NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Hobby Rock Tumbler Kit

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NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Hobby Rock Tumbler Kit - Includes Rough Gemstones, 4 Polishing Grits, Jewelry Fastenings, Learning Guide, Great Stem Science Kit

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Size	Small
Brand	Blue Marble
Theme	geology or gemstone crafting
Age range (description)	8 years and up
Item dimensions L x W x H	35.1 x 12.4 x 20.5 Centimetres
Item weight	2.3 kg
Educational objective	STEM
Battery description	No batteries required
Assembly required	No
UPC	816448020421

About this item

CREATE YOUR OWN GEMSTONES - Make any stone sparkle and polish everyday rocks into dazzling gemstones! This rock tumbler kit makes it fun and easy to turn rough rocks into beautifully polished gemstones, thanks to its simple operation and durable design.
A TUMBLER THATs MADE TO LAST “ Our high-quality tumblers are made with a durable motor thats designed to last for years. The leakproof rubber barrel reduces sound, making it 75% quieter than other plastic models. An excellent STEM activity for kids.
A COMPLETE HOBBY TUMBLING KIT - Everything you need to create polished gemstones: the tumbler, four polishing grits, sifter, nine types of real rough gemstones, plus a detailed full-color learning guide. Makes a great gift for girls and boys!
EASY TO USE “ Simple instructions and one-touch settings make rock tumbling fun and easy. Control the number of days for each tumbling cycle with the one-touch timer and automatic shutoff feature, set it and forget it! This is a great gift for kids.
HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATIONAL TOYS - National Geographic is proud to make the highest quality hands-on science toys, and all our products are backed by exceptional service.

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Technical Details

Educational objective(s)	‎STEM
Language:	‎English
Model Number	‎NGHOBBYTUMBLER
Number of game players	‎1
Assembly Required	‎No
Batteries Required?	‎No
Batteries Included?	‎Yes
tech_spec_battery_description_toys	‎No batteries required
Material type(s)	‎Plastic
Remote control included?	‎No
Manufacturer recommended age	‎8 years and up
Item model number	‎NGHOBBYTUMBLER
Product Dimensions	‎35.08 x 12.4 x 20.47 cm; 2.3 kg
ASIN	‎B01LQCIL88

Additional Information

Customer Reviews	24,297 ratings 4.3 out of 5 stars
�鶹�� Rank	#1,929 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games) #3 in Kids' Rock Tumblers
Date First Available	Feb. 26 2016
Manufacturer	Discover with Dr. Cool
Place of Business	ASHLAND, OR, 97520 US

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CHOKING HAZARD -- Small parts. Not for children under 3 yrs.

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Your purchase has purpose!

Every purchase helps support the global nonprofit National Geographic Society in its work to protect and illuminate our world through exploration, research, and education.

Product Description

Includes everything you need to create polished gemstones: the tumbler, four polishing grits, sifter, nine types of real rough gemstones, plus a detailed full-colour Learning Guide. Makes a great gift for girls and boys!

Rock tumbling is a fun way to start a beautiful rock collection!

This Hobby Rock Tumbler Kit from National Geographic includes all the accessories you’ll need to start polishing dazzling gems. Kids can use the included jewelry fastenings to create beautiful homemade jewelry!

This high-quality tumbling machine boasts a powerful motor that will last for years; an automatic shutoff timer; and a noise-reducing, leak-proof barrel with stainless steel lid. Plus, everything is included to get started: a 1/2 pound of assorted stones from around the world, 4 stages of polishing media, and jewelry fastenings to you can create your own unique wearables with your tumbled gems.

Rock tumbling is a fun activity for children of all ages and promotes an interest in geology and science! Join National Geographic as we inspire future generations by showing them the wonders of the natural world.

We make the highest quality hands-on science toys, and all products are backed by exceptional service. With a mission to inspire people to care about the planet, the National Geographic Society is one of the world's largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations.

national geographic stem toys, craft kits and activities for kids

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Customer reviews

24,297 global ratings

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Customers like the functionality, quality, and ease of use of the science fundamentals kit. They mention it does a good job, is well-made, and comes with a variety of items. Customers also appreciate that it's educational. However, some customers have issues with the power supply, noise level, and size.

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Functionality Quality Ease of use Variety of items Educational Noise level Size Power supply

164 customers mention "Functionality"142 positive22 negative

Customers like the functionality of the product. They mention it does a good job, is easy for kids, and comes with a very useful and easy to understand guide.

"Great product. I love how it was shipped quickly and with everything you need to run a pound of stone though it. Easy to follow instruction...." Read more

"Works great, the rocks it comes with are gorgeous. The polishing grit it gives you doesn’t do very good tho, best to buy that elsewhere...." Read more

"First, the machine seems great. Works well, it is as quiet as one can expect, and seems well-made...." Read more

"Well made and works great but way noisier than expected even with the padded drum had to put in the garage...." Read more

86 customers mention "Quality"65 positive21 negative

Customers like the quality of the product. They mention it's well-made, works well, and the rocks look shiny and polished after following the instructions.

"...Will review again once all the steps are done. Looks to be good quality. I have a question: came with a 15% off coupon for more rocks...." Read more

"Nice and compact, easy to use. Daughter is excited to see the outcome of the rocks...." Read more

"Well made and works great but way noisier than expected even with the padded drum had to put in the garage...." Read more

"Poor quality, but good customer service..." Read more

64 customers mention "Ease of use"59 positive5 negative

Customers like the ease of use of the product. They mention it's easy to follow the instructions, comes with everything to set up right away, and is a complete beginner rocks thumbling kit. They like looking at the manual and the info about the different kinds of gemstones.

"...Has a rubber cup and rubber lid with a stainless steel secure top. Easy to use. Comes with strainer...." Read more

"Really well built tumbler, easy to use, just has 5 buttons to select the number of days you want to tumble for and then off it goes...." Read more

"...The instructions are easy to follow. It took long time to finish the entire four steps, but comes out beautifully...." Read more

"Simple to setup and get started with but you do need to do some research before you start of you want really good results...." Read more

46 customers mention "Variety of items"39 positive7 negative

Customers like the variety of items in the science fundamentals kit. They mention it comes with some cool rocks to get you started, a rich set of rocks, and the idea of turning rough rocks into shiny treasures. They also say it's a pretty neat thing to put rocks in and have them come out like gems.

"This rock tumbler set is pretty neat and super easy to use!...." Read more

"...Yeah included rocks are nice and look good after following the instructions...." Read more

"...They loved the idea of turning rough rocks into shiny treasures. And for a while, it was a hit. However, I have to admit, it's quite loud...." Read more

"...So far so good. I trust NG more than the other sellers. Comes with a lot of great items such as ore samples and information booklets...." Read more

35 customers mention "Educational"35 positive0 negative

Customers find the product educational. They mention it's fun for kids to learn, easy to set up, and watching the rocks change. They also say it's a great toy all-around and a satisfying experience.

"Fun and easy to use, does not create a glossy finish if that is your goal. I still enjoy it for smoothing out neat rocks I find." Read more

"Item works fine, the kids had fun setting it up and watching the rocks change through the stages. The end result was just OK, a little disappointing...." Read more

"Great item for kids to learn" Read more

"...Smoothen rocks without much work. 2)Educational Cons: 1) Cannot be polished to high shine...." Read more

90 customers mention "Noise level"42 positive48 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the noise level of the product. Some mention it's not too noisy, while others say it's noisy but not more than you would expect from a machine tumbling.

"...Its a little noisy, but that's to be expected and it becomes like white noise after the first day. Highly recommend!!" Read more

"...the bit of extra money this was way worth it the motor is strong and quiet and the general design is way better then the other tumbler I would..." Read more

"...Very interested if the 24/7 running will effect our electricity bill. Loud, must put in a room secluded from common areas or bedrooms...." Read more

"...Quiet and programmable." Read more

32 customers mention "Size"21 positive11 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the size of the product. Some mention it's a great size for a hobby tumbler, good for small rocks, and a nice compact machine. However, others say the rocks shrunk significantly in size.

"I like the size of the tumbler. It runs quietly. Everything I needed was included." Read more

"Cool little machine, it is pretty small though" Read more

"Awesome Little Rock tumbler. Keep in mind the process takes months,also is VERY NOISY...." Read more

"Good for small rocks. Not too noisy. Takes time to work, but my son really enjoyed it...." Read more

43 customers mention "Power supply"9 positive34 negative

Customers are dissatisfied with the power supply of the product. They mention it comes with a UK plug, not a Canadian plug, and a European power adapter. Some say it's not usable and disappointing.

"...but when he opened it we discovered that the unit was intended for use in the UK...." Read more

"...like almost a 100 bucks and couldn't even use it because the cord doesn't work or even fits in the tumbler outlit :..." Read more

"...about that... but nowhere on here does it say that it only comes with a UK power cord!!!..." Read more

"unit came with power cord that does not fit North American outlets" Read more

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Top reviews from Canada

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Jonathan Gray
Great Little Rock tumbler
Reviewed in Canada on December 29, 2024
Verified Purchase

This rock tumbler set is pretty neat and super easy to use!. Kit included different grit for stages of tumbling and has a users manual that explains perfectly how to use and how long to tumble for. Great for any beginner. Tumbler is noisy but once you get used to it. Decent quality of material. Kit comes with a variety of neat rocks and also a poster showing what is what. Great value to add or start a collection

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4 people found this helpful

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Hiliary
Great Little Rock tumbler
Reviewed in Canada on June 16, 2025
Verified Purchase

The media could not be loaded.

Awesome Little Rock tumbler. Keep in mind the process takes months,also is VERY NOISY. I attached mine to an extension cord and placed further from my house to dull the sound. I will update this review once the rocks are smooth but it seems to be doing the job! Another MUST HAVE FOR ROCK HOUNDS!

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2 people found this helpful

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Orest
Great machine but noisy
Reviewed in Canada on January 3, 2025
Verified Purchase
Really well built tumbler, easy to use, just has 5 buttons to select the number of days you want to tumble for and then off it goes. However keep in mind its really quite noisy. You need to put it in the garage or shed somewhere where you can't hear it. There are 4 different levels of grit you are supposed to mix and each one requires 3-5 days of tumbling, so in all, about 4 weeks! My 7 year old daughter was really happy with the results after 4 days on the initial level of grit. We even added some rocks from outside to compare and they worked well.

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5 people found this helpful

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Carol
Great product
Reviewed in Canada on June 16, 2025
Verified Purchase
Bought for my grandson he loves it. Got all that we expected

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One person found this helpful

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Seamanca
Great gift to children loves rocks.
Reviewed in Canada on January 28, 2025
Verified Purchase
Bought this as Christmas gift to my son who is interested in rocks and jade. The instructions are easy to follow. It took long time to finish the entire four steps, but comes out beautifully. We put it in garage so the sound won’t bother anyone. He loves it. The image is after finished step 3. There are a few rocks are from my son’s rock collection.

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Seamanca

Great gift to children loves rocks.

Reviewed in Canada on January 28, 2025
Bought this as Christmas gift to my son who is interested in rocks and jade. The instructions are easy to follow. It took long time to finish the entire four steps, but comes out beautifully. We put it in garage so the sound won’t bother anyone. He loves it. The image is after finished step 3. There are a few rocks are from my son’s rock collection.

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3 people found this helpful

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Small.. but did the trick
A bit noisy.. but excellent
Reviewed in Canada on January 31, 2025
Verified Purchase
My daughter loved it!! Great hobby for a 9 yearold and adults alike .. very noisy so I recommend plugging it in outside in a garage or shed.

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Shawn Smith
Junk
Reviewed in Canada on July 28, 2025
Verified Purchase
Lasted 2 months, did 2 batches of rocks and the motor quit working. Junk. And go figure the warranty is for 45 days. Rip off!!!

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Stormy
Product description not quite right.
Reviewed in Canada on February 17, 2020
Verified Purchase
This was a Christmas gift for our grandson, but when he opened it we discovered that the unit was intended for use in the UK. Nothing in the product description indicated that the unit wouldn’t work in North America without the use of an adapter plug. When I first contacted �鶹�� I was told that there had been a mixup at the warehouse and that I could purchase an adapter. I was shocked!! I asked for a North American unit but was told about the warehouse mixup again 🤷‍♀️. Finally they sent me an adapter free of charge, which I appreciated, but I still don’t think it was a suitable solution. As far as I am concerned, this product description was not representative of the product and I probably would not have purchased it. Consequently, because of all the delays, our grandson just recently started using it so we have yet to find out how it works. So far, this is not a complaint about how the product works, rather, it is about how it was advertised on �鶹��. This review also requires me to give a product rating before it will let me post this. I can’t rate it because I have yet to see how it works... so the rating is not accurate.

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4 people found this helpful

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Es un pulidor no muy profesional, para niños y jóvenes que se inician en la expedición de rocas
Muy práctico
Reviewed in Mexico on October 3, 2024
Verified Purchase

Es un pulidor para niños y jóvenes , o para principiantes , muy bueno y económico

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Digant Joshi
Buy this product and enjoy your hobby but do not pay three time more on �鶹��.
Reviewed in India on March 28, 2019
Verified Purchase
Excellent product and 100% results producer but now a days this product buy on �鶹�� is totally foolish idea because very very expensive compared to original cost in USA. Dear buyers don't buy this product.

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carol
Great gift idea for crystal lovers
Reviewed in Australia on September 1, 2021
Verified Purchase
Arrived on time , great fun to watch dull stones become beautiful crystals! Is a little loud, sounds like a pebble creek, I have mine running outside. My grandsons love it.

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Abdulaziz almalki
ممتاز��
Reviewed in Saudi Arabia on October 8, 2023
Verified Purchase
تصقل وتلمع

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Marie
Genuine review after fully using it!
Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2023
Verified Purchase
Are you wondering if it works well? It does!
Any problems? None!
Results? Incredible, I was truly shocked!

Pros:
Almost no assembly, at all.

Extremely easy to understand the directions
(Tumbling time will vary depending on the rocks. Don't let it scare you away when it says one phase should tumble for 6-8 days (I haven't had to tumble any that long! The longest has been 3 days). That being said, an extremely hard rock that's very jagged may need more time. Using the rocks they include, or your own collection of crystals/gemstones is a great route. A plain piece of gravel or a rock of that type is very hard and dense and may take more time (who wants polished gravel anyway though?)

Extended project to do with children, lots of engagement. Because their are 4 different grit types with different purposes, the children get to return to their project, dump the rocks and check on the progress and start a new phase. It's a great opportunity to teach to teach about erosion, and show / explain what a rock looks like through millions of years of erosion and then further explain how incredible it is that we are doing this project together that mimics what nature does, we are polishing these rocks in a few weeks that takes millions of years to do in nature! It's a wonderful learning opportunity for children, as well as an extremely engaging project that although it may take quite some time for it to finish, the ongoing project itself is what makes it fun. Returning to the rocks and seeing the progress, (we actually started taking pictures each time we open it so then we can look back on the pictures and see how the rocks have changed!). I cannot say enough how great of a project this is for children to get them excited about science!

Personally, I find this to be very satisfying regardless of children. This would be an extremely fun hobby for an adult as well, the above is not to say that this is a children only experience. Use or find or buy your own natural gemstones or softer rocks (look in River beds if you can!). Tumble them, polish them, and then make your jewelry or just save them to display. It's quite a satisfying feeling to see the project from beginning to end, and to know that the beautiful smooth shiny rocks were not store-bought, but that you did this with that with this machine!

Cons:
I've been through the tumbling process in full, twice now. I honestly cannot think of any cons at this point. It's not to say that no one has had issues, but the machine I received functions perfectly and I have had no issues with leaks or ill-fitting pieces, tearing of the belt or anything of this nature.
I did take a very small amount of oil on my fingertip and lightly rub it on the belt to keep it lubricated, with the constant friction I could see how the belt can eventually wear down just like any other belt of this nature whether it's in a car or in a fan. So, keeping it very slightly lubricated will help with the health of the band. Should it break, the kid includes an extra belt and it is incredibly easy to repair, the belt is divisible and an outside piece of the equipment you simply take one off and put the other on there is no sophisticated way of connecting the belt, it is truly something my six-year-old could do with almost no instruction, so an adult will have zero issues with that!

If you are interested in rock tumbling, or you just want a very fun project for your children to stimulate their interest in science or to just keep them busy using their imaginations (regarding the possibilities of what to do with the rocks, and imagining whether it will look like and the brilliant colors!) - then this is absolutely a perfect kit to start with.

DO:

Make sure to not put too many rocks. I've never filled mine more than one third of the way, and I wouldn't recommend doing more than that. The amount of rocks you can tumble at a time will vary depending on the size, but I also recommend not doing anything smaller than a dime because during the tumbling process it could crack and chip. I would also recommend not doing anything larger than a half dollar as well (height and width, and that'd be on the largest size). Remember, this is just the hobby edition. I do have to say though, the results are quite sophisticated for just a hobby edition!

All in all, it's an excellent piece of equipment to buy if you're interested in rock tumbling but are unsure if you would stick to it or are not ready to spend a few hundred dollars on a professional Tumbler.

** I did read a few comments about the machine leaking, I have not had this problem at any point. Make sure you are putting on the inner lid correctly, as well as the top lid, then turning the black lid securing piece as tightly as possible. If you do end up having problems, I highly recommend exchanging instead of giving up, because I really have seen that it works and I just want everyone who wants to try this to have the experience I've had!

It's been great fun. Wonderful purchase, no regrets!

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NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Hobby Rock Tumbler Kit - Includes Rough Gemstones, 4 Polishing Grits, Jewelry Fastenings, Learning Guide, Great Stem Science Kit

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WARNING:

From the brand

New Products & �鶹��

Rock Tumblers & Accessories

World-Class Science Kits

Geodes, Gems & Crystals

Dig Kits

Arts & Crafts Kits

Marble Runs

Outdoor Toys

Product Description

National Geographic Hobby Rock Tumbler Kit

Rock tumbling is a fun way to start a beautiful rock collection!

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Best tumbler I have seen. I use it to make my copper jewelry harden and sparkle.

Top reviews from Canada

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Great gift to children loves rocks.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Muy práctico

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this product and enjoy your hobby but do not pay three time more on �鶹��.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great gift idea for crystal lovers

5.0 out of 5 stars ممتاز��

5.0 out of 5 stars Genuine review after fully using it!

Muy práctico

Buy this product and enjoy your hobby but do not pay three time more on �鶹��.

Great gift idea for crystal lovers

ممتاز��

Genuine review after fully using it!