After four weeks of tumbling, you have a pile of glossy stones and a question: now what? Here are our favorite ways to use them, from five-minute projects to ones you’ll wear every day.
Wear them
- Wire-wrapped pendants: wrap a stone in copper or silver wire, finish with a loop and hang it on a chain. No drilling needed, and tumbled stones are the perfect shape for beginners.
- Glue-on bails: attach a jewelry bail to the back of a flat stone with jewelry-grade epoxy for a quick pendant.
- Earrings: small matched pairs make great earrings. Sort a batch by size and color to find them.
- Drilled beads: for bracelets and necklaces, drill stones with a diamond bit, kept under water and run slowly. Wear eye protection.
Around the house
- Planters and vases: top-dress a potted plant, or fill a clear vase for an easy display.
- Bowls and jars: a glass jar of stones from one trip is a memory you can see.
- Fountains and water features: polished stones look their best wet.
- Aquariums: stick to quartz-family stones like agate and jasper, which won’t change the water chemistry.
Keepsakes and gifts
- Worry stones: a smooth, flat stone that fits the thumb makes a calming pocket stone.
- Trip mementos: tumble stones from a family trip, and label the jar with the place and date.
- Party and wedding favors: small bags of polished stones are an inexpensive, personal gift.
- Place cards and paperweights: larger flat stones are easy to label.
With kids
Let kids pick the stones, keep the tumbling log and sort the finished batch by color. It’s a hands-on way to learn about geology and patience. Adults should handle the grit and the slurry.
Sell them
Many hobbyists sell finished stones and jewelry at craft fairs and club shows. Read a rock hound’s life for more on turning the hobby into a side business.
Need more stones for your next project? Start with rock tumbling for beginners, or make your own sea glass for jewelry and mosaics.