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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.

Heliodor 10mm Round Green - 15-16 Inch

Original price $41.00 - Original price $41.00
Original price $41.00
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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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Tektite Natural 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $149.00 - Original price $149.00
Original price $149.00
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Current price $149.00
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Tektite is a natural glass formed by meteorite collisions with Earth. When moving through the Earth’s atmosphere, a meteorite builds up heat that i...

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Aquamarine Green Yellow Mix Natural 12mm Round - 15-16 Inch - CLEARANCE

Original price $69.00 - Original price $69.00
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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...

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Mica 8mm Round Green - 15-16 inch

Original price $20.00 - Original price $20.00
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Mica is a mineral name given to a group of minerals that are physically and chemically similar. They are all silicate minerals, known as sheet sil...

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Birds Eye Rhyolite 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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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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Mexican Red Snowflake Jasper 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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Mexican Red Snowflake Jasper is a naturally occurring Jasper with deep red, bright red, pink and golden mottling and spots within the primarily bla...

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Porcelain Jasper 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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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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Pink Rhodochrosite With Matrix 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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Rhodochrosite is a bubblegum pink to rose red stone, with occasional inclusions of creamy white and dark grey. A manganese carbonate material of th...

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Green Tsavorite Garnet 7.5mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $51.00 - Original price $51.00
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Garnets are a group of silicate minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives. All species of garnets possess simila...

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Dendritic Green Opal 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $38.00 - Original price $38.00
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This variety of opal is named "dendritic" for the small inclusions within it that resemble moss or ferns. These inclusions consist of iron, mangane...

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Ruby Zoisite 6mm Round Faceted - Large Hole Beads

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Ruby Zoisite occurs naturally when small Ruby crystals become embedded within Zoisite. The Ruby inclusions in this stone are pink to reddish purple...

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Ruby and Sapphire 8mm Faceted Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $80.00 - Original price $80.00
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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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Emerald 3mm Faceted Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $30.00 - Original price $30.00
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Emerald is one of the four “precious” gemstones, the others being Diamond, Ruby and Sapphire. It is the green form of Beryl, colored by trace amoun...

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African Jade with Quartz 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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West African Jade is a complex Calcium Aluminum Silicate and is a Nephrite Jade. Its bright green coloration is due to traces of chromium. Metaphys...

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Larimar 8mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $144.00 - Original price $144.00
Original price $144.00
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Current price $144.00
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Larimar is a translucent blue, turquoise and white stone that can have streaks and patterns of white, as well as red or brown either from oxidation...

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Hubei Turquoise Multi 3mm Round Faceted - 15-16 Inch

Original price $25.00 - Original price $25.00
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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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Multi Spinel 3mm Round Banded Faceted - 13 Inch

Original price $32.00 - Original price $32.00
Original price $32.00
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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...

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Black Gold Amazonite 6mm Faceted Round Banded - 15-16 Inch

Original price $18.00 - Original price $18.00
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Black Gold Amazonite is a member of the Feldspar family and varies in hue from robin’s egg blue to blue-green to black, occasionally mingled with r...

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African Blood Stone 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
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Bloodstone most commonly refers to green Jasper with red inclusions consisting of Hematite. Naturally occuring in hues of blue to green to green wi...

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Russian Amazonite 8mm Round AA Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $54.00 - Original price $54.00
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Russian Amazonite is a translucent blue to green to green or light green stone, occurring with inclusions of white, black or yellow. It is named fo...

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Selenite 10mm Round AA Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $22.00 - Original price $22.00
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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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Copper Sunstone 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $14.00 - Original price $14.00
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Sunstone, a variety of Feldspar, is aptly named for its shades of gold, orange, red and brown, as well as its iridescent sparkle. As the stone catc...

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Black Lepidolite 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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A particularly soft stone, Lepidolite has a glassy or lustrous sheen. It is the most abundant lithium-bearing mineral as well as a significant sour...

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Blue Opal 4mm Microfaceted Round - 15-16 Inch

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Blue Peruvian Opal naturally occurs with swirling patterns of deep blues, blue to greens and greens swirled with yellow to green, rust, brown and o...

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Mookaite 8mm Round - 8-Inch

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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...

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Magnesite (Dyed) Hot Pink 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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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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Magnesite (Dyed) Purple 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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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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Wampum Shell 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $137.00 - Original price $137.00
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Wampum is made from one of the hardest and most beautiful shells in the world: the Northern Quahog, a clam found along the New England coast. The w...

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Rainbow Obsidian 10mm Round - 15-16 inch

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Rainbow Obsidian earned its name from the chatoyant, rainbow effect of light refracting off of the air bubbles inside of the stone. Like all obsidi...

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Sapphire 4mm Faceted Round A Grade - 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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Emerald 3mm Round Faceted AAA Grade - 15-16 Inch

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Emerald is one of the four “precious” gemstones, the others being Diamond, Ruby and Sapphire. It is the green form of Beryl, colored by trace amoun...

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Poppy Jasper 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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Jasper has a long and illustrious history, having been worn by shamans, priests and kings and believed to be a powerful protection stone. Ancient E...

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Fluorite 10mm 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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Blue Lace Agate 10mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch

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Blue Lace Agate is a naturally occurring soft blue agate, laced with bands or swirls of brighter blue, periwinkle, white and occasionally gray or b...

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Wampum Shell 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $132.00 - Original price $132.00
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Current price $132.00
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Wampum is made from one of the hardest and most beautiful shells in the world: the Northern Quahog, a clam found along the New England coast. The w...

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Wood Rhodonite 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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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...

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Green Imperial Jasper 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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Imperial Jasper occurs naturally in a beautiful range of colors including pinks, mossy greens, burgundy and milky white, with striking patterns of ...

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African Petrified Wood Agate 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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Petrified Wood Agate is formed from the petrifaction process of primeval trees over the course of many years. Petrification occurs when the wood is...

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Gold Rutilated Quartz 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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Rutilated Quartz is a silicon dioxide mineral with unique needle to like inclusions of Rutile. These “needles” usually appear golden, but can also ...

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Banded Mixed Beryl (Morganite) 10mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch

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A relatively rare silicate mineral found in igneous and metamorphic rocks around the world, Beryl is generally clear, while its variations in color...

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Blue Moonstone with Black Dot 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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Moonstone naturally occurs in a broad spectrum of colors, but is most commonly associated with white, gray and peach. It's soft chatoyancy is remin...

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Black Tourmaline 10mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch

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Black Tourmaline is a black crystalline aluminum borosilicate mineral with occasional light gray inclusions that appear as flecks or veins. Tourmal...

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Elephant Skin Jasper 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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Elephant Skin Jasper, also known as Calligraphy Stone or Miriam Stone, features intricate light brown patterns on dark brown stones. Each stone is ...

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Green Garnet 8mm Round Banded - 15-16 Inch

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Green Garnet can be among the most valuable of garnets, which come in a variety of colors. Occurring in sizes ranging from a grain of sand to the s...

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Tanzanite 4mm Microfaceted Round - 15-16 Inch

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Tanzanite is both extremely rare and extremely attractive, and we offer it when we can.

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Atlantisite Stichtite 10mm 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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Blue Goldstone 4mm Microfaceted Round - 15-16 Inch

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Blue Goldstone is an opaque, midnight blue glass with flecks of copper suspended within it. These flecks glitter as they catch the light and may ap...

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Goldstone 4mm Microfaceted Round - 15-16 Inch

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Goldstone is a manmade material, consisting of opaque rust to red glass with tiny flecks of glittering copper suspended within it. Goldstone was fi...

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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.