An Opal in Evolution:
Here is an opal that I cut, scanning in various stages.
 
(click on the pics for larger images)
PreCut

Two pictures from different angles of the stone, showing good firelines, but some pits. (The second picture has odd coloring due to the angle I was scanning at.  The first picture has the true color.)

   
MidCut

I decided to make this stone into two, one large one and one much smaller. I cut the stone at the top where the stone was pitted, then I flattened the larger piece and started rounding out the top. 

   
Finished!

When the stones were finished, I polished them. For some reason, the large stone was not polishing well, so I went back and gave it another sanding and then it finally took the polish. Two very nice stones. J