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: 2470
Madagascar Dendiritc Green Opal 8mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch
This variety of opal is named "dendritic" for the small inclusions within it that resemble moss or ferns. These inclusions consist of iron, mangane...
View full detailsMadagascar Dendiritc Green Opal 6mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch
This variety of opal is named "dendritic" for the small inclusions within it that resemble moss or ferns. These inclusions consist of iron, mangane...
View full detailsMadagascar Dendiritc Green Opal 10mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch
This variety of opal is named "dendritic" for the small inclusions within it that resemble moss or ferns. These inclusions consist of iron, mangane...
View full detailsBlack Lepidolite 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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...
View full detailsBlack Lepidolite 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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...
View full detailsLight Lepidolite 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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...
View full detailsBlack Lepidolite 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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...
View full detailsLemon Quartz 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Lemon Quartz is a trade name for color-enhanced yellow quartz. Gamma ray irradiation, followed by a mild heat treatment gives it the bright yellow ...
View full detailsLemon Quartz 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Lemon Quartz is a trade name for color-enhanced yellow quartz. Gamma ray irradiation, followed by a mild heat treatment gives it the bright yellow ...
View full detailsMixed Dark Lepidocrocite 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch
An iron oxide-hydroxide mineral, Lepidocrocite forms when iron-containing substances rust underwater. It is commonly found in the weathering of pri...
View full detailsMixed Dark Lepidocrocite 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch
An iron oxide-hydroxide mineral, Lepidocrocite forms when iron-containing substances rust underwater. It is commonly found in the weathering of pri...
View full detailsMixed Dark Lepidocrocite 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch
An iron oxide-hydroxide mineral, Lepidocrocite forms when iron-containing substances rust underwater. It is commonly found in the weathering of pri...
View full detailsBlue Kyanite 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Kyanite often occurs as long, bladed, striated crystals, transparent or translucent with a pearly luster. An aluminum silicate mineral, it may appe...
View full detailsBlue Kyanite 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Kyanite often occurs as long, bladed, striated crystals, transparent or translucent with a pearly luster. An aluminum silicate mineral, it may appe...
View full detailsKunzite 6mm Round AA Grade - 15-16 Inch
Kunzite was named after a former Tiffany & Co. vice president, famed mineralogist and jeweler George Frederick Kunz, who first catalogued the s...
View full detailsJadeite 6mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch
Jade refers to an ornamental mineral, mostly known for its green varieties. Jade has been used for tens of thousands of years, initially as tools b...
View full detailsJadeite 12mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch
Jade refers to an ornamental mineral, mostly known for its green varieties. Jade has been used for tens of thousands of years, initially as tools b...
View full detailsJadeite 10mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch
Jade refers to an ornamental mineral, mostly known for its green varieties. Jade has been used for tens of thousands of years, initially as tools b...
View full detailsCanadian Jade 8mm Round AA Grade - 15-16 Inch
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...
View full detailsBloody Iolite 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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...
View full detailsIolite 8mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch
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...
View full detailsIolite 6mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch
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...
View full detailsIolite 4mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch
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...
View full detailsBloody Iolite 10mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch
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...
View full detailsIolite 10mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch
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...
View full detailsGold Rutilated Quartz 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Rutilated Quartz is a silicon dioxide mineral with unique needle to like inclusions of Rutile. These “needles” usually appear golden, but can also ...
View full detailsGold Rutilated Quartz 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Rutilated Quartz is a silicon dioxide mineral with unique needle to like inclusions of Rutile. These “needles” usually appear golden, but can also ...
View full detailsGolden Grey Moonstone 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Grey Moonstone is named for its grey glow or chatoyancy, as well as a prismatic quality that differentiates it from other varieties of Moonstone. M...
View full detailsGolden Grey Moonstone 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Grey Moonstone is named for its grey glow or chatoyancy, as well as a prismatic quality that differentiates it from other varieties of Moonstone. M...
View full detailsBlue Ice Glaciertite 8mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch
Glacierite, also known as Blue Ice Glacierite or Blue Ice Nakaurite, is a rare, newly discovered mineral from Indonesia that is an accidental bypro...
View full detailsBlue Ice Glaciertite 12mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch
Glacierite, also known as Blue Ice Glacierite or Blue Ice Nakaurite, is a rare, newly discovered mineral from Indonesia that is an accidental bypro...
View full detailsBlue Ice Glaciertite 10mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch
Glacierite, also known as Blue Ice Glacierite or Blue Ice Nakaurite, is a rare, newly discovered mineral from Indonesia that is an accidental bypro...
View full detailsGreen Garnet 8mm Round Banded - 15-16 Inch
Green Garnet can be among the most valuable of garnets, which come in a variety of colors. Occurring in sizes ranging from a grain of sand to the s...
View full detailsGreen Garnet 10mm Round Banded - 15-16 Inch
Green Garnet can be among the most valuable of garnets, which come in a variety of colors. Occurring in sizes ranging from a grain of sand to the s...
View full detailsFlower Agate 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Flower Agate is a type of Agate with opaque Chalcedony inclusions that resemble tiny floral formations. This mineral is a recent find out of Madaga...
View full detailsFlower Agate 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Flower Agate is a type of Agate with opaque Chalcedony inclusions that resemble tiny floral formations. This mineral is a recent find out of Madaga...
View full detailsFlower Agate 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Flower Agate is a type of Agate with opaque Chalcedony inclusions that resemble tiny floral formations. This mineral is a recent find out of Madaga...
View full detailsElephant Skin Jasper 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Elephant Skin Jasper, also known as Calligraphy Stone or Miriam Stone, features intricate light brown patterns on dark brown stones. Each stone is ...
View full detailsElephant Skin Jasper 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Elephant Skin Jasper, also known as Calligraphy Stone or Miriam Stone, features intricate light brown patterns on dark brown stones. Each stone is ...
View full detailsEmerald 8mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch
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 detailsDiopside 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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...
View full detailsDiopside 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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...
View full detailsDiopside 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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...
View full detailsPurple Dendritic Opal 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch
This variety of opal is named "dendritic" for the small inclusions within it that resemble moss or ferns. These inclusions consist of iron, mangane...
View full detailsPurple Dendritic Opal 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch
This variety of opal is named "dendritic" for the small inclusions within it that resemble moss or ferns. These inclusions consist of iron, mangane...
View full detailsPeruvian Chrysocolla 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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 detailsPeruvian Chrysocolla 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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 detailsCat's Eye 6mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch
Cat’s Eye is a quartz stone that appears in a range of colors including white, gray, green, yellow and brown. The fibrous asbestos inclusions in th...
View full detailsFrequently asked questions
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What is a 16-inch strand and why is it the trade standard?
A 16-inch strand is the working length most US jewelry designers buy for design-grade work — necklaces, multi-strand layouts, and bulk component sourcing. It gives enough beads to lay out a full 18–20 inch necklace with clasp and findings, or to cut down into shorter assemblies without running short. The 16-inch length has been the trade default for decades because it standardizes pricing and bead-count math across stones and cuts. Dakota's 16-inch hub covers the full catalog at this length, across rounds, rondelles, faceted cuts, cubes, coins, and shape work. The bracelet counterpart is the 8-inch strand. -
How many beads per 16-inch strand at common sizes?
Approximate bead counts per 16-inch strand assume snug-strung beads with no spacer drift. At 2mm you get roughly 200 beads, at 3mm about 135, at 4mm about 100, at 6mm about 66, at 8mm about 50, at 10mm about 40, and at 12mm about 33. Faceted cuts, rondelles, and irregular shapes (pebble, nugget, coin) vary — count is driven by the bead's drilled axis, not its widest dimension. Exact count should be disclosed; ask before buying if a piece-count is critical for your design and isn't specified. -
16-inch vs 8-inch — which length for which project?
16-inch is the necklace and design-strand length: enough material for an 18–20 inch finished necklace, multi-strand torsades, long earring drops, or component cutting. 8-inch is the bracelet length: pre-cut to the wrist standard, sized for stretch-cord bracelets and single-wrap pieces. Designers running production bracelet lines typically buy 8-inch to skip the cut-down step; designers doing necklace work, statement pieces, or mixed assemblies buy 16-inch for the bead count and pricing efficiency. Both lengths share the same stones and cuts where stocked — the choice is about finished-piece geometry, not material grade. -
What stones and cuts does Dakota carry in 16-inch?
The 16-inch hub spans the full catalog. Most-stocked stones include agate, turquoise, quartz, jasper, tourmaline, moonstone, garnet, labradorite, opal, and amazonite, with deeper coverage across feldspar, chalcedony, and silica varieties. Cut coverage runs from smooth round and faceted round (the largest categories) through rondelle, microfaceted round, pebble and nugget, cube, table-cut cube, faceted cube, and coin. Standard sizes are 4mm, 6mm, 8mm, and 10mm, with 2mm and 3mm in microfaceted work and 12mm in larger statement rounds. Filter by stone, cut, or size to narrow the grid. -
How does Dakota measure 16-inch strand lengths?
Strand length is measured end-to-end along the drilled axis, beads strung snug with no gaps. A 16-inch strand can run 15.5 to 16.5 inches depending on bead shape and how the cutter finished the temporary string — irregular shapes (nugget, pebble, raw-faceted) sit at the looser end because the drill points don't always center on the bead's midline. Bead count per strand reflects this variance. Length and approximate count should be disclosed; if you need a tight tolerance for a calibrated production run, ask before buying so the team can pull and measure before shipping.