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.
Banded Mixed Stone 6-9mm Chips - Amethyst and Rose Quartz - 15-16 Inch
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$11.00
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$11.00
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$11.00
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$11.00
This banded strand of chips features Amethyst, Rose Quartz, and Purple Rose Quartz.
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$11.00
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$11.00
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$11.00
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$11.00
Kunzite 7x9-8x10mm Pebble A Grade - 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
Kunzite was named after a former Tiffany & Co. vice president, famed mineralogist and jeweler George Frederick Kunz, who first catalogued the s...
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$18.00
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$18.00
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$18.00
Iolite 7x9-8x10mm Pebble A Grade - 15-16-Inch
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$18.00
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$18.00
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$18.00
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...
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$18.00
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$18.00
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$18.00
Amethyst 7x9-8x10mm Pebble A Grade - 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
Amethyst is a beautiful purple stone, known as a “Gem of Fire” by ancient cultures. It has been greatly sought after throughout history and was at ...
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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
Dog Teeth Amethyst 7x8mm Faceted Round Nugget - 15-16 Inch
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$23.00
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$23.00
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$23.00
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$23.00
Dog Teeth Amethyst has a purple and white striped appearance due to its combination of Amethyst and White Quartz. The name derives from the recurri...
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$23.00
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$23.00
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$23.00
Charoite 7x8mm Faceted Round Nugget - 15-16 Inch
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$63.00
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$63.00
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$63.00
$63.00
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$63.00
Charoite is a stone that naturally occurs in intense purple hues, as well as grays, browns, greenish yellows, white and black. These colors swirl t...
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$63.00
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$63.00
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Amethyst 7x8mm Faceted Round Nugget A Grade - 15-16 Inch
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$32.00
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$32.00
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$32.00
$32.00
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$32.00
Amethyst is a beautiful purple stone, known as a “Gem of Fire” by ancient cultures. It has been greatly sought after throughout history and was at ...
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$32.00
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$32.00
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Light Amethyst 4mm Microfaceted Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch
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$16.00
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$16.00
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$16.00
Amethyst is a beautiful purple stone, known as a “Gem of Fire” by ancient cultures. It has been greatly sought after throughout history and was at ...
View full details
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$16.00
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$16.00
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$16.00
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$16.00
Purple Fluorite 1x2mm Square Rondelle - 15-16 Inch
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$13.00
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$13.00
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$13.00
$13.00
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$13.00
Fluorite is a luminous, soft and glassy stone, sometimes referred to as “the most colorful mineral in the world.” It is one of the most sought to a...
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$13.00
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$13.00
Dog Teeth Amethyst 1x2mm Square Rondelle - 15-16 Inch
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$13.00
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$13.00
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$13.00
Dog Teeth Amethyst has a purple and white striped appearance due to its combination of Amethyst and White Quartz. The name derives from the recurri...
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$13.00
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$13.00
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$13.00
Dog Teeth Amethyst 8mm Cross - 15-16 Inch
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$18.00
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Dog Teeth Amethyst has a purple and white striped appearance due to its combination of Amethyst and White Quartz. The name derives from the recurri...
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$18.00
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$18.00
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$18.00
Lepidolite 7x8mm Faceted Swirl Oval - 15-16 Inch
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$23.00
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$23.00
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$23.00
A particularly soft stone, Lepidolite has a glassy or lustrous sheen. It is the most abundant lithium-bearing mineral as well as a significant sour...
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$23.00
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$23.00
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Dog Teeth Amethyst 7x8mm Faceted Swirl Oval - 15-16 Inch
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$23.00
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$23.00
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Dog Teeth Amethyst has a purple and white striped appearance due to its combination of Amethyst and White Quartz. The name derives from the recurri...
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$23.00
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$23.00
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$23.00
Amethyst 7x8mm Faceted Rice Bead A Grade - 15-16 Inch
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$32.00
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$32.00
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$32.00
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$32.00
Amethyst is a beautiful purple stone, known as a “Gem of Fire” by ancient cultures. It has been greatly sought after throughout history and was at ...
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$32.00
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$32.00
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$32.00
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$32.00
Purple Garnet 3mm Table Cut Cube A Grade - 15-16 Inch
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$18.00
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Purple Garnet is a magenta to purple variety of the famous stone. Garnet has been used for adornment and spirituality by myriad cultures and civili...
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$18.00
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Atlantisite Stichtite 12 Round - 15-16 Inch
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$65.00
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$65.00
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$65.00
$65.00
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$65.00
Stichtite is a mineral, a carbonate of chromium and magnesium. Its color ranges from pink through lilac to a rich purple color. Discovered in 1910 ...
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$65.00
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$65.00
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Atlantisite Stichtite 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$39.00
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$39.00
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$39.00
Stichtite is a mineral, a carbonate of chromium and magnesium. Its color ranges from pink through lilac to a rich purple color. Discovered in 1910 ...
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$39.00
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$39.00
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Atlantisite Stichtite 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$34.00
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$34.00
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$34.00
$34.00
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$34.00
Stichtite is a mineral, a carbonate of chromium and magnesium. Its color ranges from pink through lilac to a rich purple color. Discovered in 1910 ...
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$34.00
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$34.00
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Atlantisite Stichtite 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$44.00
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$44.00
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$44.00
Stichtite is a mineral, a carbonate of chromium and magnesium. Its color ranges from pink through lilac to a rich purple color. Discovered in 1910 ...
View full details
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$44.00
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$44.00
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$44.00
Atlantisite Stichtite 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$61.00
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$61.00
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$61.00
$61.00
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$61.00
Stichtite is a mineral, a carbonate of chromium and magnesium. Its color ranges from pink through lilac to a rich purple color. Discovered in 1910 ...
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$61.00
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$61.00
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$61.00
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$61.00
Dog Teeth Amethyst 2x6mm Thin Rondelle - 15-16 Inch
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$18.00
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$18.00
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$18.00
Dog Teeth Amethyst has a purple and white striped appearance due to its combination of Amethyst and White Quartz. The name derives from the recurri...
View full details
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$18.00
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$18.00
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$18.00
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$18.00
Amethyst 8mm Faceted Puff Square - 15-16 Inch
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$24.00
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$24.00
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$24.00
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$24.00
Amethyst is a beautiful purple stone, known as a “Gem of Fire” by ancient cultures. It has been greatly sought after throughout history and was at ...
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
Amethyst 8mm Faceted Puff Heart - 15-16 Inch
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$31.00
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$31.00
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$31.00
$31.00
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$31.00
Amethyst is a beautiful purple stone, known as a “Gem of Fire” by ancient cultures. It has been greatly sought after throughout history and was at ...
View full details
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$31.00
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$31.00
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$31.00
$31.00
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$31.00
Kunzite 4mm Round Faceted AA Grade - 15-16 Inch
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$32.00
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$32.00
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$32.00
$32.00
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$32.00
Kunzite was named after a former Tiffany & Co. vice president, famed mineralogist and jeweler George Frederick Kunz, who first catalogued the s...
View full details
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$32.00
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$32.00
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$32.00
$32.00
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$32.00
Amethyst 6x8mm Triangle Cut Faceted Rice Bead - 15-16 Inch
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$37.00
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$37.00
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$37.00
$37.00
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$37.00
Amethyst is a beautiful purple stone, known as a “Gem of Fire” by ancient cultures. It has been greatly sought after throughout history and was at ...
View full details
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$37.00
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$37.00
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$37.00
$37.00
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$37.00
Amethyst 4x6mm Triangle Cut Faceted Rice Bead A Grade - 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
Amethyst is a beautiful purple stone, known as a “Gem of Fire” by ancient cultures. It has been greatly sought after throughout history and was at ...
View full details
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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
Amethyst 8x10mm Triangle Cut Faceted Puff Oval - 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
Amethyst is a beautiful purple stone, known as a “Gem of Fire” by ancient cultures. It has been greatly sought after throughout history and was at ...
View full details
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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
Amethyst 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$20.00
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$20.00
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$20.00
$20.00
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$20.00
Amethyst is a beautiful purple stone, known as a “Gem of Fire” by ancient cultures. It has been greatly sought after throughout history and was at ...
View full details
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$20.00
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$20.00
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$20.00
$20.00
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$20.00
Amethyst 5X7-8X10mm Freeform Oval - 15-16 inch
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$31.00
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$31.00
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$31.00
$31.00
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$31.00
Amethyst is a beautiful purple stone, known as a “Gem of Fire” by ancient cultures. It has been greatly sought after throughout history and was at ...
View full details
Original price
$31.00
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$31.00
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$31.00
$31.00
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$31.00
Spiny Oyster 5-12mm Purple Graduated Rondelle - 15-16 Inch
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$113.00
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$113.00
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$113.00
$113.00
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$113.00
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$113.00
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$113.00
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$113.00
$113.00
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$113.00
Atlantisite Stichtite 3mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$25.00
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$25.00
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$25.00
$25.00
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$25.00
Stichtite is a mineral, a carbonate of chromium and magnesium. Its color ranges from pink through lilac to a rich purple color. Discovered in 1910 ...
View full details
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$25.00
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$25.00
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$25.00
$25.00
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$25.00
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.