Here’s an easy way to make rocks shiny! The best part is that you do not need to wait weeks for the tumbling process. That’s right, no rock tumbler required for this super simple and quick technique.
Polishing rocks with oil has become a fun family activity for us! We love collecting special rocks at the lake and they look so pretty when they are all wet and shiny at the beach. Unfortunately by the time we get them home, they are dry, look dull and are almost unrecognizable. Here is an easy way to bring out all of the gorgeous details in the rocks!
First you need to decide which type of oil you would like to use. We used food grade mineral oil because it’s the first choice for many experienced rock polishers. Jojoba oil seems to be the second choice and also more environmentally friendly. We are planning on trying jojoba oil next!
Ready to give it a try!? Here’s what you’ll need..
Supplies:
-
- Lake or River Rocks
- Oil- Jojoba or food grade mineral oil both work well for this activity. We used food grade mineral oil for this blog post.
- Jar
- Strainer
- Oil for strained oil
- Paper towel
- Old absorbent towel that you don’t mind getting oily
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Here’s How to Make Rocks Shiny:
Step 1: Wash and dry the rocks.
First, wash the rocks with a light soap and water. Then leave them in the sun to dry.
Step 2: Place rocks in a jar and add mineral oil.
Gently add rocks to a jar and submerge them in oil. Make sure the rocks are completely covered with oil.
Step 3: Cover and let the rocks sit in the oil.
Put the cover on the jar and let the rocks sit in the oil for at least two hours. The rocks are pretty fun to look at while they are soaking in the oil!
Step 4: Strain oil.
Place a bowl under the strainer and strain the oil from the jar. Set aside the extra oil and add it back in the jar for future polishing.
Step 5: Polish with paper towel.
The rocks are pretty oily at this point so I like to give the rocks a quick polish with paper towel to soak up some of the oil.
Step 6: Use an absorbent towel to polish the rocks.
This is the really fun part! Use an old towel to polish the rocks and wipe off the rest of the oil. The oil will stain the towel, so you might want to set this one aside to use over and over again.
I’m always so surprised when I see the end result! The rocks look so beautiful and the details are stunning! These rocks will stay shiny for a few weeks and then they will probably need another polishing!
I hope you enjoy this nature activity as much as I do!
-Tara
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