Majestic Press, Inc. was born when various lapidary magazines and publishers decided that they "loved" Paul Downing's new book Opal Cutting Made Easy, but weren't able to get around to publishing it for at least 18 to 24 months. So...self-publishing became the only way to share his knowledge on cutting opals with all his customers. First published on a "letter-quality-dot-matrix" printer in 1984, it became a sell-out many times over.

Now the question was, "How do I place a value on my stones?" Opal Identification and Value filled that need. Extensive research and many, many hours of viewing and documenting stones, plus the photographic assistance of Len Cram and Rudy Weber of Australia, the text was marketed in 1992. This book became the industry standard not only in the U.S., but Australia as well.

Following many lectures, Opal Adventures was published in 1994, taking it's readers on an armchair adventure throughout the opals fields...both in Australia and the United States.

By now the many readers and cutters had new problems. How to handle those advanced techniques. In 1999 we published Opal Advanced Cutting & Setting to address those needs.

Following retirement from the opal business in 2000, it became apparent that values had changed dramatically and many new locations had been discovered on the opal fields. Over the years Paul had acquired a huge collection of photographs and, along with his extensive collection of example stones from his evaluation classes, he decided it was time to revise and update his identification book. Text was drastically reviewed, revised and changed. Photos were now mainly personal from his vast collection, creating a totally new book. The title was changed only slightly to Opal Identification & Value...so readers would understand it was the same subject but a totally new book and released in 2003.

Sandwiched between all the opal books, Handbook of Western Fly Fishing (published 2001) filled Paul's need to share, once again, this time with fellow fly fishers. We had moved to Colorado upon his retirement from Florida State University in 2005. For the five years he summered in Colorado before moving permanently, he discovered not one book that approached fly fishing for the beginner looking to fish western rivers and lakes.  

Majestic Press soon published another fly fishing book by Colbert E. Cushing, The Kelly Creek Chronicles. A well-known stream ecologist and avid fly fisherman, he studied streams throughout the United States and Canada. This book presents an 18 year love affair with Kelly Creek in Idaho.

And then we took on the task of a Christian-based science fiction trilogy by J. K. Ragland, The Uthgar Journals: Rebel Beginnings. It was a nice departure to work on a novel...no pictures! Created for young adults, this Bible-based story is a great way to reach the youth of today without "preaching."

When Opal Cutting Made Easy, Opal Adventures and Opal Advanced Cutting & Setting became out-of-print, Paul decided to jump once more into the fray. As a gemstone cutter...not just an opal cutter...for over 40 years, he decided to combine his knowledge of lapidary skills. Taking the best of all his titles he agreed to pen Opal & Gemstone Jewelry: Cutting * Designing * Setting. Now ALL lapidary enthusiasts can benefit from his vast knowledge and techniques, whether they wish to cut agate, chrysoprase, tiger-eye, petrified wood or opal. It's a book for all.

It's hard to say where we will go from here, but you never know...the Lord works in mysterious ways!