Large Hole Beads
Large hole beads are gemstone beads drilled for cord — a 2mm hole on the 6mm rounds, 2.5mm on the 8mm and 10mm, wide enough for leather, waxed cotton and fine macramé cord to pass straight through. The stone is the same as the standard strand, quartz and amethyst through jasper, agate and freshwater pearl; only the hole changes. On cord a bead slides or knots in place, and a single 8mm round of lapis or tiger eye on a length of leather is a finished piece.
Products: 288
Mookaite 6mm Round - Large Hole Beads
Mookaite is a variety of Jasper in colors of red, burgundy, pink, mauve, purple, yellow and white. It takes its name from Mooka Creek, near the Ken...
View full detailsMookaite 6mm Round Faceted - Large Hole Beads
Mookaite is a variety of Jasper in colors of red, burgundy, pink, mauve, purple, yellow and white. It takes its name from Mooka Creek, near the Ken...
View full detailsMookaite 8mm Round - Large Hole Beads
Mookaite is a variety of Jasper in colors of red, burgundy, pink, mauve, purple, yellow and white. It takes its name from Mooka Creek, near the Ken...
View full detailsMookaite 8mm Round Faceted - Large Hole Beads
Mookaite is a variety of Jasper in colors of red, burgundy, pink, mauve, purple, yellow and white. It takes its name from Mooka Creek, near the Ken...
View full detailsMulti Rhutilated Quartz 8mm Faceted Rondelle Large Hole (2-2.5mm) 8-Inch - CLEARANCE
Multi 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 detailsMulti Tourmaline 8mm Faceted Round Large Hole - 8-inch - CLEARANCE
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 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 detailsOnyx 10mm Round Large Hole 8-Inch
Onyx is a black and white banded Chalcedony, a cryptocrystalline Quartz. It is often thought of as an all-black stone, and much of the black Onyx o...
View full detailsOnyx 8mm Faceted Rondelle Large Hole 8-Inch
Onyx is a black and white banded Chalcedony, a cryptocrystalline Quartz. It is often thought of as an all-black stone, and much of the black Onyx o...
View full detailsOnyx 8mm Round Large Hole 8-Inch
Onyx is a black and white banded Chalcedony, a cryptocrystalline Quartz. It is often thought of as an all-black stone, and much of the black Onyx o...
View full detailsOpalite 8mm Faceted Large Hole Round - 8-inch - CLEARANCE
Opalite is the trade name for man to made glass treated to exhibit the internal flashes of true Opals in translucent samples, and opalescence or lu...
View full detailsOpalite Large Hole 10mm Round - 8-inch
Opalite is the trade name for man to made glass treated to exhibit the internal flashes of true Opals in translucent samples, and opalescence or lu...
View full detailsOpalite Large Hole 8mm Rondelle - 8-inch - CLEARANCE
Opalite is the trade name for man to made glass treated to exhibit the internal flashes of true Opals in translucent samples, and opalescence or lu...
View full detailsOpalite Large Hole 8mm Round - 8-inch
Opalite is the trade name for man to made glass treated to exhibit the internal flashes of true Opals in translucent samples, and opalescence or lu...
View full detailsOrange Garnet 6mm Round - 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 detailsOrange Garnet 8mm Round - 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 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 detailsOutback Jasper 8mm Round - Large Hole Beads
Outback Jasper is a milky white to light pink to golden brown stone, with striking patterns that may resemble birch bark or wood grain. Jaspers are...
View full detailsPicture Jasper 10x14mm Barrel - Large Hole Beads
Picture Jasper is a form of brown Jasper characterized by its unique banding and flow patterns created by petrified or silicate mud and occasional ...
View full detailsPicture Jasper 8mm Round Large Hole 8-Inch
Picture Jasper is a form of brown Jasper characterized by its unique banding and flow patterns created by petrified or silicate mud and occasional ...
View full detailsPicture Jasper Natural 6mm Round Large Hole Beads - 8 Inch
Picture Jasper is a form of brown Jasper characterized by its unique banding and flow patterns created by petrified or silicate mud and occasional ...
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 detailsPietersite 6mm 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 detailsPietersite 8mm Faceted Rondelle Large Hole 8-Inch
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 detailsPink Opal 6mm 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 detailsPink Opal 6mm Round Faceted - Large Hole Beads - CLEARANCE
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 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 detailsRainbow Jade 5x8mm Large Hole Faceted Rondelle - 8 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 detailsRainbow Jade 6mm Large Hole Round - 8 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 detailsRainbow Jade 8mm Large Hole Round - 8 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 detailsRainbow Obsidian 10mm Round - Large Hole Beads
Rainbow Obsidian earned its name from the chatoyant, rainbow effect of light refracting off of the air buddles inside of the stone. Like all obsidi...
View full detailsRainbow Obsidian 6mm Round - Large Hole Beads
Rainbow Obsidian earned its name from the chatoyant, rainbow effect of light refracting off of the air buddles inside of the stone. Like all obsidi...
View full detailsRainbow Obsidian 8mm Round - Large Hole Beads
Rainbow Obsidian earned its name from the chatoyant, rainbow effect of light refracting off of the air buddles inside of the stone. Like all obsidi...
View full detailsRed Brecciated Jasper 8mm Round - Large Hole Beads
Red Brecciated Jasper is typically found in deep red, black, rust and cream hues, which form fragmented patterns throughout the stone. The name der...
View full detailsRed Creek Jasper 6mm Round Large Hole Beads - 8 Inch
Red Creek Jasper is named for the Red River in china where the stone was recently discovered. Its colors include burnt red, mustard yellow, olive g...
View full detailsRed Creek Jasper 6mm Round Matte Large Hole Beads - 8 Inch
Red Creek Jasper is named for the Red River in china where the stone was recently discovered. Its colors include burnt red, mustard yellow, olive g...
View full detailsRed Creek Jasper 8mm Faceted Rondelle Large Hole 8-Inch
Red Creek Jasper is named for the Red River in china where the stone was recently discovered. Its colors include burnt red, mustard yellow, olive g...
View full detailsRed Creek Jasper 8mm Round Large Hole 8-Inch
Red Creek Jasper is named for the Red River in China where the stone was recently discovered. Its colors include burnt red, mustard yellow, olive g...
View full detailsRed Garnet 6mm Round - Large Hole Beads
Red Garnet is the most commonly known type of Garnet, which occurs in many colors. Garnet has been used for adornment and spirituality by myriad cu...
View full detailsRed Garnet 8mm Round - Large Hole Beads
Red Garnet is the most commonly known type of Garnet, which occurs in many colors. Garnet has been used for adornment and spirituality by myriad cu...
View full detailsRed Garnet Natural 4X6mm Rondelle Faceted - Large Hole Beads
Red Garnet is the most commonly known type of Garnet, which occurs in many colors. Garnet has been used for adornment and spirituality by myriad cu...
View full detailsRed Jasper Natural 6mm Round Matte Large Hole Beads - 8 Inch
Red Jasper is an aggregate of microcrystalline quartz and/or chalcedony and other minerals. The opaque stone’s red color is due to high iron conten...
View full detailsRed Tiger Eye 8mm Round Large Hole 8-Inch
Red Tiger Eye is actually Brown Tiger Eye which has been heat treated to bring out the red color. This macrocrystalline Quartz stone has chatoyant ...
View full detailsRhodonite 10mm Round With Matrix - Large Hole Beads
Rhodonite, whose name is derived from the Greek word for Rose, “rhodon,” is known for its pink, red and magenta hues. A Manganese inosilicate (or c...
View full detailsRhodonite 8mm Round With Matrix - Large Hole Beads
Rhodonite, whose name is derived from the Greek word for Rose, “rhodon,” is known for its pink, red and magenta hues. A Manganese inosilicate (or c...
View full detailsRhodonite Large Hole 10mm Round - 8-inch
Rhodonite, whose name is derived from the Greek word for Rose, “rhodon,†is known for its pink, red and magenta hues. A Manganese inosilicate (...
View full detailsRhodonite Large Hole 8mm Round - 8-inch
Rhodonite, whose name is derived from the Greek word for Rose, “rhodon,†is known for its pink, red and magenta hues. A Manganese inosilicate (...
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Gemstone beads with 2mm and 2.5mm holes

Large hole pearls, turquoise, quartz, agate and jasper

6mm, 8mm and 10mm on 8-inch strands — for leather cord and macramé
Frequently asked questions
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What is a large hole bead and what cord fits through it?
A large hole bead is drilled at 2mm or wider, where a standard gemstone bead is drilled at about 0.8mm to 1.2mm for beading wire and silk. The wider bore takes cord: 1mm and 1.5mm round leather, 2mm round or flat leather, waxed cotton, satin (rat-tail) cord, hemp and macramé cord in the 1mm to 2mm range, or several strands of a fine cord together. Cord should pass freely — stone holes do not stretch — so match the cord to the listed hole size with a little clearance. -
What hole size do large hole gemstone beads have?
Two bores cover nearly everything: 2mm on the 6mm beads and 2.5mm on the 8mm and 10mm beads. Freshwater pearls are drilled at 2mm. Some strands are listed as 2–2.5mm where the bore varies bead to bead within that range, and a few run 2–3mm. The drilling is ultrasonic, so the hole holds one width from end to end with a clean edge, and the hole size is given on each listing beside the bead size. -
What are large hole beads used for?
Leather cord is the main use: bracelets and necklaces on 1.5mm to 2mm round leather, with the beads knotted in place or left to slide. Macramé and knotted jewelry on 1mm to 2mm cord is the second, the beads worked into square knots, half hitches and sliding closures. They also string on satin and rat-tail cord, waxed cotton, hemp, micro paracord and kumihimo braids fine enough to pass a 2mm hole, and one bead on a knotted cord is a finished piece by itself. Because the cord carries the bead, a piece sits and drapes with more movement than one strung tight on wire. -
Which gemstones come with large holes?
Most of the stone range has been drilled this way at one time or another — more than a hundred stones over the life of the line. The quartz family is the largest group: crystal, rose, smoky and rutilated quartz, with amethyst beside them. Jaspers and agates follow — picture, red creek, ocean and impression jasper; Botswana, blue lace, crazy lace and flower agate — then amazonite, lapis, sodalite, tiger eye, aventurine, jade, rhodonite, labradorite, aquamarine, garnet, African turquoise, obsidian, onyx, carnelian, howlite and lava, plus freshwater pearl in potato, rice, button and baroque shapes. Most are natural; dyed, heated or stabilized strands are labelled where known, and the man-made glass beads — opalite, goldstone — are named as such. -
What size cord fits a 2mm or 2.5mm hole?
Allow clearance. A 2mm hole passes 1mm and 1.5mm round leather and most 1mm to 1.5mm cords; a 2.5mm hole passes 2mm round leather, 2mm flat leather on edge, or two strands of 1mm cord. Leather is rarely perfectly round, so the cord should slide through without forcing. Bead diameter is a separate measure — an 8mm and a 10mm bead here share the same 2.5mm bore — so diameter sets the look and weight of a piece while the hole sets the cord. A knot in 1.5mm to 2mm leather is wider than the hole, which is what holds a bead in place on cord.