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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.

3X10-20mm Rhodochrosite Natural Chips TD AA Grade - 15-16 Inch - CLEARANCE

Original price $31.00 - Original price $31.00
Original price $31.00
$31.00 - $31.00
Current price $31.00
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Rhodochrosite is a bubblegum pink to rose red stone, with occasional inclusions of creamy white and dark grey. A manganese carbonate material of th...

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Original price $31.00 - Original price $31.00
Original price $31.00
$31.00 - $31.00
Current price $31.00
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Amber 4-22mm Dark Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $60.00 - Original price $60.00
Original price $60.00
$60.00 - $60.00
Current price $60.00
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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...

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Original price $60.00 - Original price $60.00
Original price $60.00
$60.00 - $60.00
Current price $60.00
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Aquamarine 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
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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...

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Original price $16.00 - Original price $16.00
Original price $16.00
$16.00 - $16.00
Current price $16.00
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Australian Chrysoprase 4x10mm Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $20.00 - Original price $20.00
Original price $20.00
$20.00 - $20.00
Current price $20.00
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Chrysoprase is a bright apple green, translucent stone, whose color often caused ancient jewelers to confuse it with Emerald. A cryptocrystalline C...

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Original price $20.00 - Original price $20.00
Original price $20.00
$20.00 - $20.00
Current price $20.00
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Australian Opal 3-8mm Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $175.00 - Original price $175.00
Original price $175.00
$175.00 - $175.00
Current price $175.00
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Dakota Stones Australian Opals are back. We have been working with a father/ son team out of Australia for many years that assist us to bring you s...

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Original price $175.00 - Original price $175.00
Original price $175.00
$175.00 - $175.00
Current price $175.00
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Diamond 2-4mm Chip Black- 15-16 Inch

Original price $116.00 - Original price $116.00
Original price $116.00
$116.00 - $116.00
Current price $116.00
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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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Original price $116.00 - Original price $116.00
Original price $116.00
$116.00 - $116.00
Current price $116.00
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Labradorite 5x8mm Chips - 15-16 Inch

Original price $15.00 - Original price $15.00
Original price $15.00
$15.00 - $15.00
Current price $15.00
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Labradorite is remarkable for the way its aggregate layers refract light, creating iridescent flashes of blue, gold, pale green or copper red. This...

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Original price $15.00 - Original price $15.00
Original price $15.00
$15.00 - $15.00
Current price $15.00
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Mexican Fire Opal 2x6-5x10mm Rough Chips 15-16 Inch - CLEARANCE

Original price $46.00 - Original price $46.00
Original price $46.00
$46.00 - $46.00
Current price $46.00
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Fire Opal is a transparent or translucent stone named for the vivid red, orange and yellow colors in which it occurs. The most precious Fire Opal h...

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Original price $46.00 - Original price $46.00
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$46.00 - $46.00
Current price $46.00
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New Burma Jade 5x8mm Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $15.00 - Original price $15.00
Original price $15.00
$15.00 - $15.00
Current price $15.00
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New Burma Jade is the trade name for a semi-translucent serpentine stone available in a variety of green shades including olive, sea green, green, ...

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Current price $15.00
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Red Garnet 5x8mm Chips - 15-16 Inch

Original price $15.00 - Original price $15.00
Original price $15.00
$15.00 - $15.00
Current price $15.00
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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...

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Current price $15.00
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Sunstone 6mm Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $16.00 - Original price $16.00
Original price $16.00
$16.00 - $16.00
Current price $16.00
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Sunstone, a variety of Feldspar, is aptly named for its shades of gold, orange, red and brown, as well as its iridescent sparkle. As the stone catc...

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Original price $16.00 - Original price $16.00
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Current price $16.00
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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
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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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Original price $16.00 - Original price $16.00
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Current price $16.00
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Golden Sunstone 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
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Sunstone, a variety of Feldspar, is aptly named for its shades of gold, orange, red and brown, as well as its iridescent sparkle. As the stone catc...

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Original price $16.00 - Original price $16.00
Original price $16.00
$16.00 - $16.00
Current price $16.00
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Black Rutilated Quartz 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
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Rutilated Quartz is a silicon dioxide mineral with unique needle-like inclusions of Rutile. These “needles” usually appear golden, but can also app...

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Original price $16.00 - Original price $16.00
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Current price $16.00
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Canadian Jade 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
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Canadian Jade is the trade name for this stone that ranges in color from light to dark green, with small, dark specks or veins. This material is ac...

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Current price $16.00
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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
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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...

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Current price $20.00
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Rhodochrosite 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
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Rhodochrosite is a bubblegum pink to rose red stone, with occasional inclusions of creamy white and dark grey. A manganese carbonate material of th...

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Original price $20.00 - Original price $20.00
Original price $20.00
$20.00 - $20.00
Current price $20.00
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Labradorite 4x10-13mm Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $12.00 - Original price $12.00
Original price $12.00
$12.00 - $12.00
Current price $12.00
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Labradorite is remarkable for the way its aggregate layers refract light, creating iridescent flashes of blue, gold, pale green or copper red. This...

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Original price $12.00 - Original price $12.00
Original price $12.00
$12.00 - $12.00
Current price $12.00
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Mexican Fire Opal Dark 2-10mm Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $46.00 - Original price $46.00
Original price $46.00
$46.00 - $46.00
Current price $46.00
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[Use Fire Opal description? This Fire Opal contains both Opal and the rhyolitic host material in which it is formed, which provides sufficient hard...

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Original price $46.00 - Original price $46.00
Original price $46.00
$46.00 - $46.00
Current price $46.00
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Light Sunset Dumortierite 5x10-7x16mm Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
$10.00 - $10.00
Current price $10.00
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Sunset Dumortierite has a much brighter palette than regular Dumortierite, from light blue to lapis blue to cobalt, as well as some occurrences of ...

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Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
$10.00 - $10.00
Current price $10.00
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Pink Opal 3x6-5x7mm Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
$10.00 - $10.00
Current price $10.00
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Pink Opal is a variety of non to precious opal, meaning that it has lustre and some translucency without the fire or color play associated with pre...

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Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
$10.00 - $10.00
Current price $10.00
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Amazonite 3x9-5x11mm Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
$10.00 - $10.00
Current price $10.00
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Brazilian Amazonite is an opaque blue to green to light green stone, often occurring with inclusions of white, yellow or gray and occasionally tran...

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Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
$10.00 - $10.00
Current price $10.00
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Sodalite 6x8-12mm Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
$10.00 - $10.00
Current price $10.00
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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...

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Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
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$10.00 - $10.00
Current price $10.00
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Ametrine 3x7-6x12mm Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
$10.00 - $10.00
Current price $10.00
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Ametrine is quartz that occurs in bands of purple and yellow. As the name suggests, it is a combination of Amethyst and Citrine. The different colo...

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Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
$10.00 - $10.00
Current price $10.00
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Tourmaline 4-6mm Banded Chip A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $18.00 - Original price $18.00
Original price $18.00
$18.00 - $18.00
Current price $18.00
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Tourmaline is classified as a semiprecious stone and occurs in a vast array of colors, everything from colorless to black, from pastel to bright to...

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Original price $18.00 - Original price $18.00
Original price $18.00
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Current price $18.00
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Tourmaline 3-5mm Banded Chip A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $18.00 - Original price $18.00
Original price $18.00
$18.00 - $18.00
Current price $18.00
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Tourmaline is classified as a semiprecious stone and occurs in a vast array of colors, everything from colorless to black, from pastel to bright to...

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Original price $18.00 - Original price $18.00
Original price $18.00
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Current price $18.00
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Banded Mixed Stone 6-9mm Chips - Amethyst and Rose Quartz - 15-16 Inch

Original price $11.00 - Original price $11.00
Original price $11.00
$11.00 - $11.00
Current price $11.00
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This banded strand of chips features Amethyst, Rose Quartz, and Purple Rose Quartz.

Original price $11.00 - Original price $11.00
Original price $11.00
$11.00 - $11.00
Current price $11.00
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Black Sunstone 5x8mm Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $15.00 - Original price $15.00
Original price $15.00
$15.00 - $15.00
Current price $15.00
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Sunstone, a variety of Feldspar, is aptly named for its shades of gold, orange, red and brown, as well as its iridescent sparkle. As the stone catc...

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Original price $15.00 - Original price $15.00
Original price $15.00
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Current price $15.00
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Blue Kyanite 5x8m Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $15.00 - Original price $15.00
Original price $15.00
$15.00 - $15.00
Current price $15.00
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Kyanite often occurs as long, bladed, striated crystals, transparent or translucent with a pearly luster. An aluminum silicate mineral, it may appe...

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Original price $15.00 - Original price $15.00
Original price $15.00
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Current price $15.00
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Kingman Turquoise 8-15mm Chip Blue 16 Inch- Limited Editions

Original price $161.00 - Original price $161.00
Original price $161.00
$161.00 - $161.00
Current price $161.00
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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...

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Original price $161.00 - Original price $161.00
Original price $161.00
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Current price $161.00
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Hematite Coated 6-12mm Chips - 15-16 Inch

Original price $7.00 - Original price $7.00
Original price $7.00
$7.00 - $7.00
Current price $7.00
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Hematite is an iron oxide and one of the few gemstones with a metallic luster. When tumbled it can have the look of polished steel. Hematite is bla...

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Original price $7.00 - Original price $7.00
Original price $7.00
$7.00 - $7.00
Current price $7.00
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Purple Puka Shell 10-12mm Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $39.00 - Original price $39.00
Original price $39.00
$39.00 - $39.00
Current price $39.00
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Puka shells are naturally broken, ocean-tumbled fragments of cone snail shells, featuring a naturally occurring center hole ("puka" in Hawaiian). O...

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Original price $39.00 - Original price $39.00
Original price $39.00
$39.00 - $39.00
Current price $39.00
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Purple Puka Shell 6-7mm Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $28.00 - Original price $28.00
Original price $28.00
$28.00 - $28.00
Current price $28.00
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Puka shells are naturally broken, ocean-tumbled fragments of cone snail shells, featuring a naturally occurring center hole ("puka" in Hawaiian). O...

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Original price $28.00 - Original price $28.00
Original price $28.00
$28.00 - $28.00
Current price $28.00
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Purple Puka Shell 4-5mm Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $26.00 - Original price $26.00
Original price $26.00
$26.00 - $26.00
Current price $26.00
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Puka shells are naturally broken, ocean-tumbled fragments of cone snail shells, featuring a naturally occurring center hole ("puka" in Hawaiian). O...

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Original price $26.00 - Original price $26.00
Original price $26.00
$26.00 - $26.00
Current price $26.00
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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.