Many enthusiasts start their rock tumbling journey with a Rock Polishing Kit, often the National Geographic Hobby Rock Tumbler kit being a popular choice. These kits provide a fantastic entry point into the hobby, typically including a selection of rocks and the necessary grits for the tumbling process. However, users often find themselves questioning the final polishing stage to achieve truly impressive, shiny gemstones.
Like many beginners, I’m currently using the National Geographic kit for my first tumble. I’ve loaded it with the included rocks, plus some Aventurine and Jasper Chita to fill the barrel halfway. I’m diligently following the kit’s grit progression: coarse grit (packet #1) for 5 days, medium grit (packet #2) for 8 days, and fine grit (packet #3) for 8 days.
The concern arises with the final polishing stage. Numerous accounts suggest that relying solely on the polishing grit included in standard rock polishing kits can lead to disappointing results – rocks that appear dull and lacklustre. This is a particular worry for me as I want to spark a lasting interest in my 8-year-old daughter. Shiny, beautifully polished stones are key to captivating her and fostering a lifelong hobby.
Therefore, I’m exploring alternative polishing methods to elevate the results from my rock polishing kit. My proposed plan deviates from the standard kit instructions for the final stages:
Stage 4: Cerium Oxide Polish. Instead of using the kit’s polishing packet #4, I plan to use cerium oxide and tumble for an extended period of 10 days. Cerium oxide is widely recognized in the rock tumbling community as a superior polishing agent capable of producing a much higher shine.
Stage 5: Soap and Water Rinse. To ensure a clean finish and remove any residual cerium oxide, I intend to tumble the rocks with water and shavings of ivory soap for approximately 6 hours. This final step is intended to give the polished rocks a final gentle cleaning and enhance their luster.
The question remains: is this the optimal approach? Would it be beneficial to incorporate the kit’s polish in conjunction with cerium oxide? Perhaps a sequence of kit polish (stage 4), followed by cerium oxide (stage 5), and then the soap and water rinse (stage 6) would yield even better results. Or is the direct switch to cerium oxide after the pre-polish stage the most effective path to brilliantly polished rocks from a rock polishing kit? Any guidance on refining this final polishing stage would be greatly appreciated to ensure these rocks truly shine.
