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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: 2352

Lepidocrocite 4x10-7x12mm Top Drill Rough Point - 15-16 Inch

Original price $41.00 - Original price $41.00
Original price $41.00
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$41.00 - $41.00
Current price $41.00

An iron oxide-hydroxide mineral, Lepidocrocite forms when iron-containing substances rust underwater. It is commonly found in the weathering of pri...

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Original price $41.00 - Original price $41.00
Original price $41.00
$41.00
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Current price $41.00

Golden Labradorite 7x9-10x13mm Free Form Rough Pear A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $45.00 - Original price $45.00
Original price $45.00
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Current price $45.00

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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Original price $45.00 - Original price $45.00
Original price $45.00
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Current price $45.00

Golden Sunstone 8x12-9x14mm Tear Drop Top Drill - 15-16 Inch

Original price $45.00 - Original price $45.00
Original price $45.00
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Current price $45.00

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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Original price $45.00 - Original price $45.00
Original price $45.00
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Current price $45.00

Golden Sunstone 6x9-9x14mm Oval Top Drill - 15-16 Inch

Original price $45.00 - Original price $45.00
Original price $45.00
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Current price $45.00

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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Original price $45.00 - Original price $45.00
Original price $45.00
$45.00
$45.00 - $45.00
Current price $45.00

Golden Sunstone 7x10-8x12mm Tear Drop - 15-16 Inch

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

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

Prehnite 10x14-13x17mm Faceted Tumble Nugget - 15-16 Inch

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

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

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

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 - Original 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
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Current price $32.00

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

Sunstone 6x10-13mm Faceted Wheel - 15-16 Inch

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

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

Blue Moonstone 8x14-16mm Faceted Wheel - 15-16 Inch

Original price $32.00 - Original price $32.00
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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
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Brazilian Amazonite 6x10-13mm Faceted Wheel - 15-16 Inch

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

Brazilian Amazonite is an opaque blue to green to light green stone, often occurring with inclusions of white, yellow or gray and occasionally tran...

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Original price $32.00 - Original price $32.00
Original price $32.00
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Canadian Jade 6x10-13mm Faceted Wheel - 15-16 Inch

Original price $32.00 - Original price $32.00
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Canadian Jade is the trade name for this stone that ranges in color from light to dark green, with small, dark specks or veins. This material is ac...

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Original price $32.00 - Original 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
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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
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Current price $32.00

Light Amethyst 10x13-14x17mm Faceted Tumble Nugget - 15-16 Inch

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

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

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

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
$27.00
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Current price $27.00

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

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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Original price $27.00 - Original price $27.00
Original 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

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

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

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

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

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 ...

View full details
Original price $27.00 - Original price $27.00
Original price $27.00
$27.00
$27.00 - $27.00
Current price $27.00

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

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

Charoite 8x10-10x14mm Rough Irregular Rectangle - 15-16 Inch

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

Charoite is a stone that naturally occurs in intense purple hues, as well as grays, browns, greenish yellows, white and black. These colors swirl 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

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

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

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

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

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

Larimar 3-5x14-16mm Freeform Hexagon Wheel - 15-16 Inch

Original price $49.00 - Original price $49.00
Original price $49.00
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Current price $49.00

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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Original price $49.00 - Original price $49.00
Original price $49.00
$49.00
$49.00 - $49.00
Current price $49.00

Kyanite 3-5x14-16mm Freeform Hexagon Wheel - 15-16 Inch

Original price $45.00 - Original price $45.00
Original price $45.00
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Current price $45.00

Kyanite often occurs as long, bladed, striated crystals, transparent or translucent with a pearly luster. An aluminum silicate mineral, it may appe...

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Original price $45.00 - Original price $45.00
Original price $45.00
$45.00
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Current price $45.00

Cacoxenite 3-5x14-16mm Freeform Hexagon Wheel - 15-16 Inch

Original price $41.00 - Original price $41.00
Original price $41.00
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Current price $41.00

Cacoxenite is the trade name for this naturally occurring blend of seven stone types. It was originally named for the visible inclusions of the min...

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Original price $41.00 - Original price $41.00
Original price $41.00
$41.00
$41.00 - $41.00
Current price $41.00

Golden Sunstone 3-4x9-10mm Freeform Hexagon Wheel - 15-16 Inch - CLEARANCE

Original price $36.00 - Original price $36.00
Original price $36.00
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Current price $36.00

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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Original price $36.00 - Original price $36.00
Original price $36.00
$36.00
$36.00 - $36.00
Current price $36.00

Australian Chrysoprase 12-18mm Freeform Flat Hexagon - 15-16 Inch

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

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

Cacoxenite 12-18mm Freeform Flat Hexagon - 15-16 Inch

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

Cacoxenite is the trade name for this naturally occurring blend of seven stone types. It was originally named for the visible inclusions of the min...

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

Peruvian Chrysocolla 9x13-12x16mm Top Drill Irregular Flat Drop - 15-16 Inch

Original price $26.00 - Original price $26.00
Original price $26.00
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Current price $26.00

Chrysocolla, a hydrous copper silicate, is often mistaken for turquoise due to its rich blues and blue to greens. It often also occurs with colors ...

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Original price $26.00 - Original price $26.00
Original price $26.00
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Current price $26.00

Topaz 9x13-12x16mm Top Drill Irregular Flat Drop - 15-16 Inch

Original price $26.00 - Original price $26.00
Original price $26.00
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Current price $26.00

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...

View full details
Original price $26.00 - Original price $26.00
Original price $26.00
$26.00
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Current price $26.00

Thulite 9x13-12x16mm Top Drill Irregular Flat Drop - 15-16 Inch

Original price $26.00 - Original price $26.00
Original price $26.00
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Current price $26.00

Thulite is the naturally occurring pink variety of the mineral Zoisite. It can range in color from pale pink to deep rose or even rusty red tones d...

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Original price $26.00 - Original price $26.00
Original price $26.00
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Current price $26.00

Pink Opal 9x13-12x16mm Top Drill Irregular Flat Drop - 15-16 Inch - CLEARANCE

Original price $26.00 - Original price $26.00
Original price $26.00
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Current price $26.00

Pink Opal is a variety of non to precious opal, meaning that it has lustre and some translucency without the fire or color play associated with pre...

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Original price $26.00 - Original price $26.00
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Current price $26.00

Peruvian Turquoise (Chrysocolla) 9x13-12x16mm Top Drill Irregular Flat Drop - 15-16 Inch

Original price $26.00 - Original price $26.00
Original price $26.00
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Current price $26.00

Peruvian Turquoise is also known as Turquoise Chrysocolla. It’s attractive blue-green provides a unique color to the mineral world. Peruvian Turquo...

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Original price $26.00 - Original price $26.00
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Current price $26.00

Green Kyanite 9x13-12x16mm Top Drill Irregular Flat Drop - 15-16 Inch

Original price $26.00 - Original price $26.00
Original price $26.00
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Current price $26.00

Kyanite often occurs as long, bladed, striated crystals, transparent or translucent with a pearly luster. An aluminum silicate mineral, it may appe...

View full details
Original price $26.00 - Original price $26.00
Original price $26.00
$26.00
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Current price $26.00

Citrine 9x13-12x16mm Top Drill Irregular Flat Drop - 15-16 Inch

Original price $26.00 - Original price $26.00
Original price $26.00
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Current price $26.00

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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Original price $26.00 - Original price $26.00
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Current price $26.00

Aquamarine 9x13-12x16mm Top Drill Irregular Flat Drop - 15-16 Inch

Original price $26.00 - Original price $26.00
Original price $26.00
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Current price $26.00

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...

View full details
Original price $26.00 - Original price $26.00
Original price $26.00
$26.00
$26.00 - $26.00
Current price $26.00

Sunstone 9x13-12x16mm Top Drill Irregular Flat Drop - 15-16 Inch - CLEARANCE

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

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...

View full details
Original price $24.00 - Original price $24.00
Original price $24.00
$24.00
$24.00 - $24.00
Current price $24.00

Lepidolite 9x13-12x16mm Top Drill Irregular Flat Drop - 15-16 Inch

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

A particularly soft stone, Lepidolite has a glassy or lustrous sheen. It is the most abundant lithium-bearing mineral as well as a significant sour...

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

Lapis 9x13-12x16mm Top Drill Irregular Flat Drop - 15-16 Inch

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

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

Chrysocolla Azurite Quartz 9x13-12x16mm Top Drill Irregular Flat Drop - 15-16 Inch

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

Chrysocolla, a hydrous copper silicate, is often mistaken for turquoise due to its rich blues and blue to greens. It often also occurs with colors ...

View full details
Original price $24.00 - Original price $24.00
Original price $24.00
$24.00
$24.00 - $24.00
Current price $24.00

Black Tourmaline 9x13-12x16mm Top Drill Irregular Flat Drop - 15-16 Inch

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

Black Tourmaline is a black crystalline aluminum borosilicate mineral with occasional light gray inclusions that appear as flecks or veins. Tourmal...

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

African Turquoise 9x13-12x16mm Top Drill Irregular Flat Drop - 15-16 Inch

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

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 $24.00 - Original price $24.00
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Current price $24.00

Amethyst 9x13-12x16mm Top Drill Irregular Flat Drop - 15-16 Inch

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

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 ...

View full details
Original price $24.00 - Original price $24.00
Original price $24.00
$24.00
$24.00 - $24.00
Current price $24.00

Blue Apatite 9x13-12x16mm Top Drill Irregular Flat Drop - 15-16 Inch

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

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

Pink Tourmaline 6x12-10x20mm Free Form Dancing Drops A Grade - 15-16 Inch

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

Pink Tourmaline ranges in color from light pink to deep magenta, with inclusions of white to colorless translucent or transparent. Tourmaline occur...

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

Beryl (Morganite) 6x12-10x20mm Pear Free Form Dancing Drops A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $23.00 - Original price $23.00
Original price $23.00
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$23.00 - $23.00
Current price $23.00

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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Original price $23.00 - Original price $23.00
Original price $23.00
$23.00
$23.00 - $23.00
Current price $23.00

Lapis 6x12-10x20mm Free Form Dancing Drops A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $23.00 - Original price $23.00
Original price $23.00
$23.00
$23.00 - $23.00
Current price $23.00

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...

View full details
Original price $23.00 - Original price $23.00
Original price $23.00
$23.00
$23.00 - $23.00
Current price $23.00

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.