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.
Blue Apatite 10mm A Grade Round - 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
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...
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$31.00
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$31.00
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$31.00
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$31.00
Blue Apatite 4mm A Grade Round 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
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 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
Blue Apatite 6mm A Grade Round 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
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 details
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$18.00
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$18.00
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$18.00
$18.00
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$18.00
Blue Apatite 8mm A Grade Round 15-16 Inch
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$27.00
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$27.00
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$27.00
$27.00
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$27.00
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 details
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$27.00
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$27.00
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$27.00
$27.00
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$27.00
Blue Apatite 10mm Round Faceted - 15-16 Inch - CLEARANCE
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$47.00
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$47.00
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$47.00
$47.00
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$47.00
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...
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$47.00
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$47.00
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$47.00
$47.00
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$47.00
Blue Apatite 4mm Faceted Coin 15-16 Inch
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$26.00
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$26.00
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$26.00
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$26.00
Blue Apatite ranges in color from light teal-blue to bright blue to dark blue-green. It can be easily confused with other minerals due to its varie...
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$26.00
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$26.00
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$26.00
Blue Apatite 4mm Faceted Round 15-16
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$15.00
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$15.00
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$15.00
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 details
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$15.00
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$15.00
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$15.00
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$15.00
Blue Apatite 4x6mm Rondelle Faceted - 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
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 details
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$37.00
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$37.00
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$37.00
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$37.00
Blue Apatite 6x8mm Tri Cut Faceted Rondelle A Grade - 15-16 Inch
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$39.00
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$39.00
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$39.00
$39.00
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$39.00
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 details
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$39.00
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$39.00
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$39.00
$39.00
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$39.00
Blue Apatite 7mm Cube Table Cut Bead - 15-16 Inch
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$43.00
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$43.00
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$43.00
$43.00
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$43.00
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...
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$43.00
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$43.00
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$43.00
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$43.00
Blue Apatite 8mm Coin Faceted - 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
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 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
Blue Apatite 8mm Round Faceted - 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
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 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
Blue Apatite 8x10mm Tri Cut Faceted Rondelle - 15-16 Inch
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$43.00
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$43.00
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$43.00
$43.00
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$43.00
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 details
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$43.00
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$43.00
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$43.00
$43.00
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$43.00
Blue Apatite 4mm Faceted Bicone - 15-16 Inch
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$26.00
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$26.00
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$26.00
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 details
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$26.00
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$26.00
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$26.00
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$26.00
Blue Apatite Natural 6-7mm Table Cut Cube A Grade Bead - 15-16 Inch
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$39.00
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$39.00
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$39.00
$39.00
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$39.00
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 details
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$39.00
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$39.00
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$39.00
$39.00
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$39.00
Green Apatite 2mm Faceted Coin - 15-16 Inch
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$16.00
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$16.00
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$16.00
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$16.00
Green Apatite is a transparent to translucent stone that may be green, yellow to green or sea to green in color. Apatite has been labeled the “dece...
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$16.00
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Green Apatite 4mm Faceted Round Banded - 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
Green Apatite is a transparent to translucent stone that may be green, yellow to green or sea to green in color. Apatite has been labeled the “dece...
View full details
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$18.00
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$18.00
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$18.00
$18.00
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$18.00
MATTE Blue Apatite 12mm A Grade Round - 15-16 Inch
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$40.00
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$40.00
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$40.00
$40.00
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$40.00
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 details
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$40.00
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$40.00
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$40.00
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$40.00
Blue Apatite 12mm Star Cut Coin - 15-16 Inch
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$36.00
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$36.00
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$36.00
$36.00
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$36.00
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 details
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$36.00
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$36.00
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$36.00
$36.00
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$36.00
Blue Apatite 5x8mm Rondelle Faceted - 15-16 Inch
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$40.00
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$40.00
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$40.00
$40.00
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$40.00
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 details
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$40.00
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$40.00
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$40.00
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$40.00
Blue Apatite Multi 4mm Round Faceted - 15-16 Inch
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$14.00
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$14.00
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$14.00
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$14.00
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 details
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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
Green Apatite 4mm Round Faceted - 15-16 Inch
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$15.00
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$15.00
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$15.00
$15.00
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$15.00
Green Apatite is a transparent to translucent stone that may be green, yellow to green or sea to green in color. Apatite has been labeled the “dece...
View full details
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$15.00
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$15.00
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$15.00
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$15.00
Blue Apatite 6mm Star Cut Coin A Grade - 15-16 Inch
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$28.00
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$28.00
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$28.00
$28.00
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$28.00
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 details
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$28.00
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$28.00
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$28.00
$28.00
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$28.00
Blue Apatite 9x13-12x16mm Top Drill Irregular Flat Drop - 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
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 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
Banded Blue and Green Apatite 6-8mm Pebble - 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
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 details
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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
Blue Apatite 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
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 details
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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
Blue Apatite 5x10-20mm Top Drill Teeth - 15-16-Inch
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$15.00
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$15.00
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$15.00
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 details
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$15.00
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$15.00
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$15.00
$15.00
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$15.00
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.