You can measure a rock’s hardness by using a Mohs Test Kit (available online).Īnother method would be to scratch the rock’s surface with an object of a certain hardness such as your fingernail, a copper penny (new pennies are made of zinc, so try to find an old copper coin), obsidian, knife blade, steel file, or a piece of quartz.
Mohs hardness table for tumbling rocks ( source)Īnything below seven on the Mohs scale is considered a soft material. When tumbling different rocks together, their hardness should be on the same level. How Long Does It Take To Tumble Rocks? Values For Various Rocks Mohs Scale HardnessĮach specimen has a hardness level, generally measured upon the Mohs hardness scale. That’s why is always good to know how long tumbling takes for various rocks and minerals. TIP: Rock tumbling can be quite time-consuming. Lastly, the rocks you want to polish must have a smooth texture otherwise, the granular debris that they produce will scratch the other stones in the tumbler’s barrel. These tiny crackings will cause rocks to split into little parts that will scratch the polished stones.
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The rocks you want to polish must be free of fractures. Voids and pore spaces can ruin the tumbling process – the rocks will have coarse-grit scratches. The quality of your rock specimens is critical when it comes to tumbling.
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Once you learn how to pick the right rocks for tumbling, there is nothing that can stop you from turning rough stones into stunning shiny gems. There are five things to consider when tumbling different rocks together: their Mohs hardness, size, rock family, tumbling rough & grit, and the rocks’ quality. What To Take Into Consideration When Tumbling Different Rocks Together
Going up on the Mohs scale, it becomes more challenging to tumble rocks due to their hardness. The same goes for large specimens of rock quartz, clear quartz, crystal quartz, or rose quartz. The banded amethyst has a Mohs hardness of 7 and requires separate tumbling due to its fragile nature. Jasper and agate are recommended for beginners as they have an excellent satisfying luster. Larger chunks of quartz require a ceramic tumbling media, though. Many specimens of this group are tumbled together. Group 6 features harder rocks, up to 7 on the Mohs scale. Specimenįeldspars have a hardness of 6 – 6.5 and can be tumbled together but will require a longer time. The sixth group is composed of rocks with an average of 6.06 Mohs hardness that can be safely tumbled together. The best results are obtained if these stones are tumbled together. SpecimenĪnother notable group is the tiger’s eye family of rocks. Obsidian is a fragile rock that splits into sharp chips that might cause bruises if tumbled with other species. We included this rock in a separate category as it is one of the specimens that should be tumbled separately. The fourth group belongs to the obsidian.
They are considered soft rocks, and it will take only a few days to bring them to the polishing stage. SpecimenĪll the above specimens can be safely tumbled together. The third group is dedicated to the rocks with Mohs hardness between 3.5 and 5. Their Mohs hardness is about three and can be safely tumbled together but will require checking from time to time.
In the second group, we have included the calcites such as blue calcite and orange calcite. This stone has a hardness between 2 and 7, and it should be carefully checked before mixing it with other rocks in the tumbler. The first group belongs to the beautiful chrysocolla, also known as eilatite. The most common tumbled rocks can be split into 12 large groups, according to their Mohs hardness. However, there are some things to consider, and this is what we will try to cover in this chapter. What Rocks Can Be Tumbled TogetherĪs previously stated, rocks with the same Mohs hardness usually can be tumbled together. If you are interested in checking out the best rock tumbler made by National Geographic you can find it by clicking here (Amazon link).
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