Skip to content

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.

Blue Lace Agate 6mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $32.00 - Original price $32.00
Original price $32.00
$32.00 - $32.00
Current price $32.00
Login for wholesale

Blue Lace Agate is a naturally occurring soft blue agate, laced with bands or swirls of brighter blue, periwinkle, white and occasionally gray or b...

View full details
Original price $32.00 - Original price $32.00
Original price $32.00
$32.00 - $32.00
Current price $32.00
Login for wholesale

Sodalite 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $12.00 - Original price $12.00
Original price $12.00
$12.00 - $12.00
Current price $12.00
Login for wholesale

Sodalite is named for its sodium content and may be classified as a feldspathoid. Blue Sodalite is sometimes referred to as “poor man’s lapis” beca...

View full details
Original price $12.00 - Original price $12.00
Original price $12.00
$12.00 - $12.00
Current price $12.00
Login for wholesale

Blue Lace Agate 8mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $64.00 - Original price $64.00
Original price $64.00
$64.00 - $64.00
Current price $64.00
Login for wholesale

Blue Lace Agate is a naturally occurring soft blue agate, laced with bands or swirls of brighter blue, periwinkle, white and occasionally gray or b...

View full details
Original price $64.00 - Original price $64.00
Original price $64.00
$64.00 - $64.00
Current price $64.00
Login for wholesale

Larimar 8mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $144.00 - Original price $144.00
Original price $144.00
$144.00 - $144.00
Current price $144.00
Login for wholesale

Larimar is a translucent blue, turquoise and white stone that can have streaks and patterns of white, as well as red or brown either from oxidation...

View full details
Original price $144.00 - Original price $144.00
Original price $144.00
$144.00 - $144.00
Current price $144.00
Login for wholesale

Russian Amazonite 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $72.00 - Original price $72.00
Original price $72.00
$72.00 - $72.00
Current price $72.00
Login for wholesale

Russian Amazonite is a translucent blue to green to green or light green stone, occurring with inclusions of white, black or yellow. It is named fo...

View full details
Original price $72.00 - Original price $72.00
Original price $72.00
$72.00 - $72.00
Current price $72.00
Login for wholesale

Blue Lace Agate 4mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $24.00 - Original price $24.00
Original price $24.00
$24.00 - $24.00
Current price $24.00
Login for wholesale

Blue Lace Agate is a naturally occuring soft blue agate, laced with bands or swirls of brighter blue, periwinkle, white and occasionally gray or br...

View full details
Original price $24.00 - Original price $24.00
Original price $24.00
$24.00 - $24.00
Current price $24.00
Login for wholesale

Blue Lace Agate 10mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $76.00 - Original price $76.00
Original price $76.00
$76.00 - $76.00
Current price $76.00
Login for wholesale

Blue Lace Agate is a naturally occurring soft blue agate, laced with bands or swirls of brighter blue, periwinkle, white and occasionally gray or b...

View full details
Original price $76.00 - Original price $76.00
Original price $76.00
$76.00 - $76.00
Current price $76.00
Login for wholesale

Aquamarine 4mm Faceted Round Banded AAA Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $28.00 - Original price $28.00
Original price $28.00
$28.00 - $28.00
Current price $28.00
Login for wholesale

Aquamarine is a transparent to translucent stone ranging from cerulean blue to light blue in higher grades. In lower grades it can be transparent t...

View full details
Original price $28.00 - Original price $28.00
Original price $28.00
$28.00 - $28.00
Current price $28.00
Login for wholesale

Lapis Quartz 8x12mm Top Drill Faceted Tear Drop - 15-16 Inch

Original price $32.00 - Original price $32.00
Original price $32.00
$32.00 - $32.00
Current price $32.00
Login for wholesale

Lapis is a semi to precious stone and one of the most sought after throughout history. It is highly regarded for its beautiful blue color flecked w...

View full details
Original price $32.00 - Original price $32.00
Original price $32.00
$32.00 - $32.00
Current price $32.00
Login for wholesale

Blue Moonstone 5x8mm Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $16.00 - Original price $16.00
Original price $16.00
$16.00 - $16.00
Current price $16.00
Login for wholesale

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...

View full details
Original price $16.00 - Original price $16.00
Original price $16.00
$16.00 - $16.00
Current price $16.00
Login for wholesale

Larimar 5x8mm Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $20.00 - Original price $20.00
Original price $20.00
$20.00 - $20.00
Current price $20.00
Login for wholesale

Larimar is a translucent blue, turquoise and white stone that can have streaks and patterns of white, as well as red or brown either from oxidation...

View full details
Original price $20.00 - Original price $20.00
Original price $20.00
$20.00 - $20.00
Current price $20.00
Login for wholesale

Blue Kyanite 5x10-20mm Top Drill Teeth - 15-16 Inch

Original price $20.00 - Original price $20.00
Original price $20.00
$20.00 - $20.00
Current price $20.00
Login for wholesale

Kyanite often occurs as long, bladed, striated crystals, transparent or translucent with a pearly luster. An aluminum silicate mineral, it may appe...

View full details
Original price $20.00 - Original price $20.00
Original price $20.00
$20.00 - $20.00
Current price $20.00
Login for wholesale

Blue Lace Agate 5x10-20mm Top Drill Teeth - 15-16 Inch

Original price $16.00 - Original price $16.00
Original price $16.00
$16.00 - $16.00
Current price $16.00
Login for wholesale

Blue Lace Agate is a naturally occuring soft blue agate, laced with bands or swirls of brighter blue, periwinkle, white and occasionally gray or br...

View full details
Original price $16.00 - Original price $16.00
Original price $16.00
$16.00 - $16.00
Current price $16.00
Login for wholesale

Aquamarine 5x10-20mm Top Drill Teeth - 15-16 Inch

Original price $16.00 - Original price $16.00
Original price $16.00
$16.00 - $16.00
Current price $16.00
Login for wholesale

Aquamarine is a transparent to translucent stone ranging from cerulean blue to light blue in higher grades. In lower grades it can be transparent t...

View full details
Original price $16.00 - Original price $16.00
Original price $16.00
$16.00 - $16.00
Current price $16.00
Login for wholesale

Iolite 4x6mm Faceted Rondelle - 15-16 Inch

Original price $36.00 - Original price $36.00
Original price $36.00
$36.00 - $36.00
Current price $36.00
Login for wholesale

Iolite most commonly occurs in shades of blue to gray, violet or indigo. It displays a visual property called “pleochroism,” which means that it ca...

View full details
Original price $36.00 - Original price $36.00
Original price $36.00
$36.00 - $36.00
Current price $36.00
Login for wholesale

Blue Apatite 12mm Star Cut Coin - 15-16 Inch

Original price $36.00 - Original price $36.00
Original price $36.00
$36.00 - $36.00
Current price $36.00
Login for wholesale

Blue Apatite ranges in color from light teal to blue to bright blue to dark blue to green. It can be easily confused with other minerals due to its...

View full details
Original price $36.00 - Original price $36.00
Original price $36.00
$36.00 - $36.00
Current price $36.00
Login for wholesale

Brazilian Amazonite 4x6mm Faceted Rondelle - 15-16 Inch

Regular Price $28.00
Original price $28.00 - Original price $28.00
Original price $28.00
Sale Price $18.00
Login for wholesale
$18.00 - $18.00
Current price $18.00
Login for wholesale

Brazilian Amazonite is an opaque blue to green to light green stone, often occurring with inclusions of white, yellow or gray and occasionally tran...

View full details
Regular Price $28.00
Original price $28.00 - Original price $28.00
Original price $28.00
Sale Price $18.00
Login for wholesale
$18.00 - $18.00
Current price $18.00
Login for wholesale
Sale Sale

Brazilian Amazonite 6x8mm Faceted Oval - 15-16 Inch

Original price $44.00 - Original price $44.00
Original price $44.00
$44.00 - $44.00
Current price $44.00
Login for wholesale

Brazilian Amazonite is an opaque blue to green to light green stone, often occurring with inclusions of white, yellow or gray and occasionally tran...

View full details
Original price $44.00 - Original price $44.00
Original price $44.00
$44.00 - $44.00
Current price $44.00
Login for wholesale

Sodalite 6mm Square Faceted - 15-16 Inch

Original price $44.00 - Original price $44.00
Original price $44.00
$44.00 - $44.00
Current price $44.00
Login for wholesale

Sodalite is named for its sodium content and may be classified as a feldspathoid. Blue Sodalite is sometimes referred to as “poor man’s lapis” beca...

View full details
Original price $44.00 - Original price $44.00
Original price $44.00
$44.00 - $44.00
Current price $44.00
Login for wholesale

Lapis 5-8x10-12mm Irregular Rondelle Faceted - 15-16 Inch

Original price $24.00 - Original price $24.00
Original price $24.00
$24.00 - $24.00
Current price $24.00
Login for wholesale

Lapis is a semi to precious stone and one of the most sought after throughout history. It is highly regarded for its beautiful blue color flecked w...

View full details
Original price $24.00 - Original price $24.00
Original price $24.00
$24.00 - $24.00
Current price $24.00
Login for wholesale

Blue Lace Agate 4x8mm Irregular Rondelle Faceted - 15-16 Inch

Original price $28.00 - Original price $28.00
Original price $28.00
$28.00 - $28.00
Current price $28.00
Login for wholesale

Blue Lace Agate is a naturally occurring soft blue agate, laced with bands or swirls of brighter blue, periwinkle, white and occasionally gray or b...

View full details
Original price $28.00 - Original price $28.00
Original price $28.00
$28.00 - $28.00
Current price $28.00
Login for wholesale

Hubei Turquoise Banded Yellow/Light Blue/White 2.5mm Cube Faceted - 15-16 Inch

Original price $30.00 - Original price $30.00
Original price $30.00
$30.00 - $30.00
Current price $30.00
Login for wholesale

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
Original price $30.00 - Original price $30.00
Original price $30.00
$30.00 - $30.00
Current price $30.00
Login for wholesale

Hubei Turquoise Light Blue 2.5mm Cube Faceted AAA Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $40.00 - Original price $40.00
Original price $40.00
$40.00 - $40.00
Current price $40.00
Login for wholesale

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
Original price $40.00 - Original price $40.00
Original price $40.00
$40.00 - $40.00
Current price $40.00
Login for wholesale

Hubei Turquoise Multi 3mm Round Faceted - 15-16 Inch

Original price $25.00 - Original price $25.00
Original price $25.00
$25.00 - $25.00
Current price $25.00
Login for wholesale

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
Original price $25.00 - Original price $25.00
Original price $25.00
$25.00 - $25.00
Current price $25.00
Login for wholesale

Hubei Turquoise Banded Brown/Blue/Black/Olive 3mm Round Faceted - 15-16 Inch

Original price $20.00 - Original price $20.00
Original price $20.00
$20.00 - $20.00
Current price $20.00
Login for wholesale

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
Original price $20.00 - Original price $20.00
Original price $20.00
$20.00 - $20.00
Current price $20.00
Login for wholesale

Hubei Turquoise Multi 2mm Round Faceted - 15-16 Inch

Original price $20.00 - Original price $20.00
Original price $20.00
$20.00 - $20.00
Current price $20.00
Login for wholesale

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
Original price $20.00 - Original price $20.00
Original price $20.00
$20.00 - $20.00
Current price $20.00
Login for wholesale

Hubei Turquoise Banded Blue/Brown/Black 4mm Round Faceted - 15-16 Inch

Original price $35.00 - Original price $35.00
Original price $35.00
$35.00 - $35.00
Current price $35.00
Login for wholesale

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
Original price $35.00 - Original price $35.00
Original price $35.00
$35.00 - $35.00
Current price $35.00
Login for wholesale

Hubei Turquoise Blue 3mm Rondelle Faceted, AA Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $30.00 - Original price $30.00
Original price $30.00
$30.00 - $30.00
Current price $30.00
Login for wholesale

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
Original price $30.00 - Original price $30.00
Original price $30.00
$30.00 - $30.00
Current price $30.00
Login for wholesale

Hubei Turquoise Light Blue with Matrix 3mm Rondelle Faceted, AA Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $35.00 - Original price $35.00
Original price $35.00
$35.00 - $35.00
Current price $35.00
Login for wholesale

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
Original price $35.00 - Original price $35.00
Original price $35.00
$35.00 - $35.00
Current price $35.00
Login for wholesale

Hubei Turquoise Banded Brown/Yellow/Blue 2mm Round Faceted - 15-16 Inch

Original price $15.00 - Original price $15.00
Original price $15.00
$15.00 - $15.00
Current price $15.00
Login for wholesale

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
Original price $15.00 - Original price $15.00
Original price $15.00
$15.00 - $15.00
Current price $15.00
Login for wholesale

Dumortierite 8mm Double Heart Faceted A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $28.00 - Original price $28.00
Original price $28.00
$28.00 - $28.00
Current price $28.00
Login for wholesale

Dumortierite is an aluminum borosilicate mineral that varies in color from blue, green and brown to the more rare violet and pink. First described ...

View full details
Original price $28.00 - Original price $28.00
Original price $28.00
$28.00 - $28.00
Current price $28.00
Login for wholesale

Lapis 6mm Energy Prism Faceted A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $28.00 - Original price $28.00
Original price $28.00
$28.00 - $28.00
Current price $28.00
Login for wholesale

Lapis is a semi to precious stone and one of the most sought after throughout history. It is highly regarded for its beautiful blue color flecked w...

View full details
Original price $28.00 - Original price $28.00
Original price $28.00
$28.00 - $28.00
Current price $28.00
Login for wholesale

Bloody Iolite 3x4mm Rondelle Faceted - 15-16 Inch

Original price $20.00 - Original price $20.00
Original price $20.00
$20.00 - $20.00
Current price $20.00
Login for wholesale

Iolite most commonly occurs in shades of blue to gray, violet or indigo. It displays a visual property called “pleochroism,” which means that it ca...

View full details
Original price $20.00 - Original price $20.00
Original price $20.00
$20.00 - $20.00
Current price $20.00
Login for wholesale

Peruvian Turquoise (Chrysocolla) 5x8mm Rondelle Faceted A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $36.00 - Original price $36.00
Original price $36.00
$36.00 - $36.00
Current price $36.00
Login for wholesale

Peruvian Turquoise is also known as Turquoise Chrysocolla. It’s attractive blue-green provides a unique color to the mineral world. Peruvian Turquo...

View full details
Original price $36.00 - Original price $36.00
Original price $36.00
$36.00 - $36.00
Current price $36.00
Login for wholesale

Blue Apatite 5x8mm Rondelle Faceted - 15-16 Inch

Original price $40.00 - Original price $40.00
Original price $40.00
$40.00 - $40.00
Current price $40.00
Login for wholesale

Blue Apatite ranges in color from light teal to blue to bright blue to dark blue to green. It can be easily confused with other minerals due to its...

View full details
Original price $40.00 - Original price $40.00
Original price $40.00
$40.00 - $40.00
Current price $40.00
Login for wholesale

Iolite 5x8mm Rondelle Faceted - 15-16 Inch

Original price $48.00 - Original price $48.00
Original price $48.00
$48.00 - $48.00
Current price $48.00
Login for wholesale

Iolite most commonly occurs in shades of blue to gray, violet or indigo. It displays a visual property called “pleochroism,” which means that it ca...

View full details
Original price $48.00 - Original price $48.00
Original price $48.00
$48.00 - $48.00
Current price $48.00
Login for wholesale

Amazonite 4mm Microfaceted Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $14.00 - Original price $14.00
Original price $14.00
$14.00 - $14.00
Current price $14.00
Login for wholesale

Brazilian Amazonite is an opaque blue to green to light green stone, often occurring with inclusions of white, yellow or gray and occasionally tran...

View full details
Original price $14.00 - Original price $14.00
Original price $14.00
$14.00 - $14.00
Current price $14.00
Login for wholesale

Brazilian Amazonite Clear 4mm Microfaceted Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $19.00 - Original price $19.00
Original price $19.00
$19.00 - $19.00
Current price $19.00
Login for wholesale

Brazilian Amazonite is an opaque blue to green to light green stone, often occurring with inclusions of white, yellow or gray and occasionally tran...

View full details
Original price $19.00 - Original price $19.00
Original price $19.00
$19.00 - $19.00
Current price $19.00
Login for wholesale

Blue Apatite Multi 4mm Round Faceted - 15-16 Inch

Original price $14.00 - Original price $14.00
Original price $14.00
$14.00 - $14.00
Current price $14.00
Login for wholesale

Blue Apatite ranges in color from light teal to blue to bright blue to dark blue to green. It can be easily confused with other minerals due to its...

View full details
Original price $14.00 - Original price $14.00
Original price $14.00
$14.00 - $14.00
Current price $14.00
Login for wholesale

Aquamarine 2x4mm Thin Rondelle Faceted AA Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $40.00 - Original price $40.00
Original price $40.00
$40.00 - $40.00
Current price $40.00
Login for wholesale

Aquamarine is a transparent to translucent stone ranging from cerulean blue to light blue in higher grades. In lower grades it can be transparent t...

View full details
Original price $40.00 - Original price $40.00
Original price $40.00
$40.00 - $40.00
Current price $40.00
Login for wholesale

Iolite 2x4mm Thin Rondelle Faceted AA Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $40.00 - Original price $40.00
Original price $40.00
$40.00 - $40.00
Current price $40.00
Login for wholesale

Iolite most commonly occurs in shades of blue to gray, violet or indigo. It displays a visual property called “pleochroism,” which means that it ca...

View full details
Original price $40.00 - Original price $40.00
Original price $40.00
$40.00 - $40.00
Current price $40.00
Login for wholesale

Blue Diamond 2-3mm Rough Nugget - 15-16 Inch

Original price $384.00 - Original price $384.00
Original price $384.00
$384.00 - $384.00
Current price $384.00
Login for wholesale

Diamond is a rare, naturally occurring mineral composed of pure carbon. Although most people think of diamonds as colorless, they actually occur i...

View full details
Original price $384.00 - Original price $384.00
Original price $384.00
$384.00 - $384.00
Current price $384.00
Login for wholesale

Blue Moonstone 6x8-10x12mm Freeform Cut - 15-16 Inch

Original price $104.00 - Original price $104.00
Original price $104.00
$104.00 - $104.00
Current price $104.00
Login for wholesale

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...

View full details
Original price $104.00 - Original price $104.00
Original price $104.00
$104.00 - $104.00
Current price $104.00
Login for wholesale

Kingman Turquoise 3-6mm Heishi Graduated - 15-16 Inch

Original price $232.00 - Original price $232.00
Original price $232.00
$232.00 - $232.00
Current price $232.00
Login for wholesale

Turquoise is an ancient gemstone, one of the first known to man. Known to Egyptian and Aztec cultures thousands of years ago, Turquoise is now mine...

View full details
Original price $232.00 - Original price $232.00
Original price $232.00
$232.00 - $232.00
Current price $232.00
Login for wholesale

Turquoise and Spiny Oyster 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $77.00 - Original price $77.00
Original price $77.00
$77.00 - $77.00
Current price $77.00
Login for wholesale

Turquoise is an ancient gemstone, one of the first known to man. Known to Egyptian and Aztec cultures thousands of years ago, Turquoise is now mine...

View full details
Original price $77.00 - Original price $77.00
Original price $77.00
$77.00 - $77.00
Current price $77.00
Login for wholesale

Amazonite 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $25.00 - Original price $25.00
Original price $25.00
$25.00 - $25.00
Current price $25.00
Login for wholesale

Brazilian Amazonite is an opaque blue to green to light green stone, often occurring with inclusions of white, yellow or gray and occasionally tran...

View full details
Original price $25.00 - Original price $25.00
Original price $25.00
$25.00 - $25.00
Current price $25.00
Login for wholesale

Sleeping Beauty Turquoise 5mm Pebble - 15-16 Inch

Original price $383.00 - Original price $383.00
Original price $383.00
$383.00 - $383.00
Current price $383.00
Login for wholesale

Dakota Stones’ Sleeping Beauty Turquoise is from the Sleeping Beauty mine in Globe, Arizona — famous for the outstanding robin’s egg blue color and...

View full details
Original price $383.00 - Original price $383.00
Original price $383.00
$383.00 - $383.00
Current price $383.00
Login for wholesale

Aquamarine 8mm Star Cut Coin A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $36.00 - Original price $36.00
Original price $36.00
$36.00 - $36.00
Current price $36.00
Login for wholesale

Aquamarine is a transparent to translucent stone ranging from cerulean blue to light blue in higher grades. In lower grades it can be transparent t...

View full details
Original price $36.00 - Original price $36.00
Original price $36.00
$36.00 - $36.00
Current price $36.00
Login for wholesale

Frequently asked questions

  • 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.