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Elements and Performance Criteria

Survey market requirements as a basis for making a decision on opal cutting strategy.
Weigh opal and record information.
- Weigh opal before cleaning as a basis for determining yield.
- Record relevant information.
Clean and orient opal to determine yields and shape.
Process opal to pre-form state.
Follow OHS principles when operating machinery.
- Follow all general OHS principles and Safe Operating Procedures when using machinery, tools, materials and equipment for opal cutting.

Required Skills

Required skills

research skills

use of appropriate equipment

planning skills

ability to determine colour and yield to achieve greatest value

Required knowledge

characteristics of opal gemstone structure

the importance of achieving yield when cutting a gemstone

market trends and industry requirements

Evidence Required

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria required skills and knowledge range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Assessment must confirm knowledge of the current buying trends retail wholesale and Internet Based on this information and knowledge of opal structure and value decisions are made on what the final product should be and how to cut the stone to achieve the desired outcome maximizing the yield and colour play from each stone Assessment must confirm the safe completion of cleaning and shaping and preforming

Context of and specific resources for assessment

This unit may be assessed in a work environment in a simulated work environment or in a combination of these situations

Method of assessment

For valid and reliable assessment of this unit evidence should be gathered through a range of methods to indicate consistent performance

Assessment of this unit of competence will usually include observation of processes and procedures oral andor written questioning on underpinning knowledge and skills and other methods as required

Assessment of this unit of competence will usually include observation of processes and procedures oral andor written questioning on underpinning knowledge and skills and other methods as required

Assessment methods should closely reflect workplace demands eg literacy and the needs of particular groups eg people with disabilities and people who may have literacy or numeracy difficulties such as speakers of languages other than English remote communities and those with interrupted schooling

Competence in this unit must be assessed over a period of time in order to ensure consistency of performance over the range of variables and contexts applicable to the work environment

Assessment of this competency requires access to

an opal cutting workshop

a qualified workplace assessor or assessment team

Range Statement


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.
Determining opal buying preferences may involve:	accessing Internet auction sites accessing Internet opal specific sites making contact with opal dealers making contact with opal-cutters phoning jewellery wholesalers phoning other jewellers talking with local jewellery store owner targeting opal specific stores.

Relevant information to be recorded may include:	date of purchase description description of area where mined field mining lease number number of classes purchase price type of opal vendor weight.

Appropriate equipment may include:	cleaning equipment diamond grinder diamond sawing free-hand saw silicon carbide grinder slab saw trim saw.

Unwanted material may include:	cracked material iron stone materials with inclusions or stains matrix poor colour potch sandstone.

General OHS principles and Safe Operating Procedures sheet may include:	complying with the safe operating procedures for each machine good housekeeping, in particular avoiding contaminants using personal protective equipment where required.