Rice Beads
Our Rice Beads collection features gemstone strands cut in a smooth or faceted, elongated oval shape—similar to a grain of rice. This classic shape offers a gentle taper and subtle movement, making it a popular choice for both stringing and wire-wrapping. With their soft curves and versatile size, rice beads work beautifully in bracelets, earrings, and layered necklaces where flow and comfort matter. Available in a range of natural stones and finishes, each strand upholds the Dakota Stones quality you trust.
Products: 62
Brazilian Amazonite 7x8mm Faceted Rice Bead - 15-16 Inch
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 detailsNatural Agate 4x6mm Faceted Triangle Cut Rice - 15-16 Inch
Natural Agate is a variety of banded Chalcedony, prized throughout history for its beautiful colors and patterns. It has been called the Earth Rain...
View full detailsTiger Eye 7x8mm Faceted Rice Bead A Grade - 15-16 Inch
Tiger Eye is a macrocrystalline Quartz stone with bands of rich golds and browns. Its chatoyant layers that create a flash which seems to emanate f...
View full detailsLabradorite 4x6mm Faceted Triangle Cut Rice A Grade - 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 detailsBlue Apatite 7x8mm Faceted Rice Bead - 15-16 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 detailsPrehnite with Epidote 7x8mm Faceted Rice Bead - 15-16 Inch
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 detailsMorganite 6x8mm Triangle Cut Faceted Rice Bead - 15-16 Inch
Morganite gets its pink hue from the presence of manganese or cesium in the stone. It's actually a pink variety of Beryl -- the family of gemstones...
View full detailsRhodonite 7x8mm Faceted Rice Bead A Grade - 15-16 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 (or c...
View full detailsOnyx 7x8mm Faceted Rice Bead - 15-16 Inch
Onyx is a black and white banded Chalcedony, a cryptocrystalline Quartz. It is often thought of as an all to black stone, and much of the black Ony...
View full detailsWhite Howlite 4x6mm Faceted Triangle Cut Rice - 15-16 Inch
White Howlite is named for Canadian mineralogist Henry How, who first discovered the stone in Southern California in 1868. It is typically white or...
View full detailsSodalite 4x6mm Faceted Triangle Cut Rice - 15-16 Inch
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...
View full detailsAquamarine 7x8mm Faceted Rice Bead - 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 detailsBlack Rutilated Quartz 7x8mm Faceted Rice Bead - 15-16 Inch
Rutilated Quartz is a silicon dioxide mineral with unique needle-like inclusions of Rutile. These “needles” usually appear golden, but can also app...
View full detailsCrystal Quartz 7x8mm Faceted Rice Bead - 15-16 Inch
Crystal Quartz is a naturally occurring clear and colorless Quartz. It is a crystalline form of Quartz said to have many divine properties includin...
View full detailsAmethyst 7x8mm Faceted Rice Bead A Grade - 15-16 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 detailsSardonyx 6x8mm Triangle Cut Faceted Rice Bead - 15-16 Inch
Sardonyx has a Sard base, typically of brown or black, with bands of white Onyx running through it. Sard is not Onyx, but rather a dark variety of ...
View full detailsHematoid Quartz 6x8mm Triangle Cut Faceted Rice Bead AA Grade - 15-16 Inch
Hematoid Quartz is Quartz with inclusions of hematite. The hematite inclusions are responsible for the stone’s color, which can be yellow, orange, ...
View full detailsAmethyst 6x8mm Triangle Cut Faceted Rice Bead - 15-16 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 detailsLapis 6x8mm Triangle Cut Faceted Rice Bead - 15-16 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 detailsRed Garnet 4x6mm Triangle Cut Faceted Rice Bead - 15-16 Inch
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 detailsLapis 4x6mm Triangle Cut Faceted Rice Bead A Grade - 15-16 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 detailsAmethyst 4x6mm Triangle Cut Faceted Rice Bead A Grade - 15-16 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 detailsBlue Apatite 4x6mm Triangle Cut Faceted Rice Bead A Grade - 15-16 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 detailsChrysocolla 4x6mm Triangle Cut Faceted Rice Bead - 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 detailsBrazilian Amazonite 4x6mm Triangle Cut Faceted Rice Bead A Grade - 15-16 Inch
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 detailsPietersite 7x8mm Faceted Rice Bead - 15-16 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 detailsLapis 7x8mm Faceted Rice Bead - 15-16 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 detailsRed Garnet 7x8mm Faceted Rice Bead - 15-16 Inch
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 Hematoid Quartz 7x8mm Faceted Rice Bead - 15-16 Inch
Hematoid Quartz is Quartz with inclusions of hematite. The hematite inclusions are responsible for the stone’s color, which can be yellow, orange, ...
View full detailsCarnelian 7x8mm Faceted Rice Bead - 15-16 Inch
Carnelian is a glassy, translucent stone that can appear with such bright orange hues that the ancient Egyptians called it “the setting sun.” Most ...
View full detailsCrystal Quartz 6x8mm Triangle Cut Faceted Rice Bead - 15-16 Inch
Crystal Quartz is a naturally occurring clear and colorless Quartz. It is a crystalline form of Quartz said to have many divine properties includin...
View full detailsBrazilian Amazonite 6x8mm Triangle Cut Faceted Rice Bead - 15-16 Inch
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 6x8mm Triangle Cut Faceted Rice Bead - 15-16 Inch
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 detailsIolite 6x8mm Triangle Cut Faceted Rice Bead - 15-16 Inch
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 detailsDog Teeth Amethyst 6x8mm Triangle Cut Faceted Rice Bead - 15-16 Inch
Dog Teeth Amethyst has a purple and white striped appearance due to its combination of Amethyst and White Quartz. The name derives from the recurri...
View full detailsCacoxenite 6x8mm Triangle Cut Faceted Rice Bead - 15-16 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 detailsStrawberry Quartz 6x8mm Triangle Cut Faceted Rice Bead - 15-16 Inch
Strawberry Quartz is a translucent, milky to pink silicon dioxide mineral. Its needle to like inclusions of hematite are iridescent red. Quartz has...
View full detailsRed Garnet 6x8mm Triangle Cut Faceted Rice Bead - 15-16 Inch
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 detailsTerahertz 4x6mm Rice Faceted - 15-16 Inch
Terahertz is a spectacular man made ore. It shines and sparkles like a diamond making it an exceptional addition to any jewelry piece. It has treme...
View full detailsAbout this cut
Frequently asked questions
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What is a rice bead?
A rice bead is an elongated oval with rounded ends — longer than it is wide, with a gentle barrel taper rather than the sharp points of an oval or olive cut. The silhouette resembles a grain of rice, hence the name. Rice beads are center-drilled through the long axis so they string end-to-end like a graduated row. The shape sits between a round and a true oval: enough length to read as directional on a strand, but soft enough to nest closely without the gapping you get from sharper cuts. Surfaces are typically smooth and polished, though faceted rice variants exist in some materials. -
What sizes does Dakota stock in rice?
Current rice stock runs from about 4mm up to 10mm, with the heaviest depth in 6mm (17 strands), 8mm (14), 7x8mm (11), 4x6mm (10), and 4mm (8). Smaller sizes (4mm, 4x6mm, 5mm) suit delicate stringing, spacers between focal beads, and fine multi-strand work. Mid-range 6mm and 7x8mm cover the bulk of bracelet and necklace stringing. 8mm and 10mm read as the dominant texture on a strand and work well as the primary bead in a single-strand piece. Exact dimensions vary by stone — check the listing for measured size. -
What stones come in rice shape?
Pearl is the deepest category in this cut (10 strands), which tracks with rice being a traditional pearl silhouette. Beyond pearl, Dakota stocks rice in quartz (5), natural shell (4), amazonite (4), agate (4), amethyst (4), garnet (3), apatite (3), lion's paw (3), and lapis (3), with additional stones in smaller counts across the 79-product range. Color and clarity vary by material — treatment and origin should be disclosed; ask before buying if it isn't specified. Pearl and shell rice are organic; the rest are mineral cuts. -
What jewelry does the rice cut suit best?
Rice excels in stranded necklaces and bracelets where you want directional flow without the heaviness of a full oval. The elongated profile lets light travel along the strand and creates a softer line than rounds of equivalent diameter. Pearl rice is a classic for bridal and layered necklaces; mineral rice in 6–8mm works for beachy and bohemian stringing, mala-style strands, and multi-strand bib designs. Smaller 4mm and 4x6mm rice make effective spacers between faceted focals or larger smooth beads, since the soft ends won't catch on adjacent facets. -
How does rice differ from oval or barrel beads?
All three are elongated, but the proportions and ends differ. A rice bead has rounded, slightly tapered ends and a length roughly 1.3–1.7x its width — soft and grain-like. A true oval is wider and more symmetrical, often closer to 1.2x length-to-width, with fuller shoulders. A barrel is more cylindrical, with parallel sides and flatter ends, reading as a short tube rather than a curve. Rice nests more tightly than oval on a strand because the ends taper, and it reads lighter than barrel because there's no flat plane. Choose rice when you want length without bulk.