All High-End Strands
Extraordinary stones deserve their own stage. The High-End collection spotlights strands cut from the best rough—think vivid tourmaline slices, saturated emerald rounds, and near-flawless sapphire rondelles—each artisan-cut to showcase maximum light, clarity, and play of color. Many lots yield only a handful of strands, so what you see here often can’t be reordered once it’s gone.
Expect designer-grade polish, tightly calibrated dimensions, and hand-matched color flow that speeds up layout work at the bench. If your next piece calls for materials that command attention and hold long-term value, this curated lineup delivers the rarest options in the Dakota Stones vault. Act quickly; inventory refreshes with the seasons.
Products: 206
Diopside 2mm Faceted Round AAA Grade 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 detailsImperial Topaz 8-9mm Rondelle Banded - 15-16 Inch
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 detailsRuby Faceted 8mm Round - 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 detailsLarimar 4mm Faceted Round A Grade Beads - 15-16 Inch
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...
View full detailsMuonionalusta Meteorites 12mm Silver Pyramid Pendant
This pyramid shaped meteorite pendant is stunning and ready-to-wear! Each pendant will be the same size and shape, but the difference in the patter...
View full detailsK2 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch
K2 is a stone recently discovered in the foothills of the mountain for which it is named, K2, in the Karakoram mountain range of Pakistan. It is a ...
View full detailsCitrine 8X10-12X14mm Freeform Hand Cut - 15-16 inch
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...
View full detailsPink Cobalt Calcite 12x16-20x24 Irregular Oval 15-16 Inch - CLEARANCE
Sleeping Beauty Turquoise 4x5mm Rondelle - Limited Editions
Dakota Stones’ Sleeping Beauty Turquoise is from the Sleeping Beauty mine in Globe, Arizona — famous for the outstanding robin’s egg blue color and...
View full detailsK2 Rough Tumble 5x7-8x10mm Nugget - 15-16 Inch
K2 is a stone recently discovered in the foothills of the mountain for which it is named, K2, in the Karakoram mountain range of Pakistan. It is a ...
View full detailsMuoinionalusta Meteorite 16mm Coin Pendant with .925 Sterling Silver Bail
This coin shaped meteorite pendant is stunning and ready-to-wear! Each pendant will be the same size and shape, but the difference in the pattern r...
View full detailsWhite Moonstone 10mm Round - 15-16 inch
Moonstone occurs in naturally in shades of white, gray, black, and peach, as well as translucent and iridescent. Metaphysically, moonstone is thoug...
View full detailsChiastolite 16mm Round - 15-16 Inch
Chiastolite is also known as the Cross Stone for the cross matrices of browns, blacks, tans and golden tones that occur naturally within the stone....
View full detailsPink Mica Quartz 8mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch
Mica is a mineral name given to a group of minerals that are physically and chemically similar. They are all silicate minerals, known as sheet sil...
View full detailsMuonionalusta Meteorite 12mm Rose Gold Pyramid Pendant - DSPremier
All gemstones are fascinating and special. They come from far-away, remote parts of the globe. These Muonionalusta Meteorite beads, however, are mo...
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 detailsGreen Amethyst 26-37mm Faceted Nugget Pendant with .925 Sterling Silver Bail
Amethyst is a beautiful stone (normally purple), known as a “Gem of Fire” by ancient cultures. It has been greatly sought after throughout history ...
View full detailsLapis 10x17mm Faceted Tube - 17-18 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 detailsCacoxenite 8x10-10x16mm Faceted Irregular Pear - 10 Inch
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...
View full detailsCream Herkimer Quartz 1-3mm Point - 15-16 Inch
Herkimer Quartz, also known as Herkimer Diamond, is transparent quartz crystal with brilliant sparkle. The crystal naturally forms with 18 facets, ...
View full detailsCitrine 8mm Banded Faceted Tyre - 15-16 Inch
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...
View full detailsKingman Turquoise 15-22mm Chip Green 9-10 Inch Strands- Limited Editions
Turquoise is an ancient gemstone, one of the first known to man. Known to Egyptian and Aztec cultures thousands of years ago, Turquoise is now mine...
View full detailsCubic Zirconia (CZ) 5-6mm Drop Brown Faceted Top Drill - 8 Inch
Cubic Zirconia, abbreviated as CZ, is a lab-made form of zirconium dioxide. Made to resemble Diamonds, these stones offer the same beauty and spark...
View full detailsPink Cobalt Calcite 8x10-20x30mm Top Drill Oval 15-16 Inch - CLEARANCE
K2 12mm Round - 15-16 Inch
K2 is a stone recently discovered in the foothills of the mountain for which it is named, K2, in the Karakoram mountain range of Pakistan. It is a ...
View full detailsLabradorite 8X10-12X14mm Freeform Hand Cut - 15-16 inch
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 detailsPink Sapphire 7x9-12x15mm Top Drill Irregular Slice - 8 Inch
Sapphires are precious gemstones, but unlike rubies, they come in a rainbow of colors besides red! They are all varieties of the mineral corundum,...
View full detailsPrehnite 12x16-18x25mm Jagged Rough Collar
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 detailsEthiopian Opal 5-6mm Pebble Black - 15-16 Inch
Ethiopian Opal was first discovered in Ethiopia in 1994, with additional major finds in 2008 and 2013. Beautiful specimens of Precious Opal, Fire O...
View full detailsCat's Eye A-Grade, Banded 6mm Round - 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 detailsBlue Moonstone 5mm Faceted Irregular Rondelle - 8 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 detailsGold Rutilated Quartz 6x9-9x13mm Faceted Irregular Oval - 8 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 detailsSapphire 10x12-13x15mm Irregular Slice - 8 Inch
Sapphires are precious gemstones, but unlike rubies, they come in a rainbow of colors besides red! They are all varieties of the mineral corundum,...
View full detailsMilky Lavender Amethyst 14mm Heart Pendant with .925 Sterling Silver Bail
Lavender Amethyst is a transparent lavender variety of Amethyst, which forms in geodes and is generally found in clusters of crystal points. The pr...
View full detailsPetro Tourmaline 7x9mm Nugget - 13-14 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 detailsSunstone 10mm Rough Heishi - 15-16 inch - CLEARANCE
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 detailsBlack Spinel 9x13mm Twisted Drop - 8 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 detailsHubei Turquoise with Copper Painted Edge 8x13mm Green Pear Bead - 15-16 Inch
Hubei Turquoise is sourced from Hubei Province in Northern China, one of the most recognized turquoise-producing regions in the world. This materia...
View full detailsMixed Stone (Citrine/Rose Quartz/Amethyst) 4-9mm Banded Faceted Rondelle - 18 Inch
Citrine/Rose Quartz/Amethyst
Multi Aquamarine 4-5mm Round - 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 detailsSapphire 2-6mm Graduated Faceted Rondelle - 18 Inch
Sapphires are precious gemstones, but unlike rubies, they come in a rainbow of colors besides red! They are all varieties of the mineral corundum,...
View full detailsPink & Blue Sapphire 8x10-13x15mm Top Drill Irregular Slice - 8 Inch
Sapphires are precious gemstones, but unlike rubies, they come in a rainbow of colors besides red! They are all varieties of the mineral corundum,...
View full detailsBlue Nepal Kyanite 2x4-3x5mm Graduated Faceted Rondelle Necklace - 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 detailsZoisite 13x16-19x27mm Rounded Rough Collar 15-16 Inch
Zoisite, first known as saualpite, after its type locality, is a calcium aluminium hydroxy sorosilicate belonging to the epidote group of minerals....
View full detailsGem Silica Small 3pc Slab
Gem Silica is the rarest and highest form of Chrysocolla, crystallized and infused in Quartz. Gem Silica occurs in a vivid blue green color due to ...
View full detailsEthiopian Opal 4x6-7x10mm Drop Faceted White - 15-16 Inch
Ethiopian Opal was first discovered in Ethiopia in 1994, with additional major finds in 2008 and 2013. Beautiful specimens of Precious Opal, Fire O...
View full detailsEthiopian Opal 5-6x6-8mm Pear Brown - 15-16 Inch
Ethiopian Opal was first discovered in Ethiopia in 1994, with additional major finds in 2008 and 2013. Beautiful specimens of Precious Opal, Fire O...
View full detailsEthiopian Opal 4x9-12mm Pear Black - 15-16 Inch
Ethiopian Opal was first discovered in Ethiopia in 1994, with additional major finds in 2008 and 2013. Beautiful specimens of Precious Opal, Fire O...
View full detailsFrequently asked questions
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What makes a strand belong in this selection?
Strands land here when they show stronger clarity, more saturated or even color, cleaner matrix, tighter calibration, or come from a source that's harder to keep in stock. The selection skews toward material designers reach for when a single strand has to carry a finished piece — faceted Sapphire and Ruby rondelles, natural Turquoise from named mines, Ethiopian and Australian Opal, well-cut Moonstone and Labradorite. The label is descriptive, not a tier label: it groups strands by what's in the bag, not by a price bracket. Specifics on each strand — origin, cut, treatment — should be disclosed; ask before buying if anything you need isn't specified. -
Which stones show up most in this collection?
Turquoise leads by a wide margin, followed by Opal, Sapphire, Quartz, and Ruby, with steady inventory of Moonstone, Labradorite, Tourmaline, Amethyst, and Kyanite. Cut distribution leans toward rondelles, rounds, teardrops, and pebble/nugget shapes, with faceted rondelles common across the corundum and Tourmaline strands and heishi/tyre cuts frequent on Turquoise. Sizes cluster in the 3–8mm range, with 6mm and 8mm the most common. If you're sourcing for a specific palette or cut, the side filters narrow the grid by stone, shape, and size — or pull the dedicated stone collection (for example Turquoise or Sapphire) for the full run. -
Are these strands graded for clarity, calibration, or origin?
Grading varies by material. Faceted corundum (Sapphire, Ruby) and faceted Tourmaline strands typically carry clarity and color notes. Turquoise is generally identified by mine or region when that information is available from the supplier. Calibration tolerance depends on cut: faceted rondelles and rounds run tighter than nuggets, slices, or free-form shapes, which are sold as natural cuts and will vary strand to strand. Bead count, strand length, and drill size should appear on each listing. If a grading detail you need for a design isn't listed, ask before ordering — supplier paperwork doesn't always make it into the listing automatically. -
How is this different from the standard catalog?
The standard catalog covers the full range of Dakota's gemstone strands at working price points for production and repeatable designs. This selection pulls the strands within that catalog where the material itself is doing more of the work — better color, cleaner cut, scarcer origin, or a stone that doesn't run as a steady SKU. Many of the same stones appear in both places at different grades; for example, you'll find Turquoise rounds in the main Turquoise collection and also here when a specific lot warrants it. Use this view when the piece you're building needs the strand to stand on its own. -
How is treatment handled on higher-grade material?
Treatment is material-specific and should be noted. Common cases: most Turquoise on the market is stabilized — natural, untreated Turquoise is called out specifically when applicable. Ruby and Sapphire are commonly heat-treated; lead-glass-filled corundum is a separate category and labeled when present. Opal is generally untreated but can be backed or doublet-cut; that's noted by cut type. Amethyst, Citrine, and some Quartz varieties may be heat-treated or irradiated. If treatment status matters for your client disclosure and isn't on the listing, ask before buying — Dakota will check supplier records before the strand ships.