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Gemstone Chip Beads

Chips are made from premium off-cuts when cutting cabochons and other shapes. It is a great way to incorporate high quality stones with minimal investment. They are simply tumbled, minimally processed, and left with their organic shapes.

Copper Rutilated Quartz 5x8mm Chip with Spacers - 15-16 Inch

Original price $17.00 - Original price $17.00
Original price $17.00
$17.00 - $17.00
Current price $17.00
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Rutilated Quartz is a silicon dioxide mineral with unique needle to like inclusions of Rutile. These “needles” usually appear golden, but can also ...

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Original price $17.00 - Original price $17.00
Original price $17.00
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Current price $17.00
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Amazonite 3x9-5x11mm Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
$10.00 - $10.00
Current price $10.00
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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 $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
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Current price $10.00
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Ocean Jasper 5-12mm Chip - 36-Inch

Original price $14.00 - Original price $14.00
Original price $14.00
$14.00 - $14.00
Current price $14.00
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Ocean Jasper is a commercial name for Orbicular Jasper, a variety of Jasper containing variably colored spherical patterns. It forms when Quartz an...

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Original price $14.00 - Original price $14.00
Original price $14.00
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Current price $14.00
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Purple Puka Shell 6-7mm Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $28.00 - Original price $28.00
Original price $28.00
$28.00 - $28.00
Current price $28.00
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Puka shells are naturally broken, ocean-tumbled fragments of cone snail shells, featuring a naturally occurring center hole ("puka" in Hawaiian). O...

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Original price $28.00 - Original price $28.00
Original price $28.00
$28.00 - $28.00
Current price $28.00
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Banded Mixed Stone 6-9mm Chip - Citrine/Crystal/Strawberry Quartz - 15-16 Inch

Original price $11.00 - Original price $11.00
Original price $11.00
$11.00 - $11.00
Current price $11.00
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(Description will vary by inventory.)

Original price $11.00 - Original price $11.00
Original price $11.00
$11.00 - $11.00
Current price $11.00
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Ethiopian Opal 3x5mm (Dyed) Blue Chip - 17 Inch

Original price $44.00 - Original price $44.00
Original price $44.00
$44.00 - $44.00
Current price $44.00
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Ethiopian Opal was first discovered in Ethiopia in 1994, with additional major finds in 2008 and 2013. Beautiful specimens of Precious Opal, Fire O...

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Original price $44.00 - Original price $44.00
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Current price $44.00
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Ethiopian Opal 3x5mm (Dyed) Hot Pink Chip - 17 Inch

Regular Price $44.00
Original price $44.00 - Original price $44.00
Original price $44.00
Sale Price $22.00
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$22.00 - $22.00
Current price $22.00
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Ethiopian Opal was first discovered in Ethiopia in 1994, with additional major finds in 2008 and 2013. Beautiful specimens of Precious Opal, Fire O...

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Regular Price $44.00
Original price $44.00 - Original price $44.00
Original price $44.00
Sale Price $22.00
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$22.00 - $22.00
Current price $22.00
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Sale Sale

Banded Mixed Stone 6-9mm Chip - Eagle Eye/Red and Yellow Tiger Eye - 15-16 Inch

Original price $11.00 - Original price $11.00
Original price $11.00
$11.00 - $11.00
Current price $11.00
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This strand of banded chips features Eagle Eye Stone, Red Tiger Eye, and Yellow Tiger Eye.

Original price $11.00 - Original price $11.00
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Current price $11.00
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Spiny Oyster 5-8mm Free Form Chips Orange - 15-16 Inch

Original price $27.00 - Original price $27.00
Original price $27.00
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Current price $27.00
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Original price $27.00 - Original price $27.00
Original price $27.00
$27.00 - $27.00
Current price $27.00
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Purple Puka Shell 10-12mm Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $39.00 - Original price $39.00
Original price $39.00
$39.00 - $39.00
Current price $39.00
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Puka shells are naturally broken, ocean-tumbled fragments of cone snail shells, featuring a naturally occurring center hole ("puka" in Hawaiian). O...

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Original price $39.00 - Original price $39.00
Original price $39.00
$39.00 - $39.00
Current price $39.00
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Multi Rutilated Quartz 5x8mm Chip with Spacers - 15-16 Inch

Original price $13.00 - Original price $13.00
Original price $13.00
$13.00 - $13.00
Current price $13.00
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Rutilated Quartz is a silicon dioxide mineral with unique needle to like inclusions of Rutile. These “needles” usually appear golden, but can also ...

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Original price $13.00 - Original price $13.00
Original price $13.00
$13.00 - $13.00
Current price $13.00
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Banded Mixed Stone 6-9mm Chip - Aquamarine & Crystal - 15-16 Inch

Original price $14.00 - Original price $14.00
Original price $14.00
$14.00 - $14.00
Current price $14.00
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(Description will vary by inventory.)

Original price $14.00 - Original price $14.00
Original price $14.00
$14.00 - $14.00
Current price $14.00
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Purple Puka Shell 4-5mm Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $26.00 - Original price $26.00
Original price $26.00
$26.00 - $26.00
Current price $26.00
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Puka shells are naturally broken, ocean-tumbled fragments of cone snail shells, featuring a naturally occurring center hole ("puka" in Hawaiian). O...

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Original price $26.00 - Original price $26.00
Original price $26.00
$26.00 - $26.00
Current price $26.00
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Banded Mixed Stone 6-9mm Chip - Citrine/Green & Red Lodalited Quartz - 15-16 Inch

Original price $11.00 - Original price $11.00
Original price $11.00
$11.00 - $11.00
Current price $11.00
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(Description will vary by inventory.)

Original price $11.00 - Original price $11.00
Original price $11.00
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Current price $11.00
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Sapphire 6-10mm Irregular Chip - 8 Inch

Original price $73.00 - Original price $73.00
Original price $73.00
$73.00 - $73.00
Current price $73.00
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Metaphysically, all sapphires are considered stones of wisdom, however different colors have additional attributes such as enhanced emotional resil...

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Original price $73.00 - Original price $73.00
Original price $73.00
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Current price $73.00
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New Jade 5x15mm Chip - 8-Inch Strands

Original price $14.00 - Original price $14.00
Original price $14.00
$14.00 - $14.00
Current price $14.00
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Jade is the industry name for this beautiful green stone. Ours is actually a Serpentine, but takes a trained eye and a microscope to discern the di...

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Original price $14.00 - Original price $14.00
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Current price $14.00
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Ice Obsidian 5x15mm Chip - 8-Inch

Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
$10.00 - $10.00
Current price $10.00
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Ice Obsidian is a light brown to green to gray volcanic stone. Obsidian is formed when felsic lava cools without crystal growth. It is sometimes us...

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Current price $10.00
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Sleeping Beauty 10mm Blue/Green Chip - 17-18 Inch

Original price $123.00 - Original price $123.00
Original price $123.00
$123.00 - $123.00
Current price $123.00
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Dakota Stones’ Sleeping Beauty Turquoise is from the Sleeping Beauty mine in Globe, Arizona — famous for the outstanding robin’s egg blue color and...

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Original price $123.00 - Original price $123.00
Original price $123.00
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Current price $123.00
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Sleeping Beauty 8-11mm Chip - 17-18 Inch

Original price $119.00 - Original price $119.00
Original price $119.00
$119.00 - $119.00
Current price $119.00
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Dakota Stones’ Sleeping Beauty Turquoise is from the Sleeping Beauty mine in Globe, Arizona — famous for the outstanding robin’s egg blue color and...

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Original price $119.00 - Original price $119.00
Original price $119.00
$119.00 - $119.00
Current price $119.00
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Hubei Turquoise 10-14mm Blue Top Drill Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $43.00 - Original price $43.00
Original price $43.00
$43.00 - $43.00
Current price $43.00
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Hubei Turquoise is sourced from Hubei Province in Northern China, one of the most recognized turquoise-producing regions in the world. This materia...

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Original price $43.00 - Original price $43.00
Original price $43.00
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Current price $43.00
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Hubei Turquoise 10-14mm Blue/Green Top Drill Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $43.00 - Original price $43.00
Original price $43.00
$43.00 - $43.00
Current price $43.00
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Hubei Turquoise is sourced from Hubei Province in Northern China, one of the most recognized turquoise-producing regions in the world. This materia...

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Original price $43.00 - Original price $43.00
Original price $43.00
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Current price $43.00
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Hubei Turquoise 6mm Blue Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $24.00 - Original price $24.00
Original price $24.00
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Current price $24.00
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Hubei Turquoise is sourced from Hubei Province in Northern China, one of the most recognized turquoise-producing regions in the world. This materia...

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Original price $24.00 - Original price $24.00
Original price $24.00
$24.00 - $24.00
Current price $24.00
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Hubei Turquoise 9-10mm Chip - 32-33 Inch

Original price $79.00 - Original price $79.00
Original price $79.00
$79.00 - $79.00
Current price $79.00
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Hubei Turquoise is sourced from Hubei Province in Northern China, one of the most recognized turquoise-producing regions in the world. This materia...

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Original price $79.00 - Original price $79.00
Original price $79.00
$79.00 - $79.00
Current price $79.00
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Light Sunset Dumortierite 5x10-7x16mm Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
$10.00 - $10.00
Current price $10.00
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Sunset Dumortierite has a much brighter palette than regular Dumortierite, from light blue to lapis blue to cobalt, as well as some occurrences of ...

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Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
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Current price $10.00
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Pink Opal 3x6-5x7mm Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
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Current price $10.00
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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 $10.00 - Original price $10.00
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Current price $10.00
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Sodalite 6x8-12mm Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
$10.00 - $10.00
Current price $10.00
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Sodalite is named for its sodium content and may be classified as a feldspathoid. Blue Sodalite is sometimes referred to as “poor man’s lapis” beca...

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Current price $10.00
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Ametrine 3x7-6x12mm Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
$10.00 - $10.00
Current price $10.00
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Ametrine is quartz that occurs in bands of purple and yellow. As the name suggests, it is a combination of Amethyst and Citrine. The different colo...

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Current price $10.00
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Tourmaline 4-6mm Banded Chip A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $18.00 - Original price $18.00
Original price $18.00
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Current price $18.00
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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...

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Original price $18.00 - Original price $18.00
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Tourmaline 3-5mm Banded Chip A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $18.00 - Original price $18.00
Original price $18.00
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Current price $18.00
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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...

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Original price $18.00 - Original price $18.00
Original price $18.00
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Current price $18.00
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Banded Mixed Stone 6-9mm Chips - Amethyst and Rose Quartz - 15-16 Inch

Original price $11.00 - Original price $11.00
Original price $11.00
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Current price $11.00
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This banded strand of chips features Amethyst, Rose Quartz, and Purple Rose Quartz.

Original price $11.00 - Original price $11.00
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Current price $11.00
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Black Tourmaline 5x10-20mm Top Drill Teeth - 15-16-Inch

Original price $15.00 - Original price $15.00
Original price $15.00
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Current price $15.00
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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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Tanzanite 5x10-20mm Top Drill Teeth - 15-16-Inch

Original price $21.00 - Original price $21.00
Original price $21.00
$21.00 - $21.00
Current price $21.00
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Tanzanite is both extremely rare and extremely attractive, and we offer it when we can.

Original price $21.00 - Original price $21.00
Original price $21.00
$21.00 - $21.00
Current price $21.00
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Strawberry Quartz 5x10-20mm Top Drill Teeth - 15-16-Inch

Original price $15.00 - Original price $15.00
Original price $15.00
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Current price $15.00
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Strawberry Quartz is a translucent, milky to pink silicon dioxide mineral. Its needle to like inclusions of hematite are iridescent red. Quartz has...

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Blue Apatite 5x10-20mm Top Drill Teeth - 15-16-Inch

Original price $15.00 - Original price $15.00
Original price $15.00
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Current price $15.00
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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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Ruby Zoisite 5x10-20mm Top Drill Teeth - 15-16-Inch

Original price $15.00 - Original price $15.00
Original price $15.00
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Current price $15.00
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Ruby Zoisite occurs naturally when small Ruby crystals become embedded within Zoisite. The Ruby inclusions in this stone are pink to reddish purple...

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Current price $15.00
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Black Sunstone 5x8mm Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $15.00 - Original price $15.00
Original price $15.00
$15.00 - $15.00
Current price $15.00
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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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Current price $15.00
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Blue Kyanite 5x8m Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $15.00 - Original price $15.00
Original price $15.00
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Current price $15.00
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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 $15.00 - Original price $15.00
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Current price $15.00
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Lapis 8x20mm Faceted Teeth - 9 Inch

Original price $124.00 - Original price $124.00
Original price $124.00
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Current price $124.00
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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 $124.00 - Original price $124.00
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Amazonite 8x18mm Faceted Teeth - 9 Inch

Original price $124.00 - Original price $124.00
Original price $124.00
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Current price $124.00
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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 $124.00 - Original price $124.00
Original price $124.00
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Current price $124.00
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Green Amethyst 8x20mm Faceted Teeth - 9 Inch

Original price $124.00 - Original price $124.00
Original price $124.00
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Current price $124.00
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Amethyst is a beautiful stone (normally purple), known as a “Gem of Fire” by ancient cultures. It has been greatly sought after throughout history ...

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Lemon Quartz 8x16mm Faceted Teeth - 9 Inch

Original price $124.00 - Original price $124.00
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Current price $124.00
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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 ...

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Sleeping Beauty Turquoise 3mm Chip 18 Inch - Limited Editions

Original price $51.00 - Original price $51.00
Original price $51.00
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Current price $51.00
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Dakota Stones’ Sleeping Beauty Turquoise is from the Sleeping Beauty mine in Globe, Arizona — famous for the outstanding robin’s egg blue color and...

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Original price $51.00 - Original price $51.00
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Green Kyanite 5-10x22-30mm Teeth - 15-16 Inch

Original price $18.00 - Original price $18.00
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Current price $18.00
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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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Mexican Fire Opal Dark 2-10mm Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $46.00 - Original price $46.00
Original price $46.00
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Current price $46.00
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[Use Fire Opal description? This Fire Opal contains both Opal and the rhyolitic host material in which it is formed, which provides sufficient hard...

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Labradorite 4x10-13mm Chip - 15-16 Inch

Original price $12.00 - Original price $12.00
Original price $12.00
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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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Hypersthene 5x10-20mm Top Drill Teeth - 15-16 Inch

Original price $16.00 - Original price $16.00
Original price $16.00
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Current price $16.00
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Hypersthene is often categorized as enstatite or ferrosilite, but its identity is complicated. Pure enstatite contains no iron, and pure ferrosilit...

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Canadian Jade 5x10-20mm Top Drill Teeth - 15-16 Inch

Original price $16.00 - Original price $16.00
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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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Charoite 5x10-20mm Top Drill Teeth - 15-16 Inch

Original price $20.00 - Original price $20.00
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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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About this cut

Chip bead shape diagram
Cut name
Chip
Drill style
Drilled (irregular axis)
Typical sizes
8mm5mm6mm9mm6-9mm7mm5x10-20mm5x8m
Stones in this cut
TurquoiseOpalQuartzMixed GemstoneTourmalineKyaniteAustralian OpalAmazoniteAmethystAgateJasperLapis
Common uses
stretch braceletsmulti-strand necklacesfringe and tasselsmemory-wire designsbead embroidery accentskumihimo with mixed texturescolor-story layering pieces
Related cuts
Pebble & Nugget, Free Form
Design notes
Chips are the cut to reach for when a stone's rough is too included, too small, or too irregular to yield calibrated beads — which is why turquoise, tourmaline, kyanite, and opal show up here in volume. Treat chip strands as a texture layer: they pair well alongside smooth or faceted rounds (4–6mm) and rondelles, where the calibrated bead carries the rhythm and the chips supply organic movement. Because bead size varies within a single strand, plan focal placement by hand-picking rather than counting. For matched pairs (earrings), buy a strand with enough range to sort from.

Frequently asked questions

  • What is a chip bead?
    A chip bead is an irregular, freeform gemstone bead — drilled rough or tumble-polished fragments rather than calibrated geometry. Each bead varies in size, profile, and surface, so a strand reads as a natural, organic texture rather than a uniform shape. Most chips are tumble-polished to a smooth, rounded finish, though edges and proportions still differ bead to bead. Drilling is typically through the longest axis, but hole placement varies. Because chips are cut from offcut material and small rough, they're an efficient way to work a stone into a design without paying for calibrated bead yield.
  • What sizes does Dakota stock in chips?
    Chip sizing is approximate by nature — the tag describes a working range rather than a calibrated measurement. Dakota's chip strands cluster around 8mm (the deepest size pool), with strong stock at 5mm, 6mm, 7mm, and 9mm. Larger irregular ranges like 5x10–20mm and 6–9mm are stocked for designs that want more variation between beads. Bead-to-bead variance within a single strand is expected and is part of how chip strands look. Exact size range, drill, and approximate bead count should be disclosed — ask before buying if it isn't specified.
  • What stones come in chip form?
    Dakota carries chips in roughly 185 active SKUs. Turquoise is by far the deepest pool at 42 strands, followed by opal (13), quartz (10), mixed-gemstone strands (10), tourmaline (7), Australian opal (6), amazonite (6), kyanite (6), jasper (5), and amethyst (5). Chips are common in stones where calibrated bead yield is low or where the rough is too included or too small for round work — which is why tourmaline, kyanite, and opal show up here. Treatment varies by stone and should be disclosed.
  • What jewelry uses chip beads best?
    Chips are a workhorse for stretch bracelets, multi-strand necklaces, fringe, tassels, and memory-wire pieces where organic texture matters more than precise repetition. They layer well under or between calibrated rounds and rondelles, adding visual movement without dominating a design. Mixed-gemstone chip strands work for color-story pieces and beach/boho lines. Chips also weave well into bead embroidery and kumihimo, and because beads vary in size, you can hand-pick larger or smaller pieces from a strand for focal placement.
  • How are chip strands drilled and strung?
    Drill orientation on chip beads is not uniform — holes are typically placed through the longest stable axis of each fragment, but the angle varies bead to bead. That means chips do not sit predictably on a stringing wire the way calibrated beads do, which is part of their visual character. Hole size also varies within a strand. For stretch cord.7mm or 1mm elastic is usually safe; for beading wire.014–.019 covers most strands. If a project needs consistent hole size, ask before buying.