Large Hole Gemstone Beads
Large-hole gemstone beads allow for jewelry designs with thicker cords. Our 8-inch strands come in 6 mm, 8 mm, and 10 mm rounds or rondelles, each drilled to an ample 2.0 mm (6 mm size) or 2.5 mm (8 mm & 10 mm sizes). Choose from polished, faceted, or matte finishes in 70+ popular stone types.
These big hole beads slip easily onto leather cord, suede, kumihimo braid, hemp, rat-tail, or heavy-gauge wire—ideal for slide-knot bracelets, bolo-style necklaces, and mixed-media macramé. Designers love them for speedy string-ups and for adding natural heft to pieces that need to sit flat and wear strong.
Browse the full range, filter by size or finish, and pair your picks with matching leather or cord from our Tools & Supplies section to build durable, statement-ready jewelry without fuss.
Products: 291
Lapis Large Hole 8mm Rondelle - 8-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 detailsPink Opal 8mm Round - Large Hole Beads
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...
View full detailsOrange Garnet 8mm Round Faceted - Large Hole Beads
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 detailsSelenite 8mm Round - Large Hole Beads
Selenite is a crystal formed from the mineral gypsum, which comes in many forms and color variations, but has been used historically to describe th...
View full detailsBrazilian Amazonite 8mm Round Faceted - Large Hole Beads
Brazilian Amazonite is an opaque blue to green to light green stone, often occurring with inclusions of white, yellow or gray and occasionally tran...
View full detailsBotswana Agate 8mm Round Faceted - Large Hole Beads
Botswana Agate displays highly defined parallel banding, usually in white on hues of brown, gray, pink, tan, apricot and purplish red. Botswana Aga...
View full detailsPietersite 8mm Round - Large Hole Beads
Pietersite has been called the Tempest Stone for its colors of deep blue and gray with metallic gold and flashes of brilliant chatoyancy as it catc...
View full detailsBotswana Agate 10mm Round - Large Hole Beads
Botswana Agate displays highly defined parallel banding, usually in white on hues of brown, gray, pink, tan, apricot and purplish red. Botswana Aga...
View full detailsAmethyst 8mm Round Faceted Large Hole Beads - 8 Inch
Amethyst is a beautiful purple stone, known as a “Gem of Fire” by ancient cultures. It has been greatly sought after throughout history and was at ...
View full detailsBrazilian Amazonite 10mm Round - Large Hole Beads
Brazilian Amazonite is an opaque blue to green to light green stone, often occurring with inclusions of white, yellow or gray and occasionally tran...
View full detailsPink Opal 6mm Round Faceted - Large Hole Beads
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...
View full detailsMatte Lapis Large Hole 8mm Rondelle - 8-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 detailsMixed Dark Lepidocrocite 8mm Large Hole Faceted Round - 8 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 detailsLapis 8mm Round Faceted Large Hole Bead 8-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 detailsMixed Lodalite Quartz 6mm Faceted Rondelle - Large Hole Beads
Mixed Lodolite is Quartz with inclusions of sand. These inclusions range broadly in type and color and produce patterns that can look like gardens....
View full detailsIolite 6mm Round Faceted - Large Hole Beads
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 detailsFreshwater Pearl 7-8mm Mix Potato Beads with 2mm Large Hole - 8 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 detailsMulti Tourmaline 8mm Round Large Hole Beads - 8-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 detailsLabradorite Natural 4X6mm Rondelle Faceted AA Grade - Large Hole Beads
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 detailsTrolleite 8mm Large Hole Round - 8 Inch
Trolleite is an extremely rare aluminum phosphate mineral that crystallizes in the form of masses and small prismatic crystals. It is made up of qu...
View full detailsBlue Apatite 10mm Round A Grade - Large Hole Beads
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 6mm Silver Potato Beads with 2mm Large Hole - 8 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 9mm Copper Rice Beads with 2mm Large Hole - 8 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 detailsMulti Tourmaline 10mm Round Large Hole Beads - 8-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 detailsLemurian Aquatine Calcite 8mm Round - Large Hole Beads
Calcite is the one of the most common minerals. It occurs in a great variety of shapes and colors, and it constitutes a major portion of many of th...
View full detailsIolite 8mm Round - Large Hole Beads
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 detailsPietersite 10mm Round - Large Hole Beads
Pietersite has been called the Tempest Stone for its colors of deep blue and gray with metallic gold and flashes of brilliant chatoyancy as it catc...
View full detailsFreshwater Pearl 9mm White Potato Beads with 2mm Large Hole - 8 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 8mm Faceted Round Large Hole - 8-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 detailsLapis 10mm Round Large Hole 8-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 detailsFreshwater Pearl 11-12x14-15mm Purple Rice Large Hole Beads - 8 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 5-6mm White Potato Large Hole Beads - 8 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 Lace Agate 8mm Round - Large Hole Beads
Blue Lace Agate is a naturally occuring soft blue agate, laced with bands or swirls of brighter blue, periwinkle, white and occasionally gray or br...
View full detailsMixed Dark Lepidocrocite 5x8mm Large Hole Faceted Rondelle - 8 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 detailsFreshwater Pearl 9-10mm Silver Potato Beads with 2mm Large Hole - 8 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 detailsChakra 8mm Round Large Hole Bead Strand - 15-16 inch
Our Chakra strands are comprised of Amethyst, Lapis, Blue Apatite, Green Aventurine, Citrine, Carnelian, Red Garnet and Crystal Quartz.Amethyst is ...
View full detailsFreshwater Pearl 10mm White Rice Beads with 2mm Large Hole - 8 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 10-11mm White Potato Large Hole Beads - 8 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 Pastel Oval Large Hole Beads - 8 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 White Oval Large Hole Beads - 8 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 4-5mm White Potato Large Hole Beads - 8 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 9-10mm White Potato Large Hole Beads - 8 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 9-12mm White Potato Large Hole Beads - 8-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 detailsLavender Amethyst 8mm Faceted Rondelle Large Hole (2-2.5mm) 8-Inch
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 detailsBlue Apatite 8mm Faceted Rondelle Large Hole (2-2.5mm) 8-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 detailsChakra 10mm Round Large Hole - 15-16 Inch
Our Chakra strands are comprised of Amethyst, Lapis, Blue Apatite, Green Aventurine, Citrine, Carnelian, Red Garnet and Crystal Quartz.Amethyst is ...
View full detailsFreshwater Pearl 10-11mm Mix Potato Beads with 2mm Large Hole - 8 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 detailsBlack Spinel 8mm Faceted Rondelle Large Hole (2-2.5mm) 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 detailsFrequently asked questions
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What is a large hole bead and what cord does it fit?
Large hole beads are drilled with an oversized channel — typically 2mm or larger — so cord, leather, or memory wire passes through where a standard 0.7–1mm stringing hole would not. Standard gemstone strands are drilled for beading wire and silk; large-hole strands open the option to use 1mm and 1.5mm round leather, 2mm flat leather, paracord, kumihimo bundles, and heavier silk satin cord. Always check the listed hole size against the cord diameter before buying — cord should pass freely without forcing, since stone holes do not stretch. Hole size should be disclosed; ask before buying if it isn't specified. -
What hole size do Dakota's large-hole strands carry?
Most large-hole gemstone strands in this collection are drilled at 2mm or 2.5mm, with some specialty drills running larger for thicker leather and paracord. The exact bore varies by stone, cut, and bead size — softer materials like amazonite and lapis tolerate a wider drill than harder stones like quartz at the same diameter. the listing lists the drilled hole size for each strand; if it isn't specified on a listing, ask before ordering so the bore matches your cord. For mixed-strand designs, confirm hole size on every strand rather than assuming consistency across the category. -
What are large hole beads used for?
The four common applications: leather-cord bracelets and necklaces (1mm–2mm round or flat leather), kumihimo braids where the finished cord threads through a focal or end bead, memory wire bracelets that use 0.6–1mm wire but benefit from looser bead fit, and European-style charm bracelets built on heavier chain or cable. Large-hole strands also work for macramé spacers, paracord survival bracelets, and any design where the cord, not a beading needle, carries the bead. The wider channel changes the drape — beads sit looser on cord than tight-strung designs, which is part of the intended look. -
Which gemstones are available with large holes?
The category spans quartz varieties (clear, rose, smoky), jaspers, agates, amazonite, amethyst, larvikite, tiger eye, lapis, garnet, and freshwater pearl, among others. Round is the dominant cut at 8mm and 6mm, with rondelles and faceted rounds also well represented. Availability shifts as strands sell through, so the exact stone-by-size mix changes — filter by stone or cut from the collection page, or check the active listing for the size and hole bore you need. Softer stones generally drill to wider bores more reliably than harder, brittle materials, which affects which stones appear in 2.5mm+ drill sizes. -
How do bead diameter and hole size relate for cord fit?
Bead diameter and hole size are independent specs — an 8mm round can be drilled at 1mm or 2.5mm depending on the strand. For cord work, the hole bore is what matters: 1.5mm leather needs roughly a 2mm hole to pass cleanly, and 2mm leather wants a 2.5mm bore or larger. Diameter affects drape and visual weight, not whether the cord fits. A common build is 8mm rounds on 1.5mm leather, or 6mm rounds for finer cord and lighter wrists. Check the listed hole size on each listing before matching to cord, and account for knots or crimps at the cord ends.