from: The Geological Society of America 3300 Penrose Place P. O. Box 9140 Boulder CO 80301 ** Downloading or printing these "color chips" will not be as accurate as a Rock Color Chart with actual Munsell Chips.

Readings
Readings Group 1	Readings Group 2
1.1 Finding Maximum Opal Value & Opal Buying & Cutting, Field Alert By Tim and Barbara Thomas	2.1 Making Opal Triplets, Doublets, Inlay Backing, Processes, Procedures and Production By Tim and Barbara Thomas
1.2 Polishing & Dopping, Cerium oxide polishing thoughts By Tim Thomas	2.2 Marvin L. Wilson on Opal Carving
1.3 Where Does Fire Come From By Tim and Barbara Thomas	2.3 Carving/Sculpting with Handpiece & Diamonds or Bead Blaster By Tim and Barbara Thomas
1.4 American Opal Society Seminar Synopsis By Russ Madsen, Based on a presentation by Tim Thomas, guest speaker at the 1997 Opal Symposium at the annual Opal and Gem Show of the American Opal Society. Readings 1.1 - 1.4 $9.50pp	2.4 Making Opal Composites By Tim and Barbara Thomas 2.5 Boulder Opal Cutting Tips By Barbara Thomas Readings 2.1 - 2.5 $12.00pp

Readings Group 3	Readings Group 4
3.1 Synopsis - 1^st National Opal Mining Symposium - March 1999 By Tim and Barbara Thomas	4.1 Maps of Australia, Major working areas, Mintabie, Coober Pedy, Andamooka
3.2 A New Era for Opal Nomenclature By Anthony Smallwood FGAA, GG	4.2 Opal Bibliography By Tim and Barbara Thomas
Readings 3.1 - 3.2 $5.50pp	4.3 Catalogue -- Downloading is cheaper. Readings 4.1 - 4.3 $12.00pp