What can you do with tumbled stones?
Lots of people enjoy tumbled stones. Some simply like to own them. Others love to wear them. Many people make things from them.
Some put them on display. A few people carry them for good luck! Smart people give them away because they know
that good things will come back to them.
What will you do with yours? Here is a big list of fun, interesting and beautiful uses for tumbled stones. We think
that the best uses are those that share the stones with other people.
 | Lucky Stones! Lots of people carry one or more tumbled stones in their pocket or purse as a token of good luck.
Pick one of your favorite stones and try it. You might be surprised buy the good things that happen for you. Large stones work best! :-) |
| Ground Cover in Pots 'n Planters |
 | If you have a large potted plant or a planter you can give it a ground cover of tumbled stones. This protective cover can prevent erosion when the plant is watered and reduce the amount of water that is lost through evaporation. Most tumbled stones weight about 0.068 pounds per cubic inch. So, you would need about 5 pounds to cover a 12" x 12" planter with stones to a depth of one-half inch. A round, 5" diameter pot will require about 3/4 pound of stones for a one-half inch deep covering. Small stones work best. |
| A Big Bowl of Tumbled Stones! |
| A big bowl (or even a small bowl) of tumbled stones can make a great centerpiece for a table, a accent on a shelf or a conversation piece on your desk. They will attract people's attention in a positive way. Allow everyone who admires them an opportunity to pick a few to take home. They will come back to visit again (to get more stones!) and think pleasant thoughts of you every time they see the stones. Medium and large stones work best. Wooden bowls are quiet when you pour in the stones or search through them. |
| Reinforce good performance with clear praise and a small token of recognition. We know a few teachers who give students a brightly polished stone when they do good work. Some allow the student to select a pretty stone from a bowl or give a random stone and encourage students to show and trade. Medium stones work great if you have a small budget and large stones can be used for a extra special reward. |
| Tumbled stones look great in a fish tank. Small stones can make a colorful ground cover and large stones can be interesting boulders for your fish to explore. Its best to use natural (undyed) stones in a fish tank. Small amounts of dye could disolve into the water of your tank and irritate your fish. :-( |
| Tumbled stones work great for a variety of educational activities. Students can describe tumbled stones, identify them, classify them. Tumbled stones can also be used for counting and other math activities. They also work great in dichotomous key activities using properties such as color, diaphaneity, luster, markings, specific gravity and more. Give small groups of students a small collection of tumbled stones and you will see that they start observing, describing, comparing and debating without any cues from you! |
| Lots of people love candles and burn or display them in a bowl or on a large plate. Scatter a few tumbled stones around the candle for an interesting and colorful decoration. |
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| Place a couple of brightly-polished stones in a potted plant. This potted succulent has a ground cover of small white moonstone and large accent pieces of Botswana agate, banded amethyst and jasper. |
 | Few things are more satisfying than making a gift from some brightly polished stones that you tumbled yourself. Tumbled stones can easily be made into keychains, earrings, tie tacks, necklaces, pendants and many other jewelry items using inexpensive findings. |
| A Colorful Jar of Stones! |
 | Clear glass containers filled with brightly- colored tumbled stones make great decorations and gifts. Wow! |
| This one is really fun. Hide a few stones under the sand in your sandbox and allow young treasure hunters an opportunity to look for them. This is a fun activity for a party or picnic. |
| If you like to play board games, use tumbled stones as markers. They make great "Bingo Stones". Use them for tic-tac-toe so you can use the same game space over and over. Or, use them to keep score! Winner gets to keep 'em. |
| Rock and Mineral Collections |
| Lots of people who collect rocks and minerals add tumbled stones to their collections. Hematite, lepidolite malachite, rhodonite, amazonite, prehnite, and quartz are minerals. Obsidian, lapis, unakite and mookaite are rocks. If you visit a major museum their rock and mineral collection always includes an exhibit of beautiful gemstones. |
| Some people believe that placing certain types of rocks, minerals or gemstones on parts of the body that are suffering will result in a healing effect. This practice has been followed by many cultures throughout recorded history. Although there is no scientific evidence to support this practice beyond a placebo effect many people today continue to seek out certain types of gems for their "healing properties". Many medical experts warn that the use of these methods can cause people to delay seeking proper treatment and result in serious illness or even death. |
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