Gear guide
Best rough rocks for tumbling: mixes and single-stone bags
Picked from Amazon listings, not hands-on tests. How we pick
Once the stones from a starter kit are used up, the next bag of rough decides how the next batch turns out. Bags differ in weight, stone types, piece size and, above all, hardness. The best tumbling material sits around Mohs 7: agate, jasper, quartz types such as amethyst and tiger's eye, and petrified wood. Hard and soft stones should never share a load, because the hard ones grind the soft ones away, so a mix that does not name its stones has to be sorted before it goes in the barrel. Size matters too: a load rolls best with a mix of small and large pieces, and a 3 lb barrel holds about 2 lb of rock. This guide compares seven bags of rough, four mixes and three single-stone bags from 1 lb to 5 lb, by the weight, stone types, size range and hardness notes in each Amazon listing. Mixes that combine soft and hard stones are flagged. The hardness chart on this site shows which rocks tumble well. None of these bags was tested for this page.
Compare the picks
| Pick | Rock type | Size range | Weight | Hardness note | Price | Per lb | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Mooseman Minerals agate and jasper rough mix, 3 lb | Agate and jasper mix | 1 to 2 in | 3 lb | Similar, per listing | - | - | Amazon |
 Fundamental Rockhound brecciated jasper, 5 lb | Brecciated jasper | 1 to 1.25 in average | 5 lb | not stated | - | - | Amazon |
 Fundamental Rockhound Brazil rough mix, 2 lb | Brazil mix, 12+ types | 1 to 1.5 in average | 2 lb | Mostly similar, per listing | - | - | Amazon |
 Luckeeper rough tiger eye stones, 2 lb | Tiger's eye | 1.2 to 2.5 in | 2 lb | not stated | - | - | Amazon |
 mookaitedecor rough agate for tumbling, 1 lb | Agate | 0.98 to 1.98 in | 1 lb | not stated | - | - | Amazon |
 FORBY rough Madagascar stone mix, 3 lb | Madagascar mix | 1 to 2 in, avg 1.25 in | 3 lb | not stated | - | - | Amazon |
 SeeuFun mini rough stone assortment, 5 lb | Mix of 24+ types | 0.5 to 1 in | 5 lb | not stated | - | - | Amazon |
Facts are taken from each Amazon listing. Prices are checked daily and shown with their date.
If you just want one
- Closest match for the jobMooseman Minerals agate and jasper rough mix, 3 lbListing states most stones are very similar in hardness on the Mohs scale, so the bag can go in as one load.
- Most for the money on paperSeeuFun mini rough stone assortment, 5 lbAbout 130 to 160 pieces in the 5 lb pack, per the listing.
- Most complete listingFundamental Rockhound Brazil rough mix, 2 lbGuaranteed types are listed by name, including rose, green and blue quartz, amethyst, red and yellow jasper and carnelian.
The picks in detail
Pick 1 · Mooseman Minerals
Mooseman Minerals agate and jasper rough mix, 3 lb
See price on AmazonA 3 lb mix of agate, jasper and petrified wood, including Rainbow Petrified Wood and Turritella agate. These all sit around Mohs 7, and the listing says most stones are very similar in hardness.
What the listing offers
- Listing states most stones are very similar in hardness on the Mohs scale, so the bag can go in as one load.
- Sizes run about 1 to 2 inches, a mix of sizes that helps a load roll instead of slide.
- Stone types are named, and the listing says 90% of the stones are from the USA.
Limits to know
- 3 lb is about one and a half loads for a 3 lb barrel, so regular tumblers will reorder soon.
- No piece count or share of each stone type is given, so every bag differs.
Pick 2 · The Fundamental Rockhound
Fundamental Rockhound brecciated jasper, 5 lb
See price on Amazon5 lb of a single stone: brecciated jasper, usually dark red with inclusions of agate. Jasper is around Mohs 7, so a one-type bag like this avoids the mixed-hardness problem.
What the listing offers
- 5 pounds of one stone type, brecciated jasper, so there is nothing to sort by hardness.
- Listing describes the color: usually dark red, sometimes nearly black or beige, with inclusions of agate.
- Sizes average 1 to 1 1/4 inches, and the listing says the photos show the stones wet, not as they arrive.
Limits to know
- Pieces are close to one size, about 1 to 1 1/4 inches, so smaller filler or ceramic media helps the load roll.
- One color family only: every batch from this bag looks alike.
Pick 3 · The Fundamental Rockhound
Fundamental Rockhound Brazil rough mix, 2 lb
See price on AmazonA 2 lb Brazil mix with a named list of guaranteed stones, from rose quartz, amethyst and jasper to amazonite and sodalite. The listing says most are similar in hardness and names the exceptions.
What the listing offers
- Guaranteed types are listed by name, including rose, green and blue quartz, amethyst, red and yellow jasper and carnelian.
- Sizes average 1 to 1 1/2 inches, which suits small and mid-size barrels.
- Listing says most stones are similar in hardness and singles out lepidolite, fuchsite, obsidian and calcite.
Limits to know
- The mix combines hard and soft stones: the pieces the listing flags (lepidolite, fuchsite, obsidian, calcite) should be sorted out of the main load.
- 2 lb is a single load for a 3 lb barrel, with nothing left over for a second batch.
Pick 4 · Luckeeper
Luckeeper rough tiger eye stones, 2 lb
See price on Amazon2 lb of rough tiger's eye in pieces of about 1.2 to 2.5 inches. Tiger's eye is in the quartz family, around Mohs 7, so it follows the standard four-step tumble.
What the listing offers
- 2 pounds of one stone type, tiger's eye, with an average size of 1.2 to 2.5 inches stated.
- Listing says the pieces are selected by hand, and each is irregular and unpolished.
- One stone type means the whole bag tumbles as a single load with no hardness sorting.
Limits to know
- Pieces up to 2.5 inches are large for a 1 lb kit barrel and may need a 3 lb barrel or bigger.
- The listing says the stones come without certification, and no piece count is given.
Pick 5 · mookaitedecor
mookaitedecor rough agate for tumbling, 1 lb
See price on Amazon1 lb of rough agate, about 8 to 14 pieces. Agate is around Mohs 7 and a standard tumbling stone; this small bag suits a 1 lb kit barrel or topping up a larger load.
What the listing offers
- 1 lb (460 g) of rough agate, about 8 to 14 pieces, with a velvet bag.
- Piece sizes are stated in the listing: roughly 0.98 to 1.98 inches each.
- Single stone type, sold for tumbling and cutting, so no sorting by hardness is needed.
Limits to know
- Small pack: 1 lb is under one full load for a 3 lb barrel.
- With 8 to 14 pieces of about 1 to 2 inches there are few small stones, so the load needs smaller filler.
Pick 6 · FORBY
FORBY rough Madagascar stone mix, 3 lb
See price on AmazonA 3 lb bag of mixed rough from Madagascar in pieces of 1 to 2 inches. The listing does not name the stone types, so sort the bag by hardness before loading it.
What the listing offers
- 3 lb of rough stones with a stated size range of 1 to 2 inches and an average of 1.25 inches.
- Listing is upfront that the photos show wet stones, so the dry rough will look duller on arrival.
- Each stone is described as irregular, unpolished and rough: raw material, not pre-tumbled.
Limits to know
- Stone types are not named, so the hardness range of the mix is unknown until the bag arrives.
- Piece count is not given: the listing says it depends on the size and weight of each stone.
Pick 7 · SeeuFun
SeeuFun mini rough stone assortment, 5 lb
See price on Amazon5 lb of small rough stones, 0.5 to 1 inch, about 130 to 160 pieces in more than 24 types. The small size suits kit barrels and works as small filler, but the mix needs sorting by hardness.
What the listing offers
- About 130 to 160 pieces in the 5 lb pack, per the listing.
- Named types include amethyst, rose quartz, tiger's eye, green aventurine, citrine and clear crystal.
- Sizes of 0.5 to 1 inch are stated, small enough for 1 lb kit barrels and as filler between larger stones.
Limits to know
- Combines hard and softer stones: quartz types sit alongside sodalite, lapis lazuli, blue apatite and celestite, so sort before tumbling.
- The title says 30 kinds while the bullet says more than 24, and the types in each bag are random.
Read before you buy
- What to do with tumbled rocks: display, jewelry, gifts and selling15 practical uses for tumbled rocks grouped by effort: display, jewelry with bell caps or wire, gifts, garden use, and an honest look at what they are worth.
- Rock tumbling obsidian: cushioning, grit and timingObsidian is brittle volcanic glass at Mohs 5 to 5.5. Gentle schedule: barrel 2/3 to 3/4 full, 30 to 50% media, short coarse run, no white bruises.
- Best rocks for tumbling: hardness chart and rocks to avoidHardness chart for 20 common tumbling rocks: Mohs value, whether each one polishes, which rocks can share a barrel and which to skip.
- How to tumble rocks: a step-by-step guide for beginnersHow to tumble rocks in a rotary tumbler: load the barrel 2/3 full, run four grit steps of about 7 days each and clean between them. 4 to 6 weeks in total.
- How to find rocks to tumble: where to look and what to pick upWhere to find rocks to tumble for free, plus the scratch and rub tests that show in a minute whether a beach, river or yard rock will polish.
Tumble Grit chooses every product independently from what its Amazon listing states. We may earn a commission from the links above. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.