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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.

Ametrine 10x11-11x16mm Nugget - 15-16 Inch

Original price $47.00 - Original price $47.00
Original price $47.00
$47.00 - $47.00
Current price $47.00
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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 $47.00 - Original price $47.00
Original price $47.00
$47.00 - $47.00
Current price $47.00
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Ametrine 13x17-18x25mm Nugget - 15-16 Inch

Original price $70.00 - Original price $70.00
Original price $70.00
$70.00 - $70.00
Current price $70.00
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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 $70.00 - Original price $70.00
Original price $70.00
$70.00 - $70.00
Current price $70.00
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LIGHT Peach Crystal Quartz 6x16-8x38mm Points 15-16 Inch - CLEARANCE

Original price $24.00 - Original price $24.00
Original price $24.00
$24.00 - $24.00
Current price $24.00
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Crystal Quartz is a naturally occurring clear and colorless Quartz. It is a crystalline form of Quartz said to have many divine properties includin...

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Original price $24.00
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Current price $24.00
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MATTE Hematite Light Gold Plated 2x4 Cut Nugget 15-16 Inch

Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
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Current price $10.00
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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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Current price $10.00
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MATTE Hematite Silver Plated 2x4 Cut Nugget 15-16 Inch

Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
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Current price $10.00
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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 $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
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Current price $10.00
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Red Crystal Quartz 4x20-6x40mm Points 15-16 Inch - CLEARANCE

Original price $27.00 - Original price $27.00
Original price $27.00
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Current price $27.00
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Crystal Quartz is a naturally occurring clear and colorless Quartz. It is a crystalline form of Quartz said to have many divine properties includin...

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Original price $27.00 - Original price $27.00
Original price $27.00
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Current price $27.00
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Turquoise 6x8-8x10mm Rough Nugget - 15-16 Inch

Original price $83.00 - Original price $83.00
Original price $83.00
$83.00 - $83.00
Current price $83.00
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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 $83.00 - Original price $83.00
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Current price $83.00
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Dog Teeth Amethyst 8x11mm Faceted Nugget - 15-16 Inch

Original price $35.00 - Original price $35.00
Original price $35.00
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Current price $35.00
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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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Current price $35.00
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Rose Quartz 12x15-10x16mm Simple Cut Nugget - 15-16 Inch

Original price $22.00 - Original price $22.00
Original price $22.00
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Current price $22.00
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Rose Quartz is a silicon dioxide crystal and one of the most common varieties of the Quartz family. It is a translucent to transparent stone with a...

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Current price $22.00
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Grey 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
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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 $384.00 - Original price $384.00
Original price $384.00
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Current price $384.00
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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
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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 $384.00 - Original price $384.00
Original price $384.00
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Current price $384.00
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Citrine 7x15-9x17mm Nugget Center Drill Faceted - 15-16 Inch

Original price $280.00 - Original price $280.00
Original price $280.00
$280.00 - $280.00
Current price $280.00
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Citrine is a transparent Quartz, ranging in color from pale yellow to golden yellow, honey or brown, giving it a similar appearance to Topaz. It ma...

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Original price $280.00 - Original price $280.00
Original price $280.00
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Current price $280.00
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Red Garnet 6x8-10x12mm Nugget - 15-16 Inch

Original price $12.00 - Original price $12.00
Original price $12.00
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Current price $12.00
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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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Original price $12.00 - Original price $12.00
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Current price $12.00
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Botswana Agate 14-25mm Nugget Top Drill - 15-16 Inch

Original price $30.00 - Original price $30.00
Original price $30.00
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Current price $30.00
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Botswana Agate displays highly defined parallel banding, usually in white on hues of brown, gray, pink, tan, apricot and purplish red. Botswana Aga...

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Current price $30.00
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Ethiopian Opal 5-11mm Nugget Green - 15-16 Inch

Regular Price $66.00
Original price $66.00 - Original price $66.00
Original price $66.00
Sale Price $33.00
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Ethiopian Opal was first discovered in Ethiopia in 1994, with additional major finds in 2008 and 2013. Beautiful specimens of Precious Opal, Fire O...

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Original price $66.00
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Sale Sale

Blue Opal 10x20mm Nugget - 15-16 Inch

Original price $62.00 - Original price $62.00
Original price $62.00
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Current price $62.00
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Blue Peruvian Opal naturally occurs with swirling patterns of deep blues, blue to greens and greens swirled with yellow to green, rust, brown and o...

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Current price $62.00
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Citrine 6x11 Smooth Nugget - 15-16 Inch

Original price $181.00 - Original price $181.00
Original price $181.00
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Current price $181.00
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Citrine is a transparent Quartz, ranging in color from pale yellow to golden yellow, honey or brown, giving it a similar appearance to Topaz. It ma...

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Original price $181.00 - Original price $181.00
Original price $181.00
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Current price $181.00
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Crystal Quartz 10mm Nugget A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $44.00 - Original price $44.00
Original price $44.00
$44.00 - $44.00
Current price $44.00
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Crystal Quartz is a naturally occurring clear and colorless Quartz. It is a crystalline form of Quartz said to have many divine properties includin...

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Original price $44.00 - Original price $44.00
Original price $44.00
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Current price $44.00
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Labradorite 12x28-15x30mm Faceted Nugget AA Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $56.00 - Original price $56.00
Original price $56.00
$56.00 - $56.00
Current price $56.00
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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 $56.00 - Original price $56.00
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Petro Tourmaline 7x9mm Nugget - 13-14 Inch

Original price $160.00 - Original price $160.00
Original price $160.00
$160.00 - $160.00
Current price $160.00
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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 $160.00 - Original price $160.00
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Current price $160.00
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Green Tourmaline 4x5-7x9mm Graduated Nugget - 15-16 Inch

Original price $128.00 - Original price $128.00
Original price $128.00
$128.00 - $128.00
Current price $128.00
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Green Tourmaline ranges in color from pale green to dark emerald to shades of olive and moss green. It is an aluminum borosilicate mixed with iron,...

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Original price $128.00 - Original price $128.00
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Current price $128.00
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Ruby and Sapphire 8-11mm Rough Nugget A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $81.00 - Original price $81.00
Original price $81.00
$81.00 - $81.00
Current price $81.00
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Original price $81.00 - Original price $81.00
Original price $81.00
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Current price $81.00
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Ruby and Sapphire 6-8mm Rough Nugget A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $81.00 - Original price $81.00
Original price $81.00
$81.00 - $81.00
Current price $81.00
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Original price $81.00 - Original price $81.00
Original price $81.00
$81.00 - $81.00
Current price $81.00
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Prehnite 10x14-13x17mm Faceted Tumble Nugget - 15-16 Inch

Original price $32.00 - Original price $32.00
Original price $32.00
$32.00 - $32.00
Current price $32.00
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Prehnite was the first mineral to be named after a person: its discoverer, Dutch Colonel Hendrik Von Prehn. Von Prehn discovered the stone in South...

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Original price $32.00 - Original price $32.00
Original price $32.00
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Current price $32.00
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Labradorite 8x12-10x14mm Side Drill Faceted Nugget A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $45.00 - Original price $45.00
Original price $45.00
$45.00 - $45.00
Current price $45.00
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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 $45.00 - Original price $45.00
Original price $45.00
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Current price $45.00
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Blue Chalcedony 8x12-10x14mm Side Drill Faceted Nugget A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $49.00 - Original price $49.00
Original price $49.00
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Current price $49.00
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Blue Chalcedony is a naturally occurring soft blue translucent stone. It is a member of the Quartz family, a form of silica with a cryptocrystallin...

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Original price $49.00
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Current price $49.00
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Amethyst 8x12-10x14mm Side Drill Faceted Nugget 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
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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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Original price $32.00 - Original price $32.00
Original price $32.00
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Current price $32.00
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Rose Quartz 10x13-14x17mm Faceted Tumble Nugget - 15-16 Inch

Original price $32.00 - Original price $32.00
Original price $32.00
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Current price $32.00
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Rose Quartz is a silicon dioxide crystal and one of the most common varieties of the Quartz family. It is a translucent to transparent stone with a...

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Original price $32.00 - Original price $32.00
Original price $32.00
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Current price $32.00
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Citrine 10x13-14x17mm Faceted Tumble Nugget - 15-16 Inch

Original price $32.00 - Original price $32.00
Original price $32.00
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Current price $32.00
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Citrine is a transparent Quartz, ranging in color from pale yellow to golden yellow, honey or brown, giving it a similar appearance to Topaz. It ma...

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Original price $32.00 - Original price $32.00
Original price $32.00
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Current price $32.00
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Light Amethyst 10x13-14x17mm Faceted Tumble Nugget - 15-16 Inch

Original price $32.00 - Original price $32.00
Original price $32.00
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Current price $32.00
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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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Original price $32.00 - Original price $32.00
Original price $32.00
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Current price $32.00
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Aquamarine 10x13-14x17mm Faceted Tumble Nugget - 15-16 Inch

Original price $32.00 - Original price $32.00
Original price $32.00
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Current price $32.00
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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 $32.00 - Original price $32.00
Original price $32.00
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Current price $32.00
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Lapis 10x14-13x17mm Tumble Nugget - 15-16 Inch

Original price $32.00 - Original price $32.00
Original price $32.00
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Current price $32.00
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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...

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Amethyst 10x14-13x17mm Tumble Nugget - 15-16 Inch

Original price $27.00 - Original price $27.00
Original price $27.00
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Current price $27.00
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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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Original price $27.00 - Original price $27.00
Original price $27.00
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Current price $27.00
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Rose Quartz 9x11-10x14mm Tumble Nugget A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $27.00 - Original price $27.00
Original price $27.00
$27.00 - $27.00
Current price $27.00
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Rose Quartz is a silicon dioxide crystal and one of the most common varieties of the Quartz family. It is a translucent to transparent stone with a...

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Original price $27.00 - Original price $27.00
Original price $27.00
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Current price $27.00
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Green Lodalite Quartz 9x11-10x14mm Tumble Nugget A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $27.00 - Original price $27.00
Original price $27.00
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Current price $27.00
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Green Lodolite is Quartz with inclusions of sand. These inclusions range broadly in type and color and produce patterns that can look like gardens....

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Current price $27.00
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Dog Teeth Amethyst 9x11-10x14mm Tumble Nugget A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $23.00 - Original price $23.00
Original price $23.00
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Current price $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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Original price $23.00 - Original price $23.00
Original price $23.00
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Current price $23.00
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Aquamarine 9x11-10x14mm Tumble Nugget A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $27.00 - Original price $27.00
Original price $27.00
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Current price $27.00
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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 $27.00 - Original price $27.00
Original price $27.00
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Current price $27.00
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Light Amethyst 9x11-10x14mm Tumble Nugget A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $27.00 - Original price $27.00
Original price $27.00
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Current price $27.00
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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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Original price $27.00 - Original price $27.00
Original price $27.00
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Current price $27.00
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Topaz 8x10-10x12mm Rough Nugget A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $27.00 - Original price $27.00
Original price $27.00
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Current price $27.00
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Topaz is a rare silicate mineral and obtains much of its popularity from its beautiful colors and its status as a birthstone. Topaz occurs in a wi...

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Beryl (Morganite) 8x10-10x12mm Rough Nugget A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $27.00 - Original price $27.00
Original price $27.00
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Current price $27.00
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A relatively rare silicate mineral found in igneous and metamorphic rocks around the world, Beryl is generally clear, while its variations in color...

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Rhodochrosite 8x10-10x12mm Rough Nugget A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $27.00 - Original price $27.00
Original price $27.00
$27.00 - $27.00
Current price $27.00
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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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Current price $27.00
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Larimar 8x10-10x12mm Rough Nugget A Grade- 15-16 Inch

Original price $32.00 - Original price $32.00
Original price $32.00
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Current price $32.00
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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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Amethyst 7x10mm Nugget - 15-16 Inch

Original price $18.00 - Original price $18.00
Original price $18.00
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Current price $18.00
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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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Original price $18.00 - Original price $18.00
Original price $18.00
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Current price $18.00
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Tiger Eye 7x8mm Faceted Round Nugget A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $18.00 - Original price $18.00
Original price $18.00
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Current price $18.00
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Tiger Eye is a macrocrystalline Quartz stone with bands of rich golds and browns. Its chatoyant layers that create a flash which seems to emanate f...

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Smoky Quartz 7x8mm Faceted Round Nugget - 15-16 Inch

Original price $27.00 - Original price $27.00
Original price $27.00
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Current price $27.00
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Smoky Quartz is a translucent smoky brown or gray variety of Quartz. It ranges from almost completely transparent to an almost opaque brownish to g...

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Original price $27.00
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Current price $27.00
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Sodalite 7x8mm Faceted Round Nugget A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $27.00 - Original price $27.00
Original price $27.00
$27.00 - $27.00
Current price $27.00
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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 $27.00
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Current price $27.00
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Sardonyx 7x8mm Faceted Round Nugget - 15-16 Inch

Original price $18.00 - Original price $18.00
Original price $18.00
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Current price $18.00
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Sardonyx has a Sard base, typically of brown or black, with bands of white Onyx running through it. Sard is not Onyx, but rather a dark variety of ...

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Red Garnet 7x8mm Faceted Round Nugget - 15-16 Inch

Original price $27.00 - Original price $27.00
Original price $27.00
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Current price $27.00
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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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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.