DIY Gemstone Soap Tutorial | How to Make Soap Rocks

I think you are going to LOVE today’s DIY gemstone soap tutorial because DIY soap rocks are easy to make, look gorgeous, plus this is a DIY/craft that you can use/enjoy/gift – it’s not just clutter!

My First Introduction to “Gemstone Soap” or Soap Rocks

As a rock lover/collector, you can imagine how much I mooned over these gem and mineral shaped “soap rocks” when I first spotted them in an artsy boutique in Duluth, MN.  They were regularly price at around $11, so you can imagine my glee when they were put on clearance one day – for $6 a bar!  Still pricey, but I ran to the cash register with an armful.  I bought a couple as gifts and then depleted the store’s stock of “turquoise” soap rocks, which I’ve doled out to myself over the years.  You might have seen them pop up in this bathroom and that bathroom.  I swear it wasn’t the same soap, moved from room to room 😉 When I finally got down to my last original soap rock, I hopped online to buy more, but I just couldn’t commit to the full price.  When I started seeing gemstone soap tutorials popping up everywhere, I decided to make my own soap rocks.  My DIY gemstone soap is nowhere near as gorgeous as the original soap rocks, but at only $2 a bar (which will be less once I make more batches and the cost per use of the molds I bought is lowered), my wallet is much happier.  Plus, making soap rocks turned out to be such a fun and easy craft project that I can’t wait to make more!

DIY Gemstone Soap Making Supplies:

What are the ingredients in soap rocks?  You can make soap many different ways, but the melt and pour method using a clear glycerine base is an easy method that creates realistic looking soap gems.  Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

• Clear Glycerine Soap Base (like this or this)
• White Glycerine Soap Base (like this – optional)
• Cosmetic Grade Mica Dyes
• Silicone Bar Molds
• One Large Loaf Silicone Mold
• Essential Oils
• Cutting Board
• Non-serrated Knife
• Microwaveable Bowl (my Pyrex 4 cup measure worked well)
• Microwave
• Stir sticks

A note on these soap making supplies supplies:

Essential oils: I read that vanilla can yellow a soap so if you’re going for a really clear “gem,” opt for another scent.  Choose an essential oil brand you trust to produce safe essential oils – there are a lot of cheap knock offs online.

Glycerine soap bases: In total I ordered 7 lbs of glycerine, which yielded two huge silicone molds worth of soap.  Unfortunately, the exact glycerine I purchased is no longer available, so I have linked to some other options in my supply list.  If you’re only going to order one (the opaque or the clear), get the clear.

Cosmetic grade mica dyes: Mica colorants bestow the shimmer and sheen of real stones and help make these gem soaps more realistic.  I think I went a little overboard with the dye and made mine too richly colored, so play around a little with the quantity and add a little to start, building up the color if required.  For my next batch I’ll try more faintly tinted clear glycerine areas for a more “quartz” inspired look.  The exact kind of mica I used is no longer available, but I linked to a similar one.  Buy any kind you like, but make sure it’s cosmetic grade.  Or put those unused eye shadow kits to good use!

Look at the pretty shimmer on these bars of DIY gemstone soap:

How Do You Make Soap Look Like Crystals?

1. Gemstone soap is easy to make with a basic melt and pour method, but first you need to choose a “gemstone” and decide what colors make up the stone.
2. Hit up Pinterest (I have a entire board dedicated to rocks) and find at least one kind of rock/gem to mimic – take a close look at the veining and colors.
3. Cut up chunks of the glycerine soap base and place one small batch at a time, in a microwave safe container.
4. Melt the glycerine a cup or so at a time, for 30-60 seconds.
5. Once the glycerine is melting, pour it into another container (like a paper cup – it’s temporary).
6. Mix in a pinch of colorant and fragrance, and pour into a small soap mold.
7. Repeat this process for the different colors your chosen gemstone is comprised of.
8. Let the individually colored bars of soap cure/cool in the molds for 6-8 hours.
9. Once set, roughly chop up those individual bars of soap into organic looking chunks.
10. Place all of those chunks in a loaf shaped silicone soap mold.
11. Melt one more batch of glycerine soap base with fragrance, and color it the color of any “veining” your chosen gemstone would have in real life.
12. Pour the glycerine into the soap mold, so it settles between all of the chunks.
13. Let the soap harden/cool overnight.
14. Remove the soap loaf from the silicone mold and slice into thick slices.
15. Using a knife, shape the slices into chunks/irregular gemstone shapes (save the shavings for future soap projects).

That’s the basic process for how to use the melt and pour method of soap making to create DIY gem soap bars.  Keep reading more detailed instructions with photos.

How to Make DIY Gemstone Soap (Melt & Pour Method):

As described above, first chose a gemstone you’d like to copy and decide what colors of soap you will need.  Then start making small soap bars in the colors you will need.  Basically you will melt, color, and add fragrance to small batches of glycerine.

Cut up the glycerine into small pieces and place in the microwaveable bowl.  I worked with a cup or two at a time.  Pop into the microwave and melt (about 30 seconds – 1 minute, depending on the microwave).

Mix in a pinch of mica until the color is perfect and then add essential oil.  I added a few drops of oil at a time until it smelled great – it’s a personal decision how much to add.  If you’re going to be making many colors, you can also pour the melted soap into another container, add dye and oil, and then pour into mold to keep the Pyrex measuring cup from transferring dye across batches.  I just used some disposable cups I had on hand to mix up my small batches of colored soap.

Pour the melted glycerine into the bar mold and let cool 6-8 hours.  In the meantime, start on another color and repeat the process.  You want to have a nice variety of the colors present in your gem or mineral.  I spent a couple of hours leisurely making different colors; it was a relaxing crafternoon.

You can also use an assortment of random plastic containers, but the bars pop out of this silicone bar mold so nicely.  I bought it because I figured I can make rectangular bar soap later.  After they’ve hardened, remove the soap from the molds.  (Technically, at this stage you could also just cut these soaps into gem shapes).

Now chop up those bars!  Use a knife or other kitchen tools (like a vegetable peeler) to create organic looking shapes.  Create bigger and smaller chunks, some shards and thin little “veins” – depending on the stone you’re trying to replicate.  You can also gently rub the soap to soften corners.  Set aside any shavings and cuttings – you can add them to a bar later or melt them again.

Next, assemble the pieces in the large loaf silicone mold, as per the gem or mineral you want to replicate.  For one batch, I started with a darker layer then added lighter layers as well as “veins”:

Then melt a final batch batch of glycerine, adding essential oils and mica again, but keeping the color very light and sheer.  Once mixed, pour into the soap mold, covering all of the smaller
pieces.  How much you need will depend on how much room is left.  Start with a cup and keep adding.  If you want separation between the layers, let them firm between adding more.

Let the loaf of soap set and harden overnight.  When it’s set, you’ll have a block of gemstone soap that looks like this:

For my first attempt, I really created a layered look (below) and my second batch was a little more uniform (see above):

For my next attempt, I plan to limit the variation of color and just play more with opacity, so the little shards and pieces I cut up will be suspended in what I hope will look like quartz.  This process is fun and I promise you’ll want to keep experimenting to get as realistic a gem soap as possible.  Once it has hardened, remove the soap from the mold and slice it like bread.  Cut off edges and corners, and add some facets, to create a random, organic feel.  Cut some bars diagonally, some square – mix it up!

Gemstone Soap Mold Option:

Making soap can continue forever because you’ll end up with little scraps that you can melt down and use again or add into the next batch of rock soap.  One neat idea is to pick up a small silicone mold, like this gem-shaped mold, and then melt down and make mini guest soaps with any leftovers.  You could, technically, skip all of the steps above and just pour some sheer colored glycerine soap base into these mold to create a quick and easy gemstone soap DIY!

Tips and Tricks for Making DIY Crystal Soap:

I love my DIY gemstone soap – it makes such a cheery statement on the counter in the bathroom.  The colors didn’t stain or dye anything (which was my worry the first time I lathered up a bar in my brand new white tub).  I also have really sensitive skin (prone to redness, dryness, and also oiliness – yay) but this soap has not dried out my skin or caused acne; it’s a really nice soap.  Here are some tips and tricks to help you make the best DIY soap rocks!

• Make sure to keep some areas translucent to create a more realistic “gem” look
• The mica/shimmer shows up better in clear glycerine
• If you don’t like a color, re-melt the bar and try adding more dye (to darken) or glycerine (to lighten), or add a whole new hue and try again!
• If you get mica bubbles (I got some) spray with rubbing alcohol, or mix the mica with the alcohol before adding to the soap
• But don’t worry about it being “perfect” – have fun and just go with it
• Clean up is a breeze (it’s soap!) so I just ran my cutting board, knife and Pyrex cup through the dishwasher when I was done

Make a batch of these easy DIY gemstone soaps for holiday gifts – bonus points for whipping up birthstones!  (Or, if you’re in a rush, you can always find Soap Rocks on Amazon for stocking stuffers and make/hoard these handmade gem soaps for yourself later).

P.S. Don’t Forget to Pin For Later!

P.S. Check out my gold and crystal DIY soap rocks.  Have you made DIY gemstone soap?  I’d love to see yours!  Share a link in the comments or tag me on Instagram.