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.
Opalite Yellow (Synthetic) 4mm Round - 15-16 inch - CLEARANCE
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$15.00
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$15.00
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$15.00
Opalite is the trade name for man to made glass treated to exhibit the internal flashes of true Opals in translucent samples, and opalescence or lu...
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$15.00
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$15.00
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$15.00
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$15.00
Opalite Pink (Synthetic) 10mm Faceted Puff Coin - 15-16 inch - CLEARANCE
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$20.00
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$20.00
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$20.00
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$20.00
Opalite is the trade name for man to made glass treated to exhibit the internal flashes of true Opals in translucent samples, and opalescence or lu...
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$20.00
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$20.00
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$20.00
Opalite Pink (Synthetic) 10mm Faceted Round - 15-16 inch - CLEARANCE
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$24.00
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$24.00
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$24.00
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$24.00
Opalite is the trade name for man to made glass treated to exhibit the internal flashes of true Opals in translucent samples, and opalescence or lu...
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$24.00
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$24.00
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$24.00
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$24.00
Opalite Pink (Synthetic) 13X18mm Puff Rectangle - 15-16 inch - CLEARANCE
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$19.00
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$19.00
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$19.00
Opalite is the trade name for man to made glass treated to exhibit the internal flashes of true Opals in translucent samples, and opalescence or lu...
View full details
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$19.00
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$19.00
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$19.00
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$19.00
Opalite Pink (Synthetic) 8mm Faceted Round - 15-16 inch - CLEARANCE
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$22.00
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$22.00
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$22.00
$22.00
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$22.00
Opalite is the trade name for man to made glass treated to exhibit the internal flashes of true Opals in translucent samples, and opalescence or lu...
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$22.00
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$22.00
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$22.00
Opalite (Synthetic) 12mm Puff Coin - 15-16 inch - CLEARANCE
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$17.00
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$17.00
Opalite is the trade name for man to made glass treated to exhibit the internal flashes of true Opals in translucent samples, and opalescence or lu...
View full details
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$17.00
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$17.00
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$17.00
Opalite Pink (Synthetic) 15X20mm Wavy Oval - 15-16 Inch - CLEARANCE
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$23.00
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$23.00
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$23.00
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$23.00
Opalite is the trade name for man to made glass treated to exhibit the internal flashes of true Opals in translucent samples, and opalescence or lu...
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$23.00
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$23.00
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$23.00
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$23.00
Opalite (Synthetic) 13X18mm Puff Teardrop - 15-16 inch - CLEARANCE
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$17.00
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$17.00
Opalite is the trade name for man to made glass treated to exhibit the internal flashes of true Opals in translucent samples, and opalescence or lu...
View full details
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$17.00
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$17.00
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$17.00
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$17.00
Opalite Pink (Synthetic) 13X18mm Puff Oval - 15-16 inch - CLEARANCE
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$19.00
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$19.00
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$19.00
Opalite is the trade name for man to made glass treated to exhibit the internal flashes of true Opals in translucent samples, and opalescence or lu...
View full details
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$19.00
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$19.00
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$19.00
$19.00
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$19.00
Opalite (Synthetic) 13X18mm Puff Rectangle - 15-16 inch - CLEARANCE
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$17.00
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$17.00
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$17.00
Opalite is the trade name for man to made glass treated to exhibit the internal flashes of true Opals in translucent samples, and opalescence or lu...
View full details
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$17.00
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$17.00
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$17.00
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$17.00
Hubei Turquoise 3mm Round Light Blue Matrix - 15-16 inch
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$18.00
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$18.00
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$18.00
Hubei Turquoise is sourced from Hubei Province in Northern China, one of the most recognized turquoise-producing regions in the world. This materia...
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$18.00
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$18.00
Hubei Turquoise 2mm Microfaceted Round Blue Green - 15-16 inch
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$23.00
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$23.00
Hubei Turquoise is sourced from Hubei Province in Northern China, one of the most recognized turquoise-producing regions in the world. This materia...
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$23.00
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$23.00
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White Moonstone 10mm Round - 15-16 inch
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$87.00
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$87.00
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$87.00
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$87.00
Moonstone occurs in naturally in shades of white, gray, black, and peach, as well as translucent and iridescent. Metaphysically, moonstone is thoug...
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$87.00
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$87.00
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Sunstone 10mm Rough Heishi - 15-16 inch - CLEARANCE
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$81.00
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$81.00
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$81.00
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$81.00
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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$81.00
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$81.00
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Labradorite 8X10-12X14mm Freeform Hand Cut - 15-16 inch
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$66.00
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$66.00
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$66.00
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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$66.00
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$66.00
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$66.00
Citrine 8X10-12X14mm Freeform Hand Cut - 15-16 inch
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$101.00
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$101.00
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$101.00
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$101.00
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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$101.00
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$101.00
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$101.00
Sunstone 8mm Rough Heishi - Limited Editions - 15-16 inch - CLEARANCE
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$61.00
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$61.00
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$61.00
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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$61.00
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$61.00
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Labradorite 5X7mm-8X10mm Rough Nugget - 15-16 inch
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$22.00
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$22.00
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$22.00
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 details
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$22.00
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$22.00
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$22.00
Amethyst 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$20.00
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$20.00
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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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Amethyst 5X7-8X10mm Freeform Oval - 15-16 inch
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$31.00
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$31.00
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$31.00
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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$31.00
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Gold Rutilated Quartz 5X7mm-8X10mm Rough Nugget - 15-16 inch - CLEARANCE
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$46.00
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Rutilated Quartz is a silicon dioxide mineral with unique needle to like inclusions of Rutile. These “needles” usually appear golden, but can also ...
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Hematite Coated 6-12mm Chips - 15-16 Inch
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$7.00
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$7.00
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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$7.00
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$7.00
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$7.00
Australian Chrysoprase Natural 8mm Energy Prism Faceted - 15-16 Inch
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$37.00
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$37.00
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$37.00
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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$37.00
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Shungite Faceted 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$28.00
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$28.00
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$28.00
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$28.00
Shungite is a black, lustrous, non-crystalline mineraloid consisting of a high percentage of carbon. It was first found in a deposit near Shunga vi...
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$28.00
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Serpentine 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$9.00
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$9.00
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$9.00
$9.00
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$9.00
Green Grass Jasper is an opaque blue-green to yellow-green with black inclusions forming marbled patterns in the stone. Green Jasper was known as a...
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$9.00
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$9.00
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$9.00
$9.00
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$9.00
Jet 16mm Round - 15-16 inch
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$121.00
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$121.00
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$121.00
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$121.00
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$121.00
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$121.00
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$121.00
Natural White Wood 6mm Round Bead - 15-16 Inch
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$7.00
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$7.00
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$7.00
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$7.00
Like all of Dakota Stones items, our wood beads are top quality and sourced from the best ethically produced manufacturers. Natural wood beads have...
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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.