THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SHELLS Spiny Oyster and Lion’s Paw shells are both stunning and used in jewelry and decorative arts, but they are quite different in terms of appearance, origin, and use. Dakota Stones took a deeper dive into what...
DID YOU KNOW? Red Jasper is a stunning gemstone known for its rich, earthy red tones and deep, grounding energy. Red Jasper is composed of silicon dioxide along with iron oxide, which gives it its distinctive red hue. The stone...
The Difference in Facets Introduction Here at Dakota Stones, we offer multiple facets in most of our stone types to give you a variety of looks in your designs. We pride ourselves on offering faceting with precision, quality, and...
Heaven's Beads - DZI Beads Explained The History of Ancient DZI Beads Knowledge of ancient DZI beads is derived from oral traditions. Few other beads have provoked more controversy concerning their source, and how they were created. This all gives rise...
Why Stone Types Become Unavailable The number of stone types available in beads may seem endless. Jasper beads alone return over 5 million hits when searched online. So it may go overlooked when one disappears, until you need that particular...
Natural Beads Dakota Stones offers beads in many other natural materials than just gemstone! Shell, wood, and bone are just a few varieties of natural beads that we carry, and all of them are just as beautiful as the next....
Agate vs. Jasper Introduction Sometimes the bead industry uses names that aren’t always scientifically correct or precise. This issue often appears when the names “Agate” and “Jasper” are used interchangeably to describe the same material. So how do you know...
The Big Three / Cardinal Gemstones Spotlight on Ruby Rubies are one of the rarest and most expensive gems in the world and they are sometimes called the “Gem King." It is also one of the four Cardinal Gems,...
