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: 2487
Lapis 4mm Faceted Bicone - 15-16 Inch
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 detailsOrange Garnet 3mm Banded Faceted Round - 15-16 Inch
Orange or Hessonite Garnet is sometimes called “Cinnamon Stone” for its orange to orange to brown color as well as for its origin in the land of sp...
View full detailsOrange Garnet 3mm Table Cut Faceted Cube Beads - 15-16 Inch
Orange or Hessonite Garnet is sometimes called “Cinnamon Stone” for its orange to orange to brown color as well as for its origin in the land of sp...
View full detailsFreshwater Pearl 5mm Peacock Top Drilled Rice Beads - 15-16 Inch
Unlike most gemstones found within the Earth, pearls are organic. Simply, they grow inside the shells of certain species of oysters and clams. Some...
View full detailsPrehnite 4mm Faceted Bicone - 15-16 Inch
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...
View full detailsFreshwater Pearl 3-4mm Pink Rice Beads - 15-16 Inch
Unlike most gemstones found within the Earth, pearls are organic. Simply, they grow inside the shells of certain species of oysters and clams. Some...
View full detailsGreen Garnet 3mm Banded Table Cut Cube A Grade - 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 detailsFreshwater Pearl 5-6mm White Rice Nugget Beads - 15-16 Inch
Unlike most gemstones found within the Earth, pearls are organic. Simply, they grow inside the shells of certain species of oysters and clams. Some...
View full detailsFreshwater Pearl 4mm Silver Rondelle Beads - 15-16 Inch
Unlike most gemstones found within the Earth, pearls are organic. Simply, they grow inside the shells of certain species of oysters and clams. Some...
View full detailsTourmaline 3mm Yellow & Green Banded Faceted Round - 15-16 Inch
Tourmaline is classified as a semiprecious stone and occurs in a vast array of colors, everything from colorless to black, from pastel to bright to...
View full detailsEmerald 3mm Banded Faceted Round - 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 detailsFreshwater Pearl 7-8mm Light Gold Potato Beads - 15-16 Inch
Unlike most gemstones found within the Earth, pearls are organic. Simply, they grow inside the shells of certain species of oysters and clams. Some...
View full detailsBlue & Green Apatite 3mm Banded Faceted Round - 15-16 Inch
Blue Apatite ranges in color from light teal to blue to bright blue to dark blue to green. It can be easily confused with other minerals due to its...
View full detailsFreshwater Pearl 4-5mm White Potato Beads - 15-16 Inch
Unlike most gemstones found within the Earth, pearls are organic. Simply, they grow inside the shells of certain species of oysters and clams. Some...
View full detailsFreshwater Pearl 5-8mm Golden Brown Potato Beads - 15-16 Inch
Unlike most gemstones found within the Earth, pearls are organic. Simply, they grow inside the shells of certain species of oysters and clams. Some...
View full detailsFreshwater Pearl 5mm Pink Rondelle Beads - 15-16 Inch
Unlike most gemstones found within the Earth, pearls are organic. Simply, they grow inside the shells of certain species of oysters and clams. Some...
View full detailsAfrican Jade 3mm Banded Faceted Round - 15-16 Inch
Freshwater Pearl 8-9mm Purple Brown Coin Beads - 15-16 Inch
Unlike most gemstones found within the Earth, pearls are organic. Simply, they grow inside the shells of certain species of oysters and clams. Some...
View full detailsBanded Mixed Stone 3mm Faceted Round - Brown & White Agate - 15-16 Inch
Brown & White Agate
Lepidolite 3mm Banded Faceted 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 detailsMulti Spinel 3mm Banded Faceted Round - 15-16 Inch
Spinel is a hard vitreous magnesium aluminum oxide, and comes in a range of other colors, but those varieties are transparent. Black Spinel not onl...
View full detailsBlack Spinel 4mm Faceted Coin - 15-16 Inch
Spinel is a hard vitreous magnesium aluminum oxide, and comes in a range of other colors, but those varieties are transparent. Black Spinel not onl...
View full detailsBlue Tourmaline 3mm Banded Faceted Round - 15 Inch
Blue Tourmaline ranges in color from green to blue to yellow to green with black, milky white and clear, colorless inclusions. It is an aluminum bo...
View full detailsFreshwater Pearl 8-9mm Light Brown Potato Beads - 15-16 Inch
Unlike most gemstones found within the Earth, pearls are organic. Simply, they grow inside the shells of certain species of oysters and clams. Some...
View full detailsFreshwater Pearl 7-9mm Multi Color Potato Beads - 15-16 Inch
Unlike most gemstones found within the Earth, pearls are organic. Simply, they grow inside the shells of certain species of oysters and clams. Some...
View full detailsAquamarine 3mm Banded Faceted Irregular Rondelle - 15-16 Inch
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 detailsFreshwater Pearl 7-9mm Light Purple Brown Potato Beads - 15-16 Inch
Unlike most gemstones found within the Earth, pearls are organic. Simply, they grow inside the shells of certain species of oysters and clams. Some...
View full detailsFreshwater Pearl 7-9mm Golden Brown Potato Beads - 15-16 Inch
Unlike most gemstones found within the Earth, pearls are organic. Simply, they grow inside the shells of certain species of oysters and clams. Some...
View full detailsGreen Tourmaline 4mm Faceted Round - 15-16 Inch
Green Tourmaline ranges in color from pale green to dark emerald to shades of olive and moss green. It is an aluminum borosilicate mixed with iron,...
View full detailsMadagascar Moonstone 5x6-7x9mm Graduated Flat Oval - 15-16 Inch
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 detailsBlack Tourmalinated Quartz 4mm Banded Faceted Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch*
Tourmaline naturally occurs in a full color spectrum and is used as both a trade name and as a gemological name for a group of minerals of varying ...
View full detailsRuby 4x6mm Faceted Rondelle Beads AA Grade - 15-16 Inch
Ruby is a precious gemstone known for its deep red color. It is a variety of the mineral corundum, the second-hardest mineral next to diamond . The...
View full detailsGuatemalan Jade 3mm Banded Faceted 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 detailsSmoky Quartz 3x4mm Banded Faceted Rondelle A Grade - 15-16 Inch
Smoky Quartz is a translucent smoky brown or gray variety of Quartz. It ranges from almost completely transparent to an almost opaque brownish to g...
View full detailsFreshwater Pearl 5-6mm Dark Blue Potato Beads - 15-16 Inch
Unlike most gemstones found within the Earth, pearls are organic. Simply, they grow inside the shells of certain species of oysters and clams. Some...
View full detailsFreshwater Pearl 11-14x15-17mm 4 Color Mix Flat Oval Beads - 15-16 Inch
Unlike most gemstones found within the Earth, pearls are organic. Simply, they grow inside the shells of certain species of oysters and clams. Some...
View full detailsAtlantisite Stichtite 3mm Table Cut Cube - 15-16 Inch
Stichtite is a mineral, a carbonate of chromium and magnesium. Its color ranges from pink through lilac to a rich purple color. Discovered in 1910 ...
View full detailsFreshwater Pearl 4mm Black Semi Round Beads - 15-16 Inch
Unlike most gemstones found within the Earth, pearls are organic. Simply, they grow inside the shells of certain species of oysters and clams. Some...
View full detailsAtlantisite Stichtite 4mm Faceted Cube - 15-16 Inch
Stichtite is a mineral, a carbonate of chromium and magnesium. Its color ranges from pink through lilac to a rich purple color. Discovered in 1910 ...
View full detailsFreshwater Pearl 10-12x10-15mm 4 Color Mix Baroque Beads - 15-16 Inch
Unlike most gemstones found within the Earth, pearls are organic. Simply, they grow inside the shells of certain species of oysters and clams. Some...
View full detailsFreshwater Pearl 8-10x9-16mm Multi Color Flat Baroque Beads - 15-16 Inch
Unlike most gemstones found within the Earth, pearls are organic. Simply, they grow inside the shells of certain species of oysters and clams. Some...
View full detailsFreshwater Pearl 10-12x10-15mm 5 Color Mix Baroque Beads - 15-16 Inch
Unlike most gemstones found within the Earth, pearls are organic. Simply, they grow inside the shells of certain species of oysters and clams. Some...
View full detailsEmerald 2-5mm Banded Irregular Rondelle - 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 detailsFreshwater Pearl 3mm White Cispy Potato Beads - 15-16 Inch
Unlike most gemstones found within the Earth, pearls are organic. Simply, they grow inside the shells of certain species of oysters and clams. Some...
View full detailsFreshwater Pearl 11-14x15-17mm 5 Color Mix Flat Oval Beads - 15-16 Inch
Unlike most gemstones found within the Earth, pearls are organic. Simply, they grow inside the shells of certain species of oysters and clams. Some...
View full detailsFreshwater Pearl 6-7mm Multi Color Potato Beads - 15-16 Inch
Unlike most gemstones found within the Earth, pearls are organic. Simply, they grow inside the shells of certain species of oysters and clams. Some...
View full detailsSpiny Oyster 5-8mm Free Form Chips Orange - 15-16 Inch
Freshwater Pearl 3-4mm White Potato Beads - 15-16 Inch
Unlike most gemstones found within the Earth, pearls are organic. Simply, they grow inside the shells of certain species of oysters and clams. Some...
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.