Skip to content

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.

Black Spinel 3mm Faceted Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $11.00 - Original price $11.00
Original price $11.00
$11.00 - $11.00
Current price $11.00
Login for wholesale

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 details
Original price $11.00 - Original price $11.00
Original price $11.00
$11.00 - $11.00
Current price $11.00
Login for wholesale

Black Spinel 4mm Faceted Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $15.00 - Original price $15.00
Original price $15.00
$15.00 - $15.00
Current price $15.00
Login for wholesale

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 details
Original price $15.00 - Original price $15.00
Original price $15.00
$15.00 - $15.00
Current price $15.00
Login for wholesale

Yellow Jade 8mm Faceted Large Hole Round - 8-Inch

Original price $13.00 - Original price $13.00
Original price $13.00
$13.00 - $13.00
Current price $13.00
Login for wholesale

Yellow Jade is not actually Jade, but a form of natural Serpentine which is commonly referred to as Yellow Jade in the stone industry. This semi-tr...

View full details
Original price $13.00 - Original price $13.00
Original price $13.00
$13.00 - $13.00
Current price $13.00
Login for wholesale

Rose Quartz 8mm Faceted Round - 8-Inch

Original price $11.00 - Original price $11.00
Original price $11.00
$11.00 - $11.00
Current price $11.00
Login for wholesale

Rose Quartz is a silicon dioxide crystal and one of the most common varieties of the Quartz family. It is a translucent to transparent stone with a...

View full details
Original price $11.00 - Original price $11.00
Original price $11.00
$11.00 - $11.00
Current price $11.00
Login for wholesale

Mixed Stone 8mm Large Hole Faceted Round - 8-Inch

Original price $13.00 - Original price $13.00
Original price $13.00
$13.00 - $13.00
Current price $13.00
Login for wholesale

Original price $13.00 - Original price $13.00
Original price $13.00
$13.00 - $13.00
Current price $13.00
Login for wholesale

Jade 8mm Faceted Round Large Hole 8-Inch

Original price $18.00 - Original price $18.00
Original price $18.00
$18.00 - $18.00
Current price $18.00
Login for wholesale

Jade refers to an ornamental mineral, mostly known for its green varieties. Our Jade is one of two mineral varieties -- nephrite, a silicate of cal...

View full details
Original price $18.00 - Original price $18.00
Original price $18.00
$18.00 - $18.00
Current price $18.00
Login for wholesale

Onyx 6mm Round Faceted 8-Inch

Original price $9.00 - Original price $9.00
Original price $9.00
$9.00 - $9.00
Current price $9.00
Login for wholesale

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 details
Original price $9.00 - Original price $9.00
Original price $9.00
$9.00 - $9.00
Current price $9.00
Login for wholesale

Green Aventurine (AAA) 8mm Faceted Round - 8-Inch

Original price $13.00 - Original price $13.00
Original price $13.00
$13.00 - $13.00
Current price $13.00
Login for wholesale

Green Aventurine is a green translucent quartz with glimmering metallic inclusions. Green is the most common color for Aventurine, but it can also ...

View full details
Original price $13.00 - Original price $13.00
Original price $13.00
$13.00 - $13.00
Current price $13.00
Login for wholesale

Lapis 8mm Round Faceted Large Hole Bead 8-Inch

Original price $24.00 - Original price $24.00
Original price $24.00
$24.00 - $24.00
Current price $24.00
Login for wholesale

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 details
Original price $24.00 - Original price $24.00
Original price $24.00
$24.00 - $24.00
Current price $24.00
Login for wholesale

Aquamarine 8mm Faceted Large Hole Round - 8-inch

Original price $17.00 - Original price $17.00
Original price $17.00
$17.00 - $17.00
Current price $17.00
Login for wholesale

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 details
Original price $17.00 - Original price $17.00
Original price $17.00
$17.00 - $17.00
Current price $17.00
Login for wholesale

Rose Quartz 6mm Faceted Round 8-Inch

Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
$10.00 - $10.00
Current price $10.00
Login for wholesale

Rose Quartz is a silicon dioxide crystal and one of the most common varieties of the Quartz family. It is a translucent to transparent stone with a...

View full details
Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
$10.00 - $10.00
Current price $10.00
Login for wholesale

Sunset Dumortierite 10mm Large Hole Faceted Round - 8-Inch

Original price $17.00 - Original price $17.00
Original price $17.00
$17.00 - $17.00
Current price $17.00
Login for wholesale

Sunset Dumortierite has a much brighter palette than regular Dumortierite, from light blue to lapis blue to cobalt, as well as some occurrences of ...

View full details
Original price $17.00 - Original price $17.00
Original price $17.00
$17.00 - $17.00
Current price $17.00
Login for wholesale

Mixed Stone 6mm Round Faceted Large Hole Beads - 8 Inch

Original price $12.00 - Original price $12.00
Original price $12.00
$12.00 - $12.00
Current price $12.00
Login for wholesale

Stones will vary by inventory. Approximate Hole Diameter: 2mm

Original price $12.00 - Original price $12.00
Original price $12.00
$12.00 - $12.00
Current price $12.00
Login for wholesale

Mixed Stone 10mm Faceted Round Large Hole Bead 8-Inch

Original price $14.00 - Original price $14.00
Original price $14.00
$14.00 - $14.00
Current price $14.00
Login for wholesale

Original price $14.00 - Original price $14.00
Original price $14.00
$14.00 - $14.00
Current price $14.00
Login for wholesale

Rose Quartz 10mm Faceted Round - 8-Inch

Original price $12.00 - Original price $12.00
Original price $12.00
$12.00 - $12.00
Current price $12.00
Login for wholesale

Rose Quartz is a silicon dioxide crystal and one of the most common varieties of the Quartz family. It is a translucent to transparent stone with a...

View full details
Original price $12.00 - Original price $12.00
Original price $12.00
$12.00 - $12.00
Current price $12.00
Login for wholesale

Multi Banded Tourmaline 3mm Faceted Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $21.00 - Original price $21.00
Original price $21.00
$21.00 - $21.00
Current price $21.00
Login for wholesale

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 details
Original price $21.00 - Original price $21.00
Original price $21.00
$21.00 - $21.00
Current price $21.00
Login for wholesale

Cacoxenite Large Hole, Faceted 8mm Round - 8-inch

Original price $19.00 - Original price $19.00
Original price $19.00
$19.00 - $19.00
Current price $19.00
Login for wholesale

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 details
Original price $19.00 - Original price $19.00
Original price $19.00
$19.00 - $19.00
Current price $19.00
Login for wholesale

Cubic Zirconia (CZ) White 3mm Round Faceted - 15-16 Inch

Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
$10.00 - $10.00
Current price $10.00
Login for wholesale

Cubic Zirconia, abbreviated as CZ, is a lab-made form of zirconium dioxide. Made to resemble Diamonds, these stones offer the same beauty and spark...

View full details
Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
$10.00 - $10.00
Current price $10.00
Login for wholesale

Cubic Zirconia (CZ) Multi 3mm Round Faceted - 15-16 Inch

Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
$10.00 - $10.00
Current price $10.00
Login for wholesale

Cubic Zirconia, abbreviated as CZ, is a lab-made form of zirconium dioxide. Made to resemble Diamonds, these stones offer the same beauty and spark...

View full details
Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
$10.00 - $10.00
Current price $10.00
Login for wholesale

Citrine 5mm Faceted Round 15-16 Inch

Original price $28.00 - Original price $28.00
Original price $28.00
$28.00 - $28.00
Current price $28.00
Login for wholesale

Citrine is a transparent Quartz, ranging in color from pale yellow to golden yellow, honey or brown, giving it a similar appearance to Topaz. It ma...

View full details
Original price $28.00 - Original price $28.00
Original price $28.00
$28.00 - $28.00
Current price $28.00
Login for wholesale

Prehnite 3mm Round Faceted A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $12.00 - Original price $12.00
Original price $12.00
$12.00 - $12.00
Current price $12.00
Login for wholesale

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 details
Original price $12.00 - Original price $12.00
Original price $12.00
$12.00 - $12.00
Current price $12.00
Login for wholesale

Red Garnet 6mm Round Faceted 15-16 Inch

Original price $26.00 - Original price $26.00
Original price $26.00
$26.00 - $26.00
Current price $26.00
Login for wholesale

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 details
Original price $26.00 - Original price $26.00
Original price $26.00
$26.00 - $26.00
Current price $26.00
Login for wholesale

3mm Sapphire Faceted Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $31.00 - Original price $31.00
Original price $31.00
$31.00 - $31.00
Current price $31.00
Login for wholesale

Sapphires are precious gemstones, but unlike rubies, they come in a rainbow of colors besides red!  They are all varieties of the mineral corundum,...

View full details
Original price $31.00 - Original price $31.00
Original price $31.00
$31.00 - $31.00
Current price $31.00
Login for wholesale

Hematite Dark Gold Plated 2mm Faceted Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $12.00 - Original price $12.00
Original price $12.00
$12.00 - $12.00
Current price $12.00
Login for wholesale

Hematite is an iron oxide and one of the few gemstones with a metallic luster. When tumbled it can have the look of polished steel. Hematite is bla...

View full details
Original price $12.00 - Original price $12.00
Original price $12.00
$12.00 - $12.00
Current price $12.00
Login for wholesale

Hematite Dark Gold Plated 4mm Faceted Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $14.00 - Original price $14.00
Original price $14.00
$14.00 - $14.00
Current price $14.00
Login for wholesale

Hematite is an iron oxide and one of the few gemstones with a metallic luster. When tumbled it can have the look of polished steel. Hematite is bla...

View full details
Original price $14.00 - Original price $14.00
Original price $14.00
$14.00 - $14.00
Current price $14.00
Login for wholesale

Pink Tourmaline 4mm Round Faceted A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $24.00 - Original price $24.00
Original price $24.00
$24.00 - $24.00
Current price $24.00
Login for wholesale

Pink Tourmaline ranges in color from light pink to deep magenta, with inclusions of white to colorless translucent or transparent. Tourmaline occur...

View full details
Original price $24.00 - Original price $24.00
Original price $24.00
$24.00 - $24.00
Current price $24.00
Login for wholesale

Sodalite 4mm Faceted Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $17.00 - Original price $17.00
Original price $17.00
$17.00 - $17.00
Current price $17.00
Login for wholesale

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 details
Original price $17.00 - Original price $17.00
Original price $17.00
$17.00 - $17.00
Current price $17.00
Login for wholesale

Cubic Zirconia (CZ) Pink 3mm Round Faceted - 15-16 Inch

Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
$10.00 - $10.00
Current price $10.00
Login for wholesale

Cubic Zirconia, abbreviated as CZ, is a lab-made form of zirconium dioxide. Made to resemble Diamonds, these stones offer the same beauty and spark...

View full details
Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
$10.00 - $10.00
Current price $10.00
Login for wholesale

Amethyst 4mm Round Faceted A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $19.00 - Original price $19.00
Original price $19.00
$19.00 - $19.00
Current price $19.00
Login for wholesale

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 details
Original price $19.00 - Original price $19.00
Original price $19.00
$19.00 - $19.00
Current price $19.00
Login for wholesale

Rhodonite Large Hole Faceted 8mm Round - 8-inch

Original price $14.00 - Original price $14.00
Original price $14.00
$14.00 - $14.00
Current price $14.00
Login for wholesale

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 details
Original price $14.00 - Original price $14.00
Original price $14.00
$14.00 - $14.00
Current price $14.00
Login for wholesale

Fossil Coral Large Hole Faceted 8mm Round - 8-inch

Original price $14.00 - Original price $14.00
Original price $14.00
$14.00 - $14.00
Current price $14.00
Login for wholesale

Fossil Coral is the prehistoric fossilized remains of the invertebrate reef builders that live in tropical oceans. Silica-rich waters create harden...

View full details
Original price $14.00 - Original price $14.00
Original price $14.00
$14.00 - $14.00
Current price $14.00
Login for wholesale

Crystal Quartz 8mm Round Faceted - 15-16 inch

Original price $24.00 - Original price $24.00
Original price $24.00
$24.00 - $24.00
Current price $24.00
Login for wholesale

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 details
Original price $24.00 - Original price $24.00
Original price $24.00
$24.00 - $24.00
Current price $24.00
Login for wholesale

Orange Garnet 3mm Round Faceted A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $11.00 - Original price $11.00
Original price $11.00
$11.00 - $11.00
Current price $11.00
Login for wholesale

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 details
Original price $11.00 - Original price $11.00
Original price $11.00
$11.00 - $11.00
Current price $11.00
Login for wholesale

Ruby 3mm Round Faceted A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $25.00 - Original price $25.00
Original price $25.00
$25.00 - $25.00
Current price $25.00
Login for wholesale

Ruby is a precious gemstone known for its deep red color. It is a variety of the mineral corundum, the second-hardest mineral next to diamond . The...

View full details
Original price $25.00 - Original price $25.00
Original price $25.00
$25.00 - $25.00
Current price $25.00
Login for wholesale

Citrine 8mm Faceted Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $58.00 - Original price $58.00
Original price $58.00
$58.00 - $58.00
Current price $58.00
Login for wholesale

Citrine is a transparent Quartz, ranging in color from pale yellow to golden yellow, honey or brown, giving it a similar appearance to Topaz. It ma...

View full details
Original price $58.00 - Original price $58.00
Original price $58.00
$58.00 - $58.00
Current price $58.00
Login for wholesale

Hematite White Silver Plated 2mm Faceted Round 15-16 Inch

Original price $12.00 - Original price $12.00
Original price $12.00
$12.00 - $12.00
Current price $12.00
Login for wholesale

Hematite is an iron oxide and one of the few gemstones with a metallic luster. When tumbled it can have the look of polished steel. Hematite is bla...

View full details
Original price $12.00 - Original price $12.00
Original price $12.00
$12.00 - $12.00
Current price $12.00
Login for wholesale

Rocky Butte 6mm Faceted Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $18.00 - Original price $18.00
Original price $18.00
$18.00 - $18.00
Current price $18.00
Login for wholesale

Rocky Butte Jasper is mined in Oregon and may have either dendritic or landscape qualities. It may also be called Rocky Butte Picture Jasper. The c...

View full details
Original price $18.00 - Original price $18.00
Original price $18.00
$18.00 - $18.00
Current price $18.00
Login for wholesale

Aquamarine Natural 4mm Faceted Round AAA Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $24.00 - Original price $24.00
Original price $24.00
$24.00 - $24.00
Current price $24.00
Login for wholesale

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 details
Original price $24.00 - Original price $24.00
Original price $24.00
$24.00 - $24.00
Current price $24.00
Login for wholesale

Cubic Zirconia (CZ) Lavender 3mm Round Faceted - 15-16 Inch

Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
$10.00 - $10.00
Current price $10.00
Login for wholesale

Cubic Zirconia, abbreviated as CZ, is a lab-made form of zirconium dioxide. Made to resemble Diamonds, these stones offer the same beauty and spark...

View full details
Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
$10.00 - $10.00
Current price $10.00
Login for wholesale

Cubic Zirconia (CZ) Purple 3mm Round Faceted - 15-16 Inch

Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
$10.00 - $10.00
Current price $10.00
Login for wholesale

Cubic Zirconia, abbreviated as CZ, is a lab-made form of zirconium dioxide. Made to resemble Diamonds, these stones offer the same beauty and spark...

View full details
Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
$10.00 - $10.00
Current price $10.00
Login for wholesale

Citrine 3mm Round Faceted - 15-16 Inch

Original price $15.00 - Original price $15.00
Original price $15.00
$15.00 - $15.00
Current price $15.00
Login for wholesale

Citrine is a transparent Quartz, ranging in color from pale yellow to golden yellow, honey or brown, giving it a similar appearance to Topaz. It ma...

View full details
Original price $15.00 - Original price $15.00
Original price $15.00
$15.00 - $15.00
Current price $15.00
Login for wholesale

Hematite Pyrite Color Plated 2mm Faceted Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
$10.00 - $10.00
Current price $10.00
Login for wholesale

Hematite is an iron oxide and one of the few gemstones with a metallic luster. When tumbled it can have the look of polished steel. Hematite is bla...

View full details
Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
$10.00 - $10.00
Current price $10.00
Login for wholesale

Australian Boulder Opal 4mm Faceted Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $28.00 - Original price $28.00
Original price $28.00
$28.00 - $28.00
Current price $28.00
Login for wholesale

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...

View full details
Original price $28.00 - Original price $28.00
Original price $28.00
$28.00 - $28.00
Current price $28.00
Login for wholesale

Sapphire 6mm Faceted Round 15-16 Inch

Original price $49.00 - Original price $49.00
Original price $49.00
$49.00 - $49.00
Current price $49.00
Login for wholesale

Sapphires are precious gemstones, but unlike rubies, they come in a rainbow of colors besides red!  They are all varieties of the mineral corundum,...

View full details
Original price $49.00 - Original price $49.00
Original price $49.00
$49.00 - $49.00
Current price $49.00
Login for wholesale

Larvikite 8mm Faceted Round Large Hole - 8-inch

Original price $13.00 - Original price $13.00
Original price $13.00
$13.00 - $13.00
Current price $13.00
Login for wholesale

The name originates from the town of Larvik, Norway where this type of igneous rock is found. Legend has it that it came to the world?s attention i...

View full details
Original price $13.00 - Original price $13.00
Original price $13.00
$13.00 - $13.00
Current price $13.00
Login for wholesale

Hematite Steel Plated 3mm Faceted Round 15-16 Inch

Original price $12.00 - Original price $12.00
Original price $12.00
$12.00 - $12.00
Current price $12.00
Login for wholesale

Hematite is an iron oxide and one of the few gemstones with a metallic luster. When tumbled it can have the look of polished steel. Hematite is bla...

View full details
Original price $12.00 - Original price $12.00
Original price $12.00
$12.00 - $12.00
Current price $12.00
Login for wholesale

Diopside 3mm Round Faceted AAA Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $37.00 - Original price $37.00
Original price $37.00
$37.00 - $37.00
Current price $37.00
Login for wholesale

Diopside is a calcium and magnesium silicate mineral. It is transparent or translucent, and can display a nearly emerald green color due to the pre...

View full details
Original price $37.00 - Original price $37.00
Original price $37.00
$37.00 - $37.00
Current price $37.00
Login for wholesale

Blue Apatite 4mm Faceted Round 15-16

Original price $15.00 - Original price $15.00
Original price $15.00
$15.00 - $15.00
Current price $15.00
Login for wholesale

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 details
Original price $15.00 - Original price $15.00
Original price $15.00
$15.00 - $15.00
Current price $15.00
Login for wholesale

About this cut

Round bead shape diagram
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

  • 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.