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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.

Selenite 8mm Round Rainbow (Dyed) - 15-16 Inch

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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...

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Hematite 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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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...

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Ruby Fuchsite Faceted 3mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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Ruby has long been considered one of the most beautiful and valuable gemstones on the planet. It is also one of the hardest, second only to Diamond...

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Pink Tourmaline 3mm Round Faceted A Grade - 15-16 Inch

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

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Red Jasper 3mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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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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Fluorite 6mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch

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Fluorite is a luminous, soft and glassy stone, sometimes referred to as “the most colorful mineral in the world.” It is one of the most sought to a...

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Australian Butter Jasper 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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The description, “buttery,” has been often applied to unlikely products, and it might be easy to understand why. “Butter” suggests qualities of smo...

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Hematoid Quartz Copper 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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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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Blue Apatite Multi 4mm Round Faceted - 15-16 Inch

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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...

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Azurite Malachite 8mm Round - 15-16 inch

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This stone is a combination of two very similar materials: Azurite is a deep blue mineral produced by weathered copper ore deposits, and over time,...

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Sage Agate 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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Distinctive for its purple-and-gray tones, Sage Agate forms in volcanish ash, and features dark manganese dendrites throughout. The stone can also ...

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Moonstone Banded 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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Rainbow Moonstone is named for its moon-like glow or chatoyancy, as well as a prismatic quality that differentiates it from other varieties of Moon...

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Labradorite 10mm Round Dark, A-Grade - 15-16 Inch

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Labradorite is remarkable for the way its aggregate layers refract light, creating iridescent flashes of blue, gold, pale green or copper red. This...

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Blue Apatite 8mm Round Faceted - 15-16 Inch

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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...

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Strawberry Quartz 8mm Round - Large Hole Beads

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Strawberry Quartz is a translucent, milky to pink silicon dioxide mineral. Its needle to like inclusions of hematite are iridescent red. Quartz has...

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Botswana Red Agate 8mm Round - Large Hole Beads

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Botswana Agate displays highly defined parallel banding, usually in white on hues of brown, gray, pink, tan, apricot and purplish red. Botswana Aga...

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DZI Eye Agate 6mm Round Brown - 15-16 Inch

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“DZI” Agate is made to resemble beads first found in India between 1000 and 2000 BCE. These reproductions are designed in the traditional color, pa...

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Cubic Zirconia (CZ) 3mm Round Emerald Green Faceted (Synthetic) - 15-16 Inch

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Zircon occurs in a variety of colors including yellow, green, red, reddish brown and blue hues, as well as colorless. Colorless Zircon of the highe...

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Hubei Turquoise 4mm Blue Matrix Round Faceted A Grade - 15-16 Inch

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Hubei Turquoise is sourced from Hubei Province in Northern China, one of the most recognized turquoise-producing regions in the world. This materia...

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Ruby Pink Purple Natural 6mm Faceted Round Banded - 15-16 Inch

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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...

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Cacoxenite 6mm Faceted Round Large Hole Beads - 8 Inch

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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...

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Biotite 6mm Round Orange - 15-16 Inch

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Biotite is a name used for a large group of black mica minerals that are commonly found in igneous and metamorphic rocks. These include annite, phl...

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Red Botswana Agate 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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Red Botswana Agate displays highly defined parallel banding, usually in white on hues of brown, gray, pink, tan, apricot and purplish red. Botswana...

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Blue Black Porcelain Agate 10mm Matte Round - 15-16 inch

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Porcelain Agate is a natural agate that is dyed and heated to give it the unique blue/black color and pattern that resembles porcelain.

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Mahogany Obsidian 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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Essentially a volcanic glass, Obsidian ranges in color from opaque black, to green, brown, mahogany, black with rainbow colors, black with snowflak...

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Red Tiger Iron 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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Composed mostly of tiger's eye, red jasper and black hematite, Tiger Iron has long been popular with jewelry-makers. The gold, silver, brown and re...

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Green and White Jade 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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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...

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Sodalite 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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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...

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Atlantisite Stichtite 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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Stichtite is a mineral, a carbonate of chromium and magnesium. Its color ranges from pink through lilac to a rich purple color. Discovered in 1910 ...

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Nangka 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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Nangka is the name commonly used in the Philippines for the Jackfruit Tree, which can be found throughout South and Southeast Asia. Its proper name...

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Mexican Black & Red Zebra Jasper 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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Mexican Black and Red Zebra Jasper has banded and marbled patterns of translucent to opaque milky white, black and red. Jasper has a long and illus...

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Green Lodalite Quartz 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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Green Lodolite is Quartz with inclusions of sand. These inclusions range broadly in type and color and produce patterns that can look like gardens....

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Jet 6mm Round - 15-16 inch

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Heliodor 8mm Round Green - 15-16 Inch

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Heliodor is a yellow, greenish yellow, or golden-yellow color of the mineral beryl. The yellowish colors of heliodor are usually caused by small am...

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Black Silver Leaf Jasper 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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Black Silverleaf Jasper is a rare form of Jasper, characterized by its color range of black, gray and white and its swirling, leafy patterns. It is...

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Prehnite with Rutilate 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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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...

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Mixed Lodalite Quartz 8mm Round - Large Hole Beads

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Mixed Lodolite is Quartz with inclusions of sand. These inclusions range broadly in type and color and produce patterns that can look like gardens....

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Lemurian Aquatine Calcite 8mm Round - Large Hole Beads

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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...

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Orange Garnet 8mm Round - Large Hole Beads

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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...

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Rainbow Obsidian 10mm Round - Large Hole Beads

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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...

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Red Garnet 6mm Round - Large Hole Beads

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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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Blue Marbled Quartz 8mm Round - Large Hole Beads

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Marbeled or Mosaic Quartz is a composite stone made with a combination of dyed quartz and bronzite stone remnants from the cutting process mixed wi...

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Red Hematoid Quartz 6mm Round AA Grade - 15-16 Inch

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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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DZI Line Agate 6mm Round Brown - 15-16 Inch

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“DZI” Agate is made to resemble beads first found in India between 1000 and 2000 BCE. These reproductions are designed in the traditional color, pa...

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Sapphire Flower Natural 3mm Faceted Round Banded - 15-16 Inch

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

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Sodalite 8mm Round 15-16 Inch

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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...

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MATTE River Stone 10mm Round 15-16 Inch

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River Stone is a form of limestone composed of quartz, calcium carbonate and other materials. Naturally beautiful, it offers a way to work a neutra...

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Black Eye Agate 10mm Round 15-16 Inch

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Black Eye Agate is a variety of Sardonyx which has a Sard base, typically of brown or black, with bands of white Onyx running through it. Sard is n...

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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.