Round Beads
Round beads are the workhorse—and showpiece—of jewelry design. Our All Rounds collection spans more than 100 natural stone types, each offered in graduated sizes from 4 mm to 12 mm so you can build seamless strands, stackable bracelets, or accent rows without hunting for a match.
What sets Dakota rounds apart is the one-batch method: we cut every size you see from the same parcel of rough, then sort by diameter in a single production run. That “Dakota Way” means a 6 mm lapis bead and its 10 mm big brother share identical hue and pattern, giving finished pieces a professional, color-true flow.
Every sphere is diamond-ground to perfect symmetry, hand-polished for a glassy finish, and visually graded to Dakota Stones standards before it ships. Stock up on crowd-pleasers like Amazonite, Kyanite, Jasper, and Quartz—or branch into rarities such as Variscite or Shattuckite—confident that each round will string, drape, and wear with the consistency designers trust.
Red Porcelain Jasper 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$8.00
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$8.00
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$8.00
Porcelain Jasper is a brecciated (broken) Jasper originally found on a gold claim high in the Sierra Madre mountains of Mexico, where it continues ...
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$8.00
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$8.00
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$8.00
Australian Boulder Opal Faceted 3mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$32.00
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$32.00
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$32.00
$32.00
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$32.00
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...
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$32.00
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$32.00
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$32.00
$32.00
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$32.00
Carnelian 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$14.00
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$14.00
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$14.00
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$14.00
Carnelian is a glassy, translucent stone that can appear with such bright orange hues that the ancient Egyptians called it “the setting sun.” Most ...
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$14.00
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$14.00
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$14.00
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$14.00
Alashan Agate 4mm Microfaceted Round - 15-16 Inch
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$16.00
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$16.00
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$16.00
$16.00
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$16.00
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$16.00
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$16.00
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$16.00
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$16.00
White Lace Red Jasper 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$10.00
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$10.00
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$10.00
$10.00
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$10.00
White Lace Red Jasper is a deep red or burnt orange stone, complemented by white, gray, and black bands and flecks of color. Red Jasper has histori...
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$10.00
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$10.00
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$10.00
Carnelian 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$11.00
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$11.00
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$11.00
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$11.00
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 details
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$11.00
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$11.00
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$11.00
$11.00
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$11.00
Red Garnet 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$14.00
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$14.00
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$14.00
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$14.00
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...
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$14.00
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$14.00
Red Tiger Eye 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$19.00
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$19.00
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$19.00
$19.00
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$19.00
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 ...
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$19.00
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$19.00
Carnelian 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$18.00
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$18.00
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$18.00
$18.00
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$18.00
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 details
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$18.00
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$18.00
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$18.00
$18.00
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$18.00
Red Porcelain Jasper 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$14.00
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$14.00
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$14.00
$14.00
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$14.00
Porcelain Jasper is a brecciated (broken) Jasper originally found on a gold claim high in the Sierra Madre mountains of Mexico, where it continues ...
View full details
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$14.00
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$14.00
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$14.00
$14.00
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$14.00
Carnelian 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$10.00
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$10.00
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$10.00
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$10.00
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 details
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$10.00
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$10.00
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$10.00
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$10.00
Morocco Red Agate 4mm Microfaceted Round - 15-16 Inch
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$11.00
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$11.00
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$11.00
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$11.00
$8.00
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$8.00
Morocco Agate occurs in striking colors of red, white, golden tan, gray and purple, in a variety of swirling and linear patterns. Like other Agates...
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$11.00
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$8.00
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$8.00
Sale
Birds Eye Rhyolite 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$20.00
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$20.00
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$20.00
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$20.00
Bird’s Eye Rhyolite is named for its circular color formations of deep reds, light tans and earthtones. Rhyolite was named "streaming rock" because...
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$20.00
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Yellow Green Banded Tourmaline 3mm Faceted Round - 15-16 Inch
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$32.00
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$32.00
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$32.00
$32.00
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$32.00
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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$32.00
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$32.00
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Agua Nueva Agate 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$19.00
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$19.00
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$19.00
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$19.00
Agua Nueva Agate is sourced from the Agua Nueva Ranch near Chihuahua City, Mexico. The stone ranges in hue from green, gold and lavender to earthy ...
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$19.00
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$19.00
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$19.00
Carnelian 12mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$23.00
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$23.00
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$23.00
$23.00
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$23.00
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 details
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$23.00
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$23.00
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$23.00
$23.00
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$23.00
Red Hematoid Quartz 6mm Faceted Round - 15-16 Inch
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$22.00
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$22.00
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$22.00
$22.00
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$22.00
Hematoid Quartz is Quartz with inclusions of hematite. The hematite inclusions are responsible for the stone’s color, which can be yellow, orange, ...
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$22.00
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$22.00
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$22.00
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$22.00
Red Jasper 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$18.00
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$18.00
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$18.00
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$18.00
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...
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$18.00
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White Lace Red Jasper 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$17.00
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$17.00
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$17.00
$17.00
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$17.00
White Lace Red Jasper is a deep red or burnt orange stone, complemented by white, gray, and black bands and flecks of color. Red Jasper has histori...
View full details
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$17.00
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$17.00
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$17.00
$17.00
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$17.00
Scapolite Cat's Eye Red 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$75.00
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$75.00
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$75.00
$75.00
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$75.00
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$75.00
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$75.00
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$75.00
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$75.00
White Lace Red Jasper 12mm Round - 15-16 Inch
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$18.00
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$18.00
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$18.00
$18.00
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$18.00
White Lace Red Jasper is a deep red or burnt orange stone, complemented by white, gray, and black bands and flecks of color. Red Jasper has histori...
View full details
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$18.00
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$18.00
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$18.00
$18.00
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$18.00
Glass Evil Eye Red 8mm Round - 14-15 Inch
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$11.00
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$11.00
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$11.00
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$11.00
These aren't gemstones but these glass beads will pair nicely with them! A classic Mediterranean symbol reimagined for modern jewelry design. Thes...
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$11.00
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$11.00
Red Coral 3mm Banded Faceted Round - 15-16 Inch
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$23.00
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$23.00
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$23.00
$23.00
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$23.00
Coral is the skeletons of once to living sea coral, composed of hard calcium carbonate, colored by carotenoids. The colors of coral are permanent a...
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$23.00
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$23.00
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$23.00
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$23.00
Spiny Oyster 6mm Red Round Bead - 15-16 Inch
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$39.00
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$39.00
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$39.00
$39.00
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$39.00
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$39.00
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$39.00
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$39.00
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$39.00
Magnesite 4mm Red (Dyed) Round - 5-16 Inch
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$9.00
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$9.00
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$9.00
$9.00
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$9.00
Magnesite is a soft mineral best known for being dyed to imitate other gemstones. Natural magnesite stones are usually white with a dark web-like p...
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$9.00
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$9.00
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$9.00
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$9.00
Magnesite 6mm Red (Dyed) Round - 5-16 Inch
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$10.00
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$10.00
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$10.00
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$10.00
Magnesite is a soft mineral best known for being dyed to imitate other gemstones. Natural magnesite stones are usually white with a dark web-like p...
View full details
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$10.00
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$10.00
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$10.00
$10.00
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$10.00
Magnesite 8mm Red (Dyed) Round - 5-16 Inch
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$11.00
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$11.00
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$11.00
$11.00
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$11.00
Magnesite is a soft mineral best known for being dyed to imitate other gemstones. Natural magnesite stones are usually white with a dark web-like p...
View full details
Original price
$11.00
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$11.00
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$11.00
$11.00
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$11.00
About this cut
Cut name
Round
Drill style
Center-drilled
Typical sizes
8mm6mm4mm10mm3mm2mm12mm5mm
Stones in this cut
AgateJasperQuartzTurquoiseGarnetTourmalineMoonstoneOpalDZI AgateTiger EyeAmazoniteSapphire
Common uses
stretch braceletsmala and prayer-style strandsclassic beaded necklacesmulti-strand layered designsknotted silk or cord necklacesuniform color-block sections in mixed-cut workmen's beaded bracelets in 8mm and 10mm
Related cuts
Faceted Round, Microfaceted Round, Oval
Design notes
Round is the most forgiving cut to design around — predictable diameter, predictable drill, predictable drape. Scale by wrist or neck: 6mm and 8mm cover most adult bracelet work, 4mm reads delicate on a necklace, 10mm+ carries as statement scale. Rounds pair cleanly with faceted rondelles, heishi, or metal spacers when you want textural contrast without breaking the silhouette. For stones with strong pattern, smooth round shows the material better than the faceted-round sibling cut; for uniform-color stones, faceted rounds add sparkle the smooth cut can't.
Frequently asked questions
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What is a smooth round gemstone bead?
A round bead is a sphere cut from gemstone rough and polished smooth — no facets, no flat edges. Standard rounds are center-drilled straight through the bead so the hole runs pole-to-pole. The geometry makes them the most predictable cut to design with: they sit cleanly on flex wire, stack uniformly on stretch cord, and read as a clean color block without the light play of a faceted surface. Rounds are typically calibrated to nominal sizes (4mm, 6mm, 8mm) within standard trade tolerances, though softer or more fractured stones can vary a half-millimeter strand to strand. -
What sizes does Dakota stock in round?
Round is Dakota's deepest cut by volume. Current stock concentrates in 8mm (554 strands), 6mm (477), 4mm (353), and 10mm (342) — the four sizes that cover most beaded jewelry work. Smaller 2mm and 3mm rounds (54 and 140 strands) work for accent spacers and fine-gauge stringing. 12mm (50) and 5mm (28) are stocked in narrower stone selections. Sizes are nominal; actual diameter can run ±0.3mm depending on the stone and lot, so for tight calibration work pull from a single strand where possible. -
What stones come in round cut?
Almost every stone Dakota carries is available as round somewhere in the range. The deepest selections are agate (195 strands across varieties), jasper (149), quartz (134 — clear, smoky, rose, rutilated, and more), and turquoise (107). Garnet (68), tourmaline (64), moonstone (58), opal (55), DZI agate (53), and tiger eye (48) all hold meaningful stock. Less common stones may only appear in one or two sizes — if you need a specific stone-size pairing, filter the collection or check the size tags on individual products before ordering. -
What jewelry work are round beads best for?
Rounds are the default cut for stretch bracelets, mala-style strands, classic beaded necklaces, and anywhere you want the stone's color and pattern to read without faceted sparkle. They sit predictably next to metal spacers, knot cleanly between cord, and don't catch on fabric the way faceted edges can. 6mm and 8mm are the workhorse sizes for adult bracelets; 4mm suits layered necklaces and children's pieces; 10mm and 12mm carry as statement strands or focal sections. For mixed-cut designs, smooth rounds pair well with faceted rondelles or heishi as a textural counterpoint. -
Smooth round vs faceted round — how do I choose?
Smooth rounds emphasize the stone itself — color, pattern, inclusions, chatoyancy. Faceted rounds (a separate cut in the catalog) cut small flat planes across the sphere to add light return, which reads as sparkle but slightly mutes the underlying pattern. For stones with strong figure — ocean jasper, dendritic agate, picture jasper, moss agate — smooth round shows the material better. For uniformly colored stones — garnet, amethyst, smoky quartz — faceted rounds add visible movement. Both drill the same way, so they swap cleanly in a design if you want to test the difference on a sample strand.