Jewelry tumblers are a great way to get your jewelry back to the way it looked when you first laid eyes on it. These machines work by rotating a small canister or “tumbler” filled with small pellets that gently polish your jewelry. We compile a list of top rated tumbler and polisher on Amazon and give a brief review of each model. We aim to help users choose their best jewelry tumbler and polisher without hassle.
Lortone 3A Single Barrel Tumbler for Jewelry Tumbling
Top rated Best Jewelry Tumbler and Polisher in 2018
Tumbling is one of the easiest and most effective ways to get your jewelry looking its best. Here, we will go over some of the best jewelry tumblers.
Lortone QT-66 Rotary Rock Tumbler
National Geographic Professional Rock Tumbler
This professional rock tumbler can be used to turn regular rocks into stunning, polished gems. The tumbler comes with a complete hobby kit which includes the tumbler, 1 lb of rough gems, four different polishing grits, an information guide and instructions for use. Also, this tumbler features a variable speed control and a shut off timer for better results. National Geographic is a trusted name and their tumbler comes back by a 100% satisfaction guarantee and is even backed by a 2-year warranty.Happybuy 100mm Magnetic Tumbler
BestEquip 180mm Magnetic Tumbler
XtremepowerUS Dual Drum Rotary Tumbler
National Geographic Hobby Rock Tumbler Kit
BestEquip 45W Magnetic Tumbler
Superland KT2000 Jewelry Polisher
How to Tumble Jewelry
Tumbling your jewelry is a fairly easy and straightforward practice. In just a few easy steps, you will have your jewelry back to its original shine. Here’s how to use a jewelry tumbler.
Step 1 – The first thing that you will want to do is to open up the tumbler’s barrel and to add the desired amount of stainless steel shot. The amount of shot needed will vary depending on the type of jewelry or polishing that you plan to do.
Step 2 – The next step is going to be to add your jewelry into the tumbler. Once the jewelry is inside, you are going to want to fill the barrel with just enough water to cover the jewelry and the shot. Then, add a few drops of dishwashing detergent or hand soap. You may also use a burnishing compound. However, make sure to dilute the solution and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Also, make sure to not use any detergents that contain anti-bacterial agents. These additives often contain harsh chemicals that can cause damage to your jewelry or the tumbler itself.
Step 3 – The final step is to close the barrel and then to tumble the jewelry. Typically, tumbler will complete the process in about 30 minutes. However, this can vary. It is a good idea to open the barrel and check the jewelry throughout the process. You may have to tumble your piece longer to achieve your desired look and finish. Once you are satisfied with the finish, all that is left to do is to clean up. You’re going to want to pour out the shot into a mesh strainer and give it a quick rinse. Then spread the shot out so that it can dry. Make sure the shot is completely dry before storing since any moisture could cause it to rust and this can cause damage to your jewelry.
*Note – Before using a tumbler for the first time, it is a good idea to run some shot mix with some water and detergent to clean the inside of the barrel.
Helpful Hints
As previously mentioned, polishing your jewelry with a tumbler is an easy and efficient method to get your jewelry back to its original shine. Here are a few helpful tips for using a jewelry tumbler.
- Never tumble more than one chain at a time. The chains will likely become tangled together and you will spend hours trying to untangle the knots. It’s ok to add other jewelry in with a chain as long as it will not tangle and become knotted.
- When using the same tumbler to polish rocks and jewelry, make sure that the canister is completely clean. If not, you risk scratching your pieces rather than cleaning and polishing them.
- Be careful when tumbling filled or plated jewelry (gold-filled or silver plated). The outer layer of the jewelry can easily be worn or chipped away.
- Never tumble jewelry that has stones set in it. The tumbler may cause the stones to become scratched or they could even become dislodged from their seat.
- In a pinch, you can use crushed up walnut shells or dry rice instead of shot. While this will not be quite as effective, it still should get your piece polished up a little bit. Just make sure to not use water since the rice of walnuts will absorb it.
We also collected some of top rated jewelry polishing machines and give the best review for each model. If you are also searching for other types of jewelry polishers, just click through and find out what best jewelry polishing machines are.