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.
Products: 2264
4x6 mm Dendritic Opal Table Cut Corner Drilled Cube - 15-16 Inch
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 detailsAmber 4-22mm Dark Chip - 15-16 Inch
Amber is a yellow, brown or orange organic gem, neither a crystal nor a mineral. It is a product of nature, the fossilized resin of prehistoric pin...
View full detailsAncient Cellar Red Agate 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Ancient Cellar Red Agate is a natural agate that is dyed and heated to give it the unique color and pattern we call Ancient Cellar.
Ancient Cellar Red Agate 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Ancient Cellar Red Agate is a natural agate that is dyed and heated to give it the unique color and pattern we call Ancient Cellar.
Australian Boulder Opal Faceted 3mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Boulder Opal is a golden-brown to dark brown stone, displaying these colors in patterns of parallel bands. It is considered a precious Opal, and fo...
View full detailsBlood Quartz 4mm Faceted Round - 15-16 Inch
Blood Quartz is a clear to milky-white silicon dioxide mineral. Its inclusions of red, orange and rust are due to traces of hematite within the sto...
View full detailsMexican Laguna Lace Agate 6mm Round - 15-16 inch
Mookaite 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Mookaite is a variety of Jasper in colors of red, burgundy, pink, mauve, purple, yellow and white. It takes its name from Mooka Creek, near the Ken...
View full detailsMookaite 4mm Round 15-16 Inch
Mookaite is a variety of Jasper in colors of red, burgundy, pink, mauve, purple, yellow and white. It takes its name from Mooka Creek, near the Ken...
View full detailsMookaite 6mm Round -15-16 Inch
Mookaite is a variety of Jasper in colors of red, burgundy, pink, mauve, purple, yellow and white. It takes its name from Mooka Creek, near the Ken...
View full detailsMookaite 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Mookaite is a variety of Jasper in colors of red, burgundy, pink, mauve, purple, yellow and white. It takes its name from Mooka Creek, near the Ken...
View full detailsMoroccan Agate 10x16-22x50mm Top Drill Slab 15-16 Inch
Moroccan Agate occurs in striking colors of red, white, golden tan, gray and purple, in a variety of swirling and linear patterns. Like other Agate...
View full detailsMulti Rutilated Quartz 8mm Natural Energy Prism Faceted - 15-16 Inch
Multi Spinel 2mm Table Cut Cube A Grade Banded Bead - 15-16 Inch
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 detailsRed Agate 6x8 Tri Cut Faceted Rondelle - 15-16 Inch
Red Agate is a form of Chalcedony, made up of of smaller crystals, and often features color banding. Red Agate purportedly enhances mental function...
View full detailsRed Botswana Agate 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Red Botswana Agate displays highly defined parallel banding, usually in white on hues of brown, gray, pink, tan, apricot and purplish red. Botswana...
View full detailsRed Botswana Agate 2mm Faceted Cube - 15-16 Inch
Red Botswana Agate displays highly defined parallel banding, usually in white on hues of brown, gray, pink, tan, apricot and purplish red. Botswana...
View full detailsRed Botswana Agate 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Red Botswana Agate displays highly defined parallel banding, usually in white on hues of brown, gray, pink, tan, apricot and purplish red. Botswana...
View full detailsRed Crystal Quartz 4x20-6x40mm Points 15-16 Inch - CLEARANCE
Crystal Quartz is a naturally occurring clear and colorless Quartz. It is a crystalline form of Quartz said to have many divine properties includin...
View full detailsRed Garnet 10mm Round Faceted - 15-16 Inch - CLEARANCE
Red Garnet is the most commonly known type of Garnet, which occurs in many colors. Garnet has been used for adornment and spirituality by myriad cu...
View full detailsRed Garnet 2mm Coin Faceted A Grade - 15-16 Inch
Red Garnet is the most commonly known type of Garnet, which occurs in many colors. Garnet has been used for adornment and spirituality by myriad cu...
View full detailsRed Garnet 3mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Red Garnet is the most commonly known type of Garnet, which occurs in many colors. Garnet has been used for adornment and spirituality by myriad cu...
View full detailsRed Garnet 4mm Round 15-16 Inch
Red Garnet is the most commonly known type of Garnet, which occurs in many colors. Garnet has been used for adornment and spirituality by myriad cu...
View full detailsRed Garnet 5x8mm Chips - 15-16 Inch
Red Garnet is the most commonly known type of Garnet, which occurs in many colors. Garnet has been used for adornment and spirituality by myriad cu...
View full detailsRed Garnet 6mm Double Heart Faceted - 15-16 Inch
Red Garnet is the most commonly known type of Garnet, which occurs in many colors. Garnet has been used for adornment and spirituality by myriad cu...
View full detailsRed Garnet 6mm Energy Prism - 15-16 Inch
Red Garnet is the most commonly known type of Garnet, which occurs in many colors. Garnet has been used for adornment and spirituality by myriad cu...
View full detailsRed Garnet 6mm Round Faceted 15-16 Inch
Red Garnet is the most commonly known type of Garnet, which occurs in many colors. Garnet has been used for adornment and spirituality by myriad cu...
View full detailsRed Garnet 6x8mm Tri Cut Faceted Rondelle - 15-16 Inch
Red Garnet is the most commonly known type of Garnet, which occurs in many colors. Garnet has been used for adornment and spirituality by myriad cu...
View full detailsRed Garnet 8mm Coin Faceted A Grade - 15-16 Inch
Red Garnet is the most commonly known type of Garnet, which occurs in many colors. Garnet has been used for adornment and spirituality by myriad cu...
View full detailsRed Garnet 8mm Double Heart Faceted - 15-16 Inch
Red Garnet is the most commonly known type of Garnet, which occurs in many colors. Garnet has been used for adornment and spirituality by myriad cu...
View full detailsRed Garnet 8mm Round Faceted - 15-16 Inch
Red Garnet is the most commonly known type of Garnet, which occurs in many colors. Garnet has been used for adornment and spirituality by myriad cu...
View full detailsRed Garnet 8mm Natural Energy Prism Faceted - 15-16 Inch
Red Garnet 8mm Round 15-16 Inch
Red Garnet is the most commonly known type of Garnet, which occurs in many colors. Garnet has been used for adornment and spirituality by myriad cu...
View full detailsRed Garnet Faceted 10mm Energy Prism - 15-16 Inch
Red Garnet is the most commonly known type of Garnet, which occurs in many colors. Garnet has been used for adornment and spirituality by myriad cu...
View full detailsRed Garnet Natural 6-7mm Table Cut Cube Bead - 15-16 Inch
Red Garnet is the most commonly known type of Garnet, which occurs in many colors. Garnet has been used for adornment and spirituality by myriad cu...
View full detailsRed Garnet Natural 8mm Bicone Faceted - 15-16 Inch
Red Garnet is the most commonly known type of Garnet, which occurs in many colors. Garnet has been used for adornment and spirituality by myriad cu...
View full detailsRutilated Quartz 2mm Table Cut Cube Banded - 15-16 Inch
Rutilated Quartz is a silicon dioxide mineral with unique needle-like inclusions of Rutile. These “needles” usually appear golden, but can also app...
View full detailsSage Agate 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Distinctive for its purple-and-gray tones, Sage Agate forms in volcanish ash, and features dark manganese dendrites throughout. The stone can also ...
View full detailsSage Agate 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Distinctive for its purple-and-gray tones, Sage Agate forms in volcanish ash, and features dark manganese dendrites throughout. The stone can also ...
View full detailsScapolite Cat's Eye Red 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Shiva Eye 18-22 Irregular Oval 15-16 Inch
Terra Agate Red 10x30mm Rice - 15-16 Inch
A form of chalcedony made of quartz, Terra Agate contains the best of nature in a variety of small shapes. Our Red Terra Agate is dyed to give a un...
View full detailsTerra Agate Red 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch
A form of chalcedony made of quartz, Terra Agate contains the best of nature in a variety of small shapes. Our Red Terra Agate is dyed to give a un...
View full detailsTerra Agate Red 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch
A form of chalcedony made of quartz, Terra Agate contains the best of nature in a variety of small shapes. Our Red Terra Agate is dyed to give a un...
View full detailsAgua Nueva Agate 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Agua Nueva Agate is sourced from the Agua Nueva Ranch near Chihuahua City, Mexico. The stone ranges in hue from green, gold and lavender to earthy ...
View full detailsBirds Eye Rhyolite 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Bird’s Eye Rhyolite is named for its circular color formations of deep reds, light tans and earthtones. Rhyolite was named "streaming rock" because...
View full detailsBirds Eye Rhyolite 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Bird’s Eye Rhyolite is named for its circular color formations of deep reds, light tans and earthtones. Rhyolite was named "streaming rock" because...
View full detailsBirds Eye Rhyolite 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Bird’s Eye Rhyolite is named for its circular color formations of deep reds, light tans and earthtones. Rhyolite was named "streaming rock" because...
View full detailsFrequently 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.