Copy and paste from the following data to produce each assessment task. Write these in plain English and spell out how, when and where the task is to be carried out, under what conditions, and what resources are needed. Include guidelines about how well the candidate has to perform a task for it to be judged satisfactory.
Required skills
planning and organising skills to prepare materials for cutting and polishing
problem-solving skills to identify and address common cutting and polishing problems
numeracy skills to use numerical features of machinery
technical skills to:
cut and polish opals using correct technique
work safely with opal-cutting equipment and materials.
Required knowledge
characteristics of opal that make it suitable for use as a doublet or triplet
general principles of OHS for working in an opal-cutting workshop, including:
complying with the safe operating procedures for each machine and materials
good housekeeping
using personal protective equipment (PPE) where required
materials used in doublets and triplets
processes to be used in making a doublet or triplet.
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.
Consumables may include: | cerium or tin oxide cleaning spirit diamond or silicon carbide wheels #220 or #360 diamond polishing compound #2400 to #100000 diamond polishing wheels #3000 to #50000 diamond sanding wheels #280 to #1200 felt or leather buffs silicon carbide sanding paper #180 to #600. |
Equipment may include: | grinding machinery PPE polishing machinery sanding machinery saw. |
Jewellers’ cutting angle requirements may include: | 10º to 12º side angle all sharp edges or acute angles be slightly rounded flat or domed back high overall polish and free of defects sanded or polished back setting edge to be straight and parallel to back tolerance for standard millimetre sizes, 0.2mil. + or −. |
Wax or adhesives for dopping may include: | any 5 minute adhesive, using aluminium dop sticks wood glue hot wax sticks (hot glue gun) super glues vacuum dopping wax (medium to low melting). |
Shape may include: | a variety of other shapes cabochon dome – high, medium and low free form rectangles. |
Triplet top materials may include: | clear quartz commercial standards size triplet tops glass, plain or plate lead crystal glass material of the triplet top should be disclosed synthetic spinel, corundum and topaz. |
Copy and paste from the following performance criteria to create an observation checklist for each task. When you have finished writing your assessment tool every one of these must have been addressed, preferably several times in a variety of contexts. To ensure this occurs download the assessment matrix for the unit; enter each assessment task as a column header and place check marks against each performance criteria that task addresses.
Observation Checklist