16-Inch Gemstones
The 16-inch strand is the industry standard—and no one stocks more of them than Dakota Stones. Browse more than 200 stone types across every color and pattern, from everyday staples like Amethyst and Jasper to collector favorites such as Red Garnet and rare Turquoise mine-runs. Because the strands measure a full 15 – 16 inches, you get enough beads for matching earring pairs, stretch bracelets, or a necklace focal and still have extras for accents.
Need to drill down fast? Use the filter bar to sort by Stone Type when you know the gem you want, or by Color when you’re building a palette first. Shapes range from classic rounds and rondelles to cubes, heishi, chips, and rare designer cuts—each strand calibrated for even sizing and smooth stringing.
Whether you’re a hobbyist replenishing a bead board or a pro assembling a full production run, this category is the workhorse of our catalog: reliable lengths, vast variety, and new additions arriving every month. Dive in, filter your way to the perfect strand, and keep your design queue flowing with Dakota Stones’ biggest collection.
Biotite Black 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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DZI Agate 10mm Round Black Line Pattern - 15-16 Inch
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$15.00
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$15.00
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$15.00
These Dakota Stones "DZI" style agate beads are made to resemble beads first found in India between 1000 and 2000 BCE. These reproductions are desi...
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DZI Agate 6mm Round Black Line Pattern - 15-16 Inch
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$13.00
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$13.00
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$13.00
These Dakota Stones "DZI" style agate beads are made to resemble beads first found in India between 1000 and 2000 BCE. These reproductions are desi...
View full details
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$13.00
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DZI Agate 8mm Round Black Line Pattern 15-16 Inch
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$14.00
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These Dakota Stones "DZI" style agate beads are made to resemble beads first found in India between 1000 and 2000 BCE. These reproductions are desi...
View full details
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$14.00
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$14.00
Black Eye Agate 10mm Round 15-16 Inch
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$19.00
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Black Eye Agate is a variety of Sardonyx which has a Sard base, typically of brown or black, with bands of white Onyx running through it. Sard is n...
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Black Eye Agate 6mm Round 15-16 Inch
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Black Eye Agate is a variety of Sardonyx which has a Sard base, typically of brown or black, with bands of white Onyx running through it. Sard is n...
View full details
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Black Eye Agate 8mm Round 15-16 Inch
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Black Eye Agate is a variety of Sardonyx which has a Sard base, typically of brown or black, with bands of white Onyx running through it. Sard is n...
View full details
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Black Opal Australian, Faceted 3mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$40.00
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Black Opal is a naturally occurring variety of precious opal mined in Australia. this opal variety is characterized by their dark base tone. It is ...
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Black Opal Australian, Faceted 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$48.00
Black Opal is a naturally occurring variety of precious opal mined in Australia. this opal variety is characterized by their dark base tone. It is ...
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Black Silver Leaf Jasper 6mm Round 15-16
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$14.00
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Black Silverleaf Jasper is a rare form of Jasper, characterized by its color range of black, gray and white and its swirling, leafy patterns. It is...
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Black Silver Leaf Jasper 8mm Round 15-16
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$17.00
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Black Silverleaf Jasper is a rare form of Jasper, characterized by its color range of black, gray and white and its swirling, leafy patterns. It is...
View full details
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$17.00
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Black Spinel 10mm Natural Round - 15-16 Inch
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$46.00
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Spinel is a hard vitreous magnesium aluminum oxide, and comes in a range of other colors, but those varieties are transparent. Black Spinel not onl...
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Black Spinel 3mm Faceted Round - 15-16 Inch
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$11.00
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$11.00
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$11.00
$11.00
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$11.00
Spinel is a hard vitreous magnesium aluminum oxide, and comes in a range of other colors, but those varieties are transparent. Black Spinel not onl...
View full details
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$11.00
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Black Spinel 3mm Natural Round - 15-16 Inch
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$12.00
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$12.00
Spinel is a hard vitreous magnesium aluminum oxide, and comes in a range of other colors, but those varieties are transparent. Black Spinel not onl...
View full details
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Black Spinel 4mm Faceted Round - 15-16 Inch
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Spinel is a hard vitreous magnesium aluminum oxide, and comes in a range of other colors, but those varieties are transparent. Black Spinel not onl...
View full details
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Black Spinel 4mm Natural Round - 15-16 Inch
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$14.00
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Spinel is a hard vitreous magnesium aluminum oxide, and comes in a range of other colors, but those varieties are transparent. Black Spinel not onl...
View full details
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Black Spinel 4x6mm Faceted Rondelle - 15-16 Inch
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$48.00
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Spinel is a hard vitreous magnesium aluminum oxide, and comes in a range of other colors, but those varieties are transparent. Black Spinel not onl...
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Black Spinel 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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Spinel is a hard vitreous magnesium aluminum oxide, and comes in a range of other colors, but those varieties are transparent. Black Spinel not onl...
View full details
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Black Spinel 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$37.00
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$37.00
Spinel is a hard vitreous magnesium aluminum oxide, and comes in a range of other colors, but those varieties are transparent. Black Spinel not onl...
View full details
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$37.00
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Black Spinel 8mm Faceted Round - 15-16 Inch
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$42.00
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Spinel is a hard vitreous magnesium aluminum oxide, and comes in a range of other colors, but those varieties are transparent. Black Spinel not onl...
View full details
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Black Tourmalinated Quartz 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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Tourmaline naturally occurs in a full color spectrum and is used as both a trade name and as a gemological name for a group of minerals of varying ...
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Black Tourmalinated Quartz 6mm Round 15-16 Inch
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Tourmaline naturally occurs in a full color spectrum and is used as both a trade name and as a gemological name for a group of minerals of varying ...
View full details
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Black Tourmalinated Quartz 8mm Round 15-16 Inch
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Tourmaline naturally occurs in a full color spectrum and is used as both a trade name and as a gemological name for a group of minerals of varying ...
View full details
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Black Tourmaline 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$24.00
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$24.00
Black Tourmaline is a black crystalline aluminum borosilicate mineral with occasional light gray inclusions that appear as flecks or veins. Tourmal...
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Black Tourmaline 4x6mm Table Cut Corner Drilled Cube Bead - 15-16 Inch
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$30.00
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$30.00
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Black Tourmaline is a black crystalline aluminum borosilicate mineral with occasional light gray inclusions that appear as flecks or veins. Tourmal...
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Blue Moonstone Plated Black Dot 10mm Round Faceted - 15-16 Inch - CLEARANCE
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$39.00
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$39.00
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$39.00
Moonstone naturally occurs in a broad spectrum of colors, but is most commonly associated with white, gray and peach. It's soft chatoyancy is remin...
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Dendritic Black Opal 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$23.00
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$23.00
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$23.00
$23.00
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$23.00
This variety of opal is named "dendritic" for the small inclusions within it that resemble moss or ferns. These inclusions consist of iron, mangane...
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$23.00
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$23.00
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Dendritic Black Opal 6mm Round 15-16 Inch
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$14.00
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$14.00
This variety of opal is named "dendritic" for the small inclusions within it that resemble moss or ferns. These inclusions consist of iron, mangane...
View full details
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Dendritic Black Opal 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$17.00
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$17.00
This variety of opal is named "dendritic" for the small inclusions within it that resemble moss or ferns. These inclusions consist of iron, mangane...
View full details
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$17.00
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Diamond 2-4mm Chip Black- 15-16 Inch
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$116.00
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$116.00
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$116.00
$116.00
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$116.00
Diamond is a rare, naturally occurring mineral composed of pure carbon. Although most people think of diamonds as colorless, they actually occur i...
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$116.00
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Horn 20mm Round - 15-16 Inch - CLEARANCE
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$48.00
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$48.00
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$48.00
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$48.00
Recycled Carabao Water Buffalo horn also known as Cara Horn
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$48.00
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$48.00
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$48.00
Hubei Turquoise 4mm Matrix Blue/Green/Black Cube Faceted A Grade Banded - 15-16 Inch
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$54.00
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$54.00
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$54.00
$54.00
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$54.00
Hubei Turquoise is sourced from Hubei Province in Northern China, one of the most recognized turquoise-producing regions in the world. This materia...
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$54.00
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$54.00
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$54.00
Hubei Turquoise 4mm Matrix Blue/Green/Black Table Cut Cube Banded - 15-16 Inch
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$62.00
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$62.00
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$62.00
$62.00
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$62.00
Hubei Turquoise is sourced from Hubei Province in Northern China, one of the most recognized turquoise-producing regions in the world. This materia...
View full details
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$62.00
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$62.00
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$62.00
Indigo Gabbro 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$20.00
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$20.00
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$20.00
Indigo gabbro is a color variant of the igneous mineral, gabbro. Typically, this color forms black, but occasionally gabbro comes in oranges and gr...
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Indigo Gabbro 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$19.00
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$19.00
Indigo gabbro is a color variant of the igneous mineral, gabbro. Typically, this color forms black, but occasionally gabbro comes in oranges and gr...
View full details
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$19.00
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Jet 10mm Round - 15-16 inch
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$24.00
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Jet 6mm Round - 15-16 inch
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$18.00
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$18.00
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$18.00
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$18.00
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$18.00
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$18.00
Jet 8mm Round - 15-16 inch
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$20.00
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Lava 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$12.00
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$12.00
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$12.00
$12.00
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$12.00
Lava is rock from the molten center of the earth, once spewed through fractures in the planetary crust or from a volcanic eruption. Once cooled, th...
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$12.00
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$12.00
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$12.00
Lava 12mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$14.00
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$14.00
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$14.00
$14.00
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$14.00
Lava is rock from the molten center of the earth, once spewed through fractures in the planetary crust or from a volcanic eruption. Once cooled, th...
View full details
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$14.00
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$14.00
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$14.00
$14.00
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$14.00
Lava 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$6.00
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$6.00
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$6.00
$6.00
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$6.00
Lava is rock from the molten center of the earth, once spewed through fractures in the planetary crust or from a volcanic eruption. Once cooled, th...
View full details
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$6.00
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$6.00
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$6.00
$6.00
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$6.00
Mexican Black & Red Zebra Jasper 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$26.00
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$26.00
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$26.00
$26.00
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$26.00
Mexican Black and Red Zebra Jasper has banded and marbled patterns of translucent to opaque milky white, black and red. Jasper has a long and illus...
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$26.00
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$26.00
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$26.00
$26.00
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$26.00
Onyx 10mm Round Step Cut - 15-16 Inch
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$18.00
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$18.00
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$18.00
$18.00
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$18.00
Onyx is a black and white banded Chalcedony, a cryptocrystalline Quartz. It is often thought of as an all to black stone, and much of the black Ony...
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$18.00
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$18.00
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$18.00
Onyx 8mm Star Cut Round 15-16 Inch
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$19.00
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$19.00
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$19.00
$19.00
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$19.00
Onyx is a black and white banded Chalcedony, a cryptocrystalline Quartz. It is often thought of as an all-black stone, and much of the black Onyx o...
View full details
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$19.00
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$19.00
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$19.00
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$19.00
Shungite 10mm Faceted Nugget 15-16 Inch
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$38.00
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$38.00
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$38.00
$38.00
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$38.00
Shungite is a black, lustrous, non-crystalline mineraloid consisting of a high percentage of carbon. It was first found in a deposit near Shunga vi...
View full details
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$38.00
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$38.00
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$38.00
$38.00
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$38.00
Shungite 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$38.00
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$38.00
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$38.00
$38.00
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$38.00
Shungite is a black, lustrous, non-crystalline mineraloid consisting of a high percentage of carbon. It was first found in a deposit near Shunga vi...
View full details
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$38.00
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$38.00
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$38.00
$38.00
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$38.00
Shungite 20mm Coin - 15-16 Inch
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$48.00
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$48.00
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$48.00
$48.00
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$48.00
Shungite is a black, lustrous, non-crystalline mineraloid consisting of a high percentage of carbon. It was first found in a deposit near Shunga vi...
View full details
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$48.00
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$48.00
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$48.00
$48.00
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$48.00
Shungite 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$24.00
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$24.00
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$24.00
$24.00
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$24.00
Shungite is a black, lustrous, non-crystalline mineraloid consisting of a high percentage of carbon. It was first found in a deposit near Shunga vi...
View full details
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$24.00
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$24.00
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$24.00
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$24.00
Frequently asked questions
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What is a 16-inch strand and why is it the trade standard?
A 16-inch strand is the working length most US jewelry designers buy for design-grade work — necklaces, multi-strand layouts, and bulk component sourcing. It gives enough beads to lay out a full 18–20 inch necklace with clasp and findings, or to cut down into shorter assemblies without running short. The 16-inch length has been the trade default for decades because it standardizes pricing and bead-count math across stones and cuts. Dakota's 16-inch hub covers the full catalog at this length, across rounds, rondelles, faceted cuts, cubes, coins, and shape work. The bracelet counterpart is the 8-inch strand. -
How many beads per 16-inch strand at common sizes?
Approximate bead counts per 16-inch strand assume snug-strung beads with no spacer drift. At 2mm you get roughly 200 beads, at 3mm about 135, at 4mm about 100, at 6mm about 66, at 8mm about 50, at 10mm about 40, and at 12mm about 33. Faceted cuts, rondelles, and irregular shapes (pebble, nugget, coin) vary — count is driven by the bead's drilled axis, not its widest dimension. Exact count should be disclosed; ask before buying if a piece-count is critical for your design and isn't specified. -
16-inch vs 8-inch — which length for which project?
16-inch is the necklace and design-strand length: enough material for an 18–20 inch finished necklace, multi-strand torsades, long earring drops, or component cutting. 8-inch is the bracelet length: pre-cut to the wrist standard, sized for stretch-cord bracelets and single-wrap pieces. Designers running production bracelet lines typically buy 8-inch to skip the cut-down step; designers doing necklace work, statement pieces, or mixed assemblies buy 16-inch for the bead count and pricing efficiency. Both lengths share the same stones and cuts where stocked — the choice is about finished-piece geometry, not material grade. -
What stones and cuts does Dakota carry in 16-inch?
The 16-inch hub spans the full catalog. Most-stocked stones include agate, turquoise, quartz, jasper, tourmaline, moonstone, garnet, labradorite, opal, and amazonite, with deeper coverage across feldspar, chalcedony, and silica varieties. Cut coverage runs from smooth round and faceted round (the largest categories) through rondelle, microfaceted round, pebble and nugget, cube, table-cut cube, faceted cube, and coin. Standard sizes are 4mm, 6mm, 8mm, and 10mm, with 2mm and 3mm in microfaceted work and 12mm in larger statement rounds. Filter by stone, cut, or size to narrow the grid. -
How does Dakota measure 16-inch strand lengths?
Strand length is measured end-to-end along the drilled axis, beads strung snug with no gaps. A 16-inch strand can run 15.5 to 16.5 inches depending on bead shape and how the cutter finished the temporary string — irregular shapes (nugget, pebble, raw-faceted) sit at the looser end because the drill points don't always center on the bead's midline. Bead count per strand reflects this variance. Length and approximate count should be disclosed; if you need a tight tolerance for a calibrated production run, ask before buying so the team can pull and measure before shipping.