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: 2262
Madre de Cacao Wood 6mm Round Bead - 15-16 Inch
Madre de Cacao is a very hard tropical wood with a visible grain. This species is formally identified as Gliricidia sepium and can be found by diff...
View full detailsMalachite 3mm Round Faceted A Grade - 15-16 Inch
Malachite is a copper carbonate with a bright green color and dark green banding. Usually found near copper deposits, it is formed through the comb...
View full detailsMalachite 8mm Round Faceted A Grade - 15-16 Inch - CLEARANCE
Malachite is a copper carbonate with a bright green color and dark green banding. Usually found near copper deposits, it is formed through the comb...
View full detailsMATTE Blue Apatite 12mm A Grade Round - 15-16 Inch
Blue Apatite ranges in color from light teal to blue to bright blue to dark blue to green. It can be easily confused with other minerals due to its...
View full detailsMATTE Labradorite 8mm Star Cut Round - 15-16 Inch
Labradorite is remarkable for the way its aggregate layers refract light, creating iridescent flashes of blue, gold, pale green or copper red. This...
View full detailsMATTE Purple Sardonyx (dyed) 10mm Star Cut Round - 15-16 Inch
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 ...
View full detailsMATTE River Stone 10mm Round 15-16 Inch
River Stone is a form of limestone composed of quartz, calcium carbonate and other materials. Naturally beautiful, it offers a way to work a neutra...
View full detailsMATTE River Stone 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch
River Stone is a form of limestone composed of quartz, calcium carbonate and other materials. Naturally beautiful, it offers a way to work a neutra...
View full detailsMATTE River Stone 8mm Round 15-16 Inch
River Stone is a form of limestone composed of quartz, calcium carbonate and other materials. Naturally beautiful, it offers a way to work a neutra...
View full detailsMexican Black & Red Zebra Jasper 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Mexican Black and Red Zebra Jasper has banded and marbled patterns of translucent to opaque milky white, black and red. Jasper has a long and illus...
View full detailsMexican Laguna Lace Agate 10mm Round - 15-16 inch
Mexican Laguna Lace Agate is one of the most prized agates in the world. It is a variety of banded Chalcedony with layers that may contain scarlet,...
View full detailsMexican Laguna Lace Agate 6mm Round - 15-16 inch
Mexican Laguna Lace Agate 8mm Round - 15-16 inch
Mexican Laguna Lace Agate is one of the most prized agates in the world. It is a variety of banded Chalcedony with layers that may contain scarlet,...
View full detailsMixed Lodalite Quartz Faceted Rainbow 3mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Mixed Lodolite is Quartz with inclusions of sand. These inclusions range broadly in type and color and produce patterns that can look like gardens....
View full detailsMixed Stone 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Mixed Stone 2mm Round 15-16 Inch
Mixed Stone 4mm Faceted Round - 15-16 Inch
*These beads are "diamond cut", meaning that their facets were cut using industrial grade diamond. The cleaner facet from this cutting process resu...
View full detailsMixed Stone 4mm Round 15-16 Inch
Mixed Stone 6mm Round 15-16 Inch
Mixed Stone 8mm 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 detailsMoonstone 10mm Round 15-16 Inch
Rainbow Moonstone is named for its moon-like glow or chatoyancy, as well as a prismatic quality that differentiates it from other varieties of Moon...
View full detailsMoonstone 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Rainbow Moonstone is named for its moon-like glow or chatoyancy, as well as a prismatic quality that differentiates it from other varieties of Moon...
View full detailsMoonstone 6mm Round 15-16 Inch
Rainbow Moonstone is named for its moon-like glow or chatoyancy, as well as a prismatic quality that differentiates it from other varieties of Moon...
View full detailsMoonstone 10mm Round Mixed - 15-16 Inch
Moonstone naturally occurs in a broad spectrum of colors, but is most commonly associated with white, gray and peach. It's soft chatoyancy is remin...
View full detailsMoonstone Banded 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Rainbow Moonstone is named for its moon-like glow or chatoyancy, as well as a prismatic quality that differentiates it from other varieties of Moon...
View full detailsMorganite 10mm Round Faceted A Grade - 15-16 Inch - CLEARANCE
Morganite gets its pink hue from the presence of manganese or cesium in the stone. It's actually a pink variety of Beryl -- the family of gemstones...
View full detailsMorganite 3mm Round Faceted AA Grade Banded - 15-16 Inch
Morganite gets its pink hue from the presence of manganese or cesium in the stone. It's actually a pink variety of Beryl -- the family of gemstones...
View full detailsMorganite 4mm Round AA Grade - 15-16 Inch
Morganite gets its pink hue from the presence of manganese or cesium in the stone. It's actually a pink variety of Beryl -- the family of gemstones...
View full detailsMorganite 4mm Round Faceted A Grade Banded - 15-16 Inch
Morganite gets its pink hue from the presence of manganese or cesium in the stone. It's actually a pink variety of Beryl -- the family of gemstones...
View full detailsMorganite 8mm Round Faceted A Grade - 15-16 Inch
Morganite gets its pink hue from the presence of manganese or cesium in the stone. It's actually a pink variety of Beryl -- the family of gemstones...
View full detailsMorganite Banded 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Morganite gets its pink hue from the presence of manganese or cesium in the stone. It's actually a pink variety of Beryl -- the family of gemstones...
View full detailsMorganite Faceted, Banded 3mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Morganite gets its pink hue from the presence of manganese or cesium in the stone. It's actually a pink variety of Beryl -- the family of gemstones...
View full detailsMoss Agate 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Moss Agate is a variety of Chalcedony, clear to milky white to dark green, with inclusions that appear in patterns similar to moss or lichen. The i...
View full detailsMoss Agate 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Moss Agate is a variety of Chalcedony, clear to milky white to dark green, with inclusions that appear in patterns similar to moss or lichen. The i...
View full detailsMoss Agate 6mm Round 15-16 Inch
Moss Agate is a variety of Chalcedony, clear to milky white to dark green, with inclusions that appear in patterns similar to moss or lichen. The i...
View full detailsMoss Agate 8mm Round 15-16 Inch
Moss Agate is a variety of Chalcedony, clear to milky white to dark green, with inclusions that appear in patterns similar to moss or lichen. The i...
View full detailsMulti Banded Tourmaline 3mm Faceted Round - 15-16 Inch
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...
View full detailsMulti Tourmaline 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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...
View full detailsMulti Tourmaline 3mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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...
View full detailsMulti Tourmaline 3mm Round Faceted AA Grade Banded (Light)- 15-16 Inch
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...
View full detailsMulti Tourmaline 3mm Round Faceted AA Grade Banded - 15-16 Inch
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...
View full detailsMulti Tourmaline 3mm Round Faceted- 15-16 Inch
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...
View full detailsMulti Tourmaline 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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...
View full detailsMulti Tourmaline 4mm Round Faceted A Grade Banded - 15-16 Inch
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...
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.