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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.

Products: 2351

Emerald 2x3mm Faceted Rondelle AAA Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $76.00 - Original price $76.00
Original price $76.00
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Current price $76.00

Emerald is one of the four “precious” gemstones, the others being Diamond, Ruby and Sapphire. It is the green form of Beryl, colored by trace amoun...

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Original price $76.00 - Original price $76.00
Original price $76.00
$76.00
$76.00 - $76.00
Current price $76.00

Emerald 3mm Faceted Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $30.00 - Original price $30.00
Original price $30.00
$30.00
$30.00 - $30.00
Current price $30.00

Emerald is one of the four “precious” gemstones, the others being Diamond, Ruby and Sapphire. It is the green form of Beryl, colored by trace amoun...

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Original price $30.00 - Original price $30.00
Original price $30.00
$30.00
$30.00 - $30.00
Current price $30.00

Sapphire 4mm Faceted Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $48.00 - Original price $48.00
Original price $48.00
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Current price $48.00

Sapphires are precious gemstones, but unlike rubies, they come in a rainbow of colors besides red!  They are all varieties of the mineral corundum,...

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Original price $48.00 - Original price $48.00
Original price $48.00
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Current price $48.00

Elisa Turquoise 5mm Heishi - 15-16 Inch

Original price $144.00 - Original price $144.00
Original price $144.00
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Current price $144.00

This turquoise is mined from the Sonora mines in Mexico. Like all other natural turquoise, its coloring is the result of the chemical reaction that...

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Original price $144.00 - Original price $144.00
Original price $144.00
$144.00
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Current price $144.00

Elisa Turquoise 6x8mm Tube - 15-16 Inch

Original price $96.00 - Original price $96.00
Original price $96.00
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Current price $96.00

This turquoise is mined from the Sonora mines in Mexico. Like all other natural turquoise, its coloring is the result of the chemical reaction that...

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Original price $96.00 - Original price $96.00
Original price $96.00
$96.00
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Current price $96.00

Elisa Turquoise 3x6mm Tube - 15-16 Inch

Original price $84.00 - Original price $84.00
Original price $84.00
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Current price $84.00

This turquoise is mined from the Sonora mines in Mexico. Like all other natural turquoise, its coloring is the result of the chemical reaction that...

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Original price $84.00 - Original price $84.00
Original price $84.00
$84.00
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Current price $84.00

Ametrine 18x28mm Oval - 15-16 Inch

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

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 $60.00 - Original price $60.00
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Australian "Boulder" Chrysoprase Freeform Oval 7-10mm - 15-16 Inch

Original price $67.00 - Original price $67.00
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Current price $67.00

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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Original price $67.00 - Original price $67.00
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Sunstone 6mm Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $16.00 - Original 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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Dendritic Yellow Opal 15x20mm Oval - 15-16 Inch

Original price $17.00 - Original price $17.00
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Iolite 11-15mm Nugget - 15-16 Inch - CLEARANCE

Original price $34.00 - Original price $34.00
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Current price $34.00

Iolite most commonly occurs in shades of blue to gray, violet or indigo. It displays a visual property called “pleochroism,” which means that it ca...

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Original price $34.00 - Original price $34.00
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Rose Quartz 12x15-10x16mm Simple Cut Nugget - 15-16 Inch

Original price $22.00 - Original price $22.00
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Current price $22.00

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 $22.00 - Original price $22.00
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Blue Moonstone 4mm Round AAA Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $28.00 - Original price $28.00
Original price $28.00
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Current price $28.00

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 $28.00 - Original price $28.00
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Hematoid Quartz Copper 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $20.00 - Original price $20.00
Original price $20.00
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Current price $20.00

Hematoid Quartz is Quartz with inclusions of hematite. The hematite inclusions are responsible for the stone’s color, which can be yellow, orange, ...

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Original price $20.00 - Original price $20.00
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Hematoid Quartz Copper 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $16.00 - Original price $16.00
Original price $16.00
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Current price $16.00

Hematoid Quartz is Quartz with inclusions of hematite. The hematite inclusions are responsible for the stone’s color, which can be yellow, orange, ...

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Original price $16.00 - Original price $16.00
Original price $16.00
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Current price $16.00

Silver Grey Moonstone 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $40.00 - Original price $40.00
Original price $40.00
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Current price $40.00

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 $40.00 - Original price $40.00
Original price $40.00
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Current price $40.00

Silver Grey Mixed Moonstone 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $20.00 - Original price $20.00
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Current price $20.00

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 $20.00 - Original price $20.00
Original price $20.00
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Current price $20.00

Silver Grey Moonstone 6mm Round 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

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 $18.00 - Original price $18.00
Original price $18.00
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Current price $18.00

Silver Grey Mixed Moonstone 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $28.00 - Original price $28.00
Original price $28.00
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Current price $28.00

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 details
Original price $28.00 - Original price $28.00
Original price $28.00
$28.00
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Current price $28.00

Blue Moonstone 6mm Round AAA Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $43.00 - Original price $43.00
Original price $43.00
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Current price $43.00

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 $43.00 - Original price $43.00
Original price $43.00
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Current price $43.00

Hemimorphite 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $12.00 - Original price $12.00
Original price $12.00
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Current price $12.00

Most hemimorphite is found in the rocks above and surrounding zinc deposits. Hemimorphite is a favorite collector gem because it occurs in a range...

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Original price $12.00 - Original price $12.00
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Silver Grey Moonstone 8mm Round 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

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

Hematoid Quartz Copper 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $14.00 - Original price $14.00
Original price $14.00
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Current price $14.00

Hematoid Quartz is Quartz with inclusions of hematite. The hematite inclusions are responsible for the stone’s color, which can be yellow, orange, ...

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Original price $14.00 - Original price $14.00
Original price $14.00
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Current price $14.00

Selenite 6mm Round Rainbow (Dyed) - 15-16 Inch

Original price $20.00 - Original price $20.00
Original price $20.00
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Current price $20.00

Selenite is a crystal formed from the mineral gypsum, which comes in many forms and color variations, but has been used historically to describe th...

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Original price $20.00 - Original price $20.00
Original price $20.00
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Selenite 8mm Round Rainbow (Dyed) - 15-16 Inch

Original price $22.00 - Original price $22.00
Original price $22.00
$22.00
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Current price $22.00

Selenite is a crystal formed from the mineral gypsum, which comes in many forms and color variations, but has been used historically to describe th...

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Original price $22.00 - Original price $22.00
Original price $22.00
$22.00
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Current price $22.00

Selenite 8mm Round Lime Pink (Dyed) - 15-16 Inch

Original price $22.00 - Original price $22.00
Original price $22.00
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Current price $22.00

Selenite is a crystal formed from the mineral gypsum, which comes in many forms and color variations, but has been used historically to describe th...

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Original price $22.00 - Original price $22.00
Original price $22.00
$22.00
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Current price $22.00

Selenite 10mm Round Rainbow (Dyed) - 15-16 Inch

Original price $24.00 - Original price $24.00
Original price $24.00
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Current price $24.00

Selenite is a crystal formed from the mineral gypsum, which comes in many forms and color variations, but has been used historically to describe th...

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Original price $24.00 - Original price $24.00
Original price $24.00
$24.00
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Current price $24.00

Diopside 4mm Round Faceted A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $52.00 - Original price $52.00
Original price $52.00
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Current price $52.00

Diopside is a calcium and magnesium silicate mineral. It is transparent or translucent, and can display a nearly emerald green color due to the pre...

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Original price $52.00 - Original price $52.00
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Selenite 6mm Round Lime Pink (Dyed) - 15-16 Inch

Original price $20.00 - Original price $20.00
Original price $20.00
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Current price $20.00

Selenite is a crystal formed from the mineral gypsum, which comes in many forms and color variations, but has been used historically to describe th...

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Original price $20.00 - Original price $20.00
Original price $20.00
$20.00
$20.00 - $20.00
Current price $20.00

Emerald 4mm Cube Faceted AAA Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $104.00 - Original price $104.00
Original price $104.00
$104.00
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Current price $104.00

Emerald is one of the four “precious” gemstones, the others being Diamond, Ruby and Sapphire. It is the green form of Beryl, colored by trace amoun...

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Original price $104.00 - Original price $104.00
Original price $104.00
$104.00
$104.00 - $104.00
Current price $104.00

Selenite 8mm Round Green Purple (Dyed) - 15-16 Inch

Original price $22.00 - Original price $22.00
Original price $22.00
$22.00
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Current price $22.00

Selenite is a crystal formed from the mineral gypsum, which comes in many forms and color variations, but has been used historically to describe th...

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Original price $22.00 - Original price $22.00
Original price $22.00
$22.00
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Current price $22.00

Selenite 6mm Round Green Purple (Dyed) - 15-16 Inch

Original price $18.00 - Original price $18.00
Original price $18.00
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Current price $18.00

Selenite is a crystal formed from the mineral gypsum, which comes in many forms and color variations, but has been used historically to describe th...

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Original price $18.00 - Original price $18.00
Original price $18.00
$18.00
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Current price $18.00

Selenite 10mm Round Lime Pink (Dyed) - 15-16 Inch

Original price $24.00 - Original price $24.00
Original price $24.00
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$24.00 - $24.00
Current price $24.00

Selenite is a crystal formed from the mineral gypsum, which comes in many forms and color variations, but has been used historically to describe th...

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Original price $24.00 - Original price $24.00
Original price $24.00
$24.00
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Current price $24.00

Emerald 3mm Round Faceted AAA Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $53.00 - Original price $53.00
Original price $53.00
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Current price $53.00

Emerald is one of the four “precious” gemstones, the others being Diamond, Ruby and Sapphire. It is the green form of Beryl, colored by trace amoun...

View full details
Original price $53.00 - Original price $53.00
Original price $53.00
$53.00
$53.00 - $53.00
Current price $53.00

Selenite 10mm Round Green Purple (Dyed) - 15-16 Inch

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

Selenite is a crystal formed from the mineral gypsum, which comes in many forms and color variations, but has been used historically to describe th...

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

Abalone Shell 15mm Flat Coin - 15-16 Inch

Original price $74.00 - Original price $74.00
Original price $74.00
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Current price $74.00

Abalone Shell is strong and is made of stacked calcium carbonate tiles. When the abalone shell is struck, the tiles slide instead of shattering abs...

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Original price $74.00 - Original price $74.00
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Current price $74.00

Blue Tiger Eye 8mm Round AAA Grade - 15-16 Inch

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

Blue Tiger Eye is a naturally occurring dark stone with chatoyant layers that create a flash which seems to emanate from within the stone as they c...

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

Poppy Jasper 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $14.00 - Original price $14.00
Original price $14.00
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Current price $14.00

Jasper has a long and illustrious history, having been worn by shamans, priests and kings and believed to be a powerful protection stone. Ancient E...

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Original price $14.00 - Original price $14.00
Original price $14.00
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Current price $14.00

Poppy Jasper 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $16.00 - Original price $16.00
Original price $16.00
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Current price $16.00

Jasper has a long and illustrious history, having been worn by shamans, priests and kings and believed to be a powerful protection stone. Ancient E...

View full details
Original price $16.00 - Original price $16.00
Original price $16.00
$16.00
$16.00 - $16.00
Current price $16.00

Poppy Jasper 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $12.00 - Original price $12.00
Original price $12.00
$12.00
$12.00 - $12.00
Current price $12.00

Jasper has a long and illustrious history, having been worn by shamans, priests and kings and believed to be a powerful protection stone. Ancient E...

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Original price $12.00 - Original price $12.00
Original price $12.00
$12.00
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Current price $12.00

Red Porcelain Jasper 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $8.00 - Original price $8.00
Original price $8.00
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Current price $8.00

Porcelain Jasper is a brecciated (broken) Jasper originally found on a gold claim high in the Sierra Madre mountains of Mexico, where it continues ...

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Original price $8.00 - Original price $8.00
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Current price $8.00

Astrophyllite 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $24.00 - Original price $24.00
Original price $24.00
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Current price $24.00

Astrophyllite is a very rare, brown to golden-yellow hydrous potassium iron titanium silicate mineral. Astrophyllite gets its name from the Greek w...

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Original price $24.00 - Original price $24.00
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Current price $24.00

Astrophyllite 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $20.00 - Original price $20.00
Original price $20.00
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Current price $20.00

Astrophyllite is a very rare, brown to golden-yellow hydrous potassium iron titanium silicate mineral. Astrophyllite gets its name from the Greek w...

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Original price $20.00 - Original price $20.00
Original price $20.00
$20.00
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Current price $20.00

White African Opal 6mm Round w/ Red Matrix - 15-16 Inch

Original price $16.00 - Original price $16.00
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Current price $16.00

White African Opal is a white to cream to light tan stone with veining of black or gray. Like all Opals, it is a form of hydrated amorphous silica,...

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Original price $16.00 - Original price $16.00
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African Jade with Quartz 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $16.00 - Original price $16.00
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Current price $16.00

West African Jade is a complex Calcium Aluminum Silicate and is a Nephrite Jade. Its bright green coloration is due to traces of chromium. Metaphys...

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Original price $16.00 - Original price $16.00
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African Turquoise 10mm Round AAA Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $44.00 - Original price $44.00
Original price $44.00
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Current price $44.00

African Turquoise is not actually Turquoise, but rather a speckled teal Jasper found in Africa and often treated to simulate the beautiful blue to ...

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Original price $44.00 - Original price $44.00
Original price $44.00
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Current price $44.00

Orange Calcite 6mm Round AAA Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $18.00 - Original price $18.00
Original price $18.00
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Current price $18.00

Calcite is a rock-forming mineral that is extremely common and found throughout the world in sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks. Calcite i...

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Current price $18.00

Blue Lace Agate 6mm Round 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

Blue Lace Agate is a naturally occurring soft blue agate, laced with bands or swirls of brighter blue, periwinkle, white and occasionally gray or b...

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Original price $32.00 - Original price $32.00
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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.
  • 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.