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: 165
Jet 4mm Rondelle Bead - 15-16 Inch
Jet is a mineraloid gemstone, formed from wood that has decayed under extreme pressure, over the course of millions of years. Because it is relativ...
View full detailsTanzanite 4x5-10x13mm Oval - 19 Inch
Tanzanite is both extremely rare and extremely attractive, and we offer it when we can.
Sapphire 6-8mm Faceted Rondelle - 15-16 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 detailsSapphire 2x3-4x6mm Graduated 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 Sapphire 6x10mm Graduated Drops - 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 detailsMixed Stone (Citrine/Rose Quartz/Amethyst) 4-9mm Banded Faceted Rondelle - 18 Inch
Citrine/Rose Quartz/Amethyst
Ruby 6-16mm Graduated Carved Oval - 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 detailsMulti 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 detailsRuby 4-12mm Graduated Oval - 17 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 detailsRuby (Natural) 2-6mm Graduated Faceted Rondelle - 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 detailsRuby (Natural) 3mm Faceted Rondelle - 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 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 detailsMulti Sapphire (Natural) 3-4mm Banded Facete 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 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 detailsAfghanite 2x3-9x13mm Blue Graduated Irregular Rondelle - 16-17 inch
Afghanite is a rare and captivating gemstone first discovered in the late 1960s in the Sar-e-Sang mines of Badakhshan, Afghanistan — the same legen...
View full detailsPakimer Quartz 3x5-4x6mm Points - 15-16 Inch
Pakimer Quartz is Herkimer style Quartz from Pakistan
Jet 16mm Round - 15-16 inch
Orange Sodalite 5x7-12x16mm Graduated Faceted Rondelle - 15-16 Inch
Orange Sodalite has veins of orange, white and gray within the primarily bright to deep blue or black stone. Sodalite is named for its sodium conte...
View full detailsChrysocolla 6x8-10x15mm Graduated Faceted Rondelle - 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 detailsGreen Moonstone 5x8-13x18mm Graduated Faceted Rondelle - 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 detailsGreen Moonstone 5x8-16x20mm Graduated Faceted Rondelle - 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 detailsRuby & Apatite 6x8-11x16mm Irregular Slice - 8 Inch
Ruby Apatite occurs in deep purple, violet and teal blue colors with speckled and marbled patterns. Apatite can be easily confused with other miner...
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 detailsSapphire 6-10mm Irregular Chip - 8 Inch
Metaphysically, all sapphires are considered stones of wisdom, however different colors have additional attributes such as enhanced emotional resil...
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 detailsLabradorite 6x8-8x11mm Faceted Irregular Pear - 8 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 detailsLabradorite 3x6-6x9mm Faceted Irregular Drop - 8 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 detailsLabradorite 6-8mm Faceted Irregular Heart - 8 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 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 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 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 detailsGolden Shine Moonstone 4x6mm Faceted Pear - 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 detailsBlue Moonstone 6-8mm Faceted Heart - 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 detailsDiopside 4x6-8x12mm Graduated Top Drill Drop - 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 detailsOrange Garnet 3-6mm Graduated Faceted Rondelle - 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 detailsKyanite 3-5mm Graduated Faceted Rondelle - 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 detailsAndalusite 4-5mm Dark Faceted Rondelle - 15-16 Inch
Andalusite is a fascinating aluminum silicate mineral known for its strong pleochroism—the ability to display multiple colors from different angles...
View full detailsMulti Sapphire 8mm Faceted Round - 15-16 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 detailsMulti Sapphire 10mm Round - 15-16 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 detailsAndalusite 3-4mm Faceted Rondelle - 15-16 Inch
Andalusite is a fascinating aluminum silicate mineral known for its strong pleochroism—the ability to display multiple colors from different angles...
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 detailsBlack Mother of Pearl 25mm Swirl Coin - 15-16 Inch
Mother of Pearl, also known as Nacre, is an iridescent composite of organic and inorganic material most known for being the coating of pearls. It i...
View full detailsAustralian Boulder Opal 6-14mm Graduated Coin Necklace - 15-16 Inch
Boulder Opal is a golden-brown to dark brown stone, displaying these colors in patterns of parallel bands. It is considered a precious Opal, and fo...
View full detailsBlue Zircon 3x4-4x7mm Graduated Faceted Rondelle Necklace - 15-16 Inch
Zircon occurs in a variety of colors including yellow, green, red, reddish brown and blue hues, as well as colorless. Colorless Zircon of the highe...
View full detailsAustralian Boulder Opal 8-9mm Round Necklace - 15-16 Inch
Boulder Opal is a golden-brown to dark brown stone, displaying these colors in patterns of parallel bands. It is considered a precious Opal, and fo...
View full detailsAustralian Boulder Opal 5-6mm Round Necklace - 15-16 Inch
Boulder Opal is a golden-brown to dark brown stone, displaying these colors in patterns of parallel bands. It is considered a precious Opal, and fo...
View full detailsMoss Kyanite 2x5-5x8mm 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 detailsTeal Kyanite 2x4mm Faceted Rondelle Nacklace - 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 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.