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Elements and Performance Criteria

Required Skills

Required skills

critical thinking and analytical skills to investigate other methods of making spheres and beads where commercial equipment isnt available

planning and organising skills to organise required materials

problemsolving skills to deal with contingencies

numeracy skills to use numerical features of machinery

technical skills to

use appropriate machinery and equipment

select appropriate material for beads and spheres

Required knowledge

suitability of rough for production of beads and spheres taking into account the level of wastage and cost

equipment and consumables needed for the process

industry standards for opal beads and spheres

OHS issues related to machinery

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

Overview of assessment

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

Evidence of the ability to

identify and safely use machinery and equipment to cut and polish opal beads and spheres to meet the requirements of industry

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must ensure access to

machinery equipment and consumables required to produce opal beads and spheres

Method of assessment

A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge The following examples are appropriate for this unit

observation of processes and procedures

oral andor written questioning on underpinning knowledge and skills

evaluation of the finished product

review of portfolios of evidence

review of thirdparty workplace reports of onthejob performance by candidate

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

Guidance information for assessment

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector workplace and job role is recommended

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.

Bead mill, sphere making equipment and drills may include:	Arrowhead Gemcraft (USA) Sphere Machine E & J Adams Lapidary (USA) Sphere Machine home-made equipment Mahashi (Japan) Bead Mill Richardson’s (USA) Sphere Machine.
Maintenance areas may include:	bead mill: all bearings all electrics bead holders and wear factor bottom rotating disc and wear factor rubber pad on top rotating disc sphere makers: all electrics assorted sphere cups polishing pads reduction boxes.
Materials suitable for making spheres and beads may include:	any opal material, taking into account a yield factor or recovery rate of only 10% to 15% from a given ounce of rough opal beads of a variety of regular or free form shapes spheres cut from any opal material, with consideration of yield factor.
Grinding mediums may include:	diamond powder #80 through to #1200 silicon carbide grit #80 through to #1200.
Polishing mediums may include:	cerium or tin oxide diamond powder #3000 through to #100,000.