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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.

Kunzite 4mm Round Faceted AA Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $32.00 - Original price $32.00
Original price $32.00
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Current price $32.00
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Kunzite was named after a former Tiffany & Co. vice president, famed mineralogist and jeweler George Frederick Kunz, who first catalogued the s...

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Magnesite (Dyed) Blue 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $12.00 - Original price $12.00
Original price $12.00
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Current price $12.00
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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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Blood Quartz 10mm Round Grade A 15-16 Inch

Original price $30.00 - Original price $30.00
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Current price $30.00
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Everything you loved about Blood Quartz is magnified in the A-Grade version of the material. The quality and transparency of the Quartz almost make...

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Amazonite 10mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $31.00 - Original price $31.00
Original price $31.00
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Current price $31.00
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Brazilian Amazonite is an opaque blue to green to light green stone, often occurring with inclusions of white, yellow or gray and occasionally tran...

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Red Tiger Iron 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $19.00 - Original price $19.00
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Current price $19.00
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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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Kyanite Multi 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $16.00 - Original price $16.00
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Current price $16.00
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Kyanite often occurs as long, bladed, striated crystals, transparent or translucent with a pearly luster. An aluminum silicate mineral, it may appe...

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Madagascar Green Dendritic Opal 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $20.00 - Original price $20.00
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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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Astrophyllite 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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Astrophyllite is a very rare, brown to golden-yellow hydrous potassium iron titanium silicate mineral. Astrophyllite gets its name from the Greek w...

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Astrophyllite 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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Astrophyllite is a very rare, brown to golden-yellow hydrous potassium iron titanium silicate mineral. Astrophyllite gets its name from the Greek w...

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

Original price $36.00 - Original price $36.00
Original price $36.00
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Current price $36.00
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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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Green Angelite Cat's Eye 12mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $36.00 - Original price $36.00
Original price $36.00
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Current price $36.00
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Cat’s Eye is a quartz stone that appears in a range of colors including white, gray, green, yellow and brown. The fibrous asbestos inclusions in th...

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Yellow Green Banded Tourmaline 3mm Faceted Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $32.00 - Original price $32.00
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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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Rhodonite with Matrix 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $14.00 - Original price $14.00
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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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Crystal Quartz 4mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $18.00 - Original price $18.00
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Crystal Quartz is a naturally occurring clear and colorless Quartz. It is a crystalline form of Quartz said to have many divine properties includin...

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Eagle Eye Stone 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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Similar to Tiger's Eye, this gemstone in its polished state looks like what it would be like to capture smoke in a stone -- bottomless black mixed ...

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Red Black Super Seven 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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Super 7, also known as Melody's Stone, is a rare, naturally occurring rock composed of seven specific minerals: amethyst, clear quartz, smoky quart...

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Mookaite 4mm Round - 8-Inch

Original price $8.00 - Original price $8.00
Original price $8.00
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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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Lemurian Aquatine Calcite 8mm Round - 8-Inch

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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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Pietersite 8mm Round - 8-Inch

Original price $15.00 - Original price $15.00
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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...

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Magnesite (Dyed) Turquoise Blue 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $12.00 - Original price $12.00
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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) Green 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
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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) Lime Green 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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Glass Evil Eye White with Sky Blue 8mm Round - 14-15 Inch

Original price $11.00 - Original price $11.00
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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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Noreena Jasper 8mm Round - 15-16 inch

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Noreena Jasper is a silicified pelite or mudstone mined in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. It is known for its abstract designs in rusty r...

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Agua Nueva Agate 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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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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Selenite 10mm Round Lime Pink (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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New Jade 12mm Round - 8-Inch Strands

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Jade is the industry name for this beautiful green stone. Ours is actually a Serpentine, but takes a trained eye and a microscope to discern the di...

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Black Obsidian 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $9.00 - Original price $9.00
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Original price $9.00 - Original price $9.00
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Russian Amazonite 6mm Round AA Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $31.00 - Original price $31.00
Original price $31.00
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Current price $31.00
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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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Blue Kyanite 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $67.00 - Original price $67.00
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Current price $67.00
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Kyanite often occurs as long, bladed, striated crystals, transparent or translucent with a pearly luster. An aluminum silicate mineral, it may appe...

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Mixed Dark Lepidocrocite 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $27.00 - Original price $27.00
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An iron oxide-hydroxide mineral, Lepidocrocite forms when iron-containing substances rust underwater. It is commonly found in the weathering of pri...

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Madagascar Dendiritc Green Opal 10mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $27.00 - Original price $27.00
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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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Phosphosiderite 8mm Round AA Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $63.00 - Original price $63.00
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Phosphosiderite is a combination of phosphorus and iron. It occurs in hues of lilac to purple with inclusions of mottled gray. Metaphysically, it’s...

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Diopside 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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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...

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Aquamarine 8mm Round AAA Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $77.00 - Original price $77.00
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Current price $77.00
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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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Multi Spinel 3mm Faceted Round AA Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $28.00 - Original price $28.00
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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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Peach and Black Moonstone 4mm Microfaceted 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. Its soft chatoyancy is remins...

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Fluorite 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $19.00 - Original price $19.00
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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-afte...

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Chiastolite 16mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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Chiastolite is also known as the Cross Stone for the cross matrices of browns, blacks, tans and golden tones that occur naturally within the stone....

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Australian Chrysoprase AA 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $57.00 - Original price $57.00
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Chrysoprase is a bright apple green, translucent stone, whose color often caused ancient jewelers to confuse it with Emerald. A cryptocrystalline C...

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Tourmalated Quartz Green 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $23.00 - Original price $23.00
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Tourmalated Quartz is clear Quartz that has formed with Black Tourmaline. These needle to like black inclusions of Tourmaline are quite striking wi...

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Peach Moonstone 10mm Round Faceted A Grade - 15-16 Inch - CLEARANCE

Original price $42.00 - Original price $42.00
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Moonstone naturally occurs in a broad spectrum of colors, but is most commonly associated with white, gray and peach. Its soft chatoyancy is remins...

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Ametrine 10mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch

Original price $43.00 - Original price $43.00
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Ametrine is quartz that occurs in bands of purple and yellow. As the name suggests, it is a combination of Amethyst and Citrine. The different colo...

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Australian Chrysoprase 10mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch

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Chrysoprase is a bright apple green, translucent stone, whose color often caused ancient jewelers to confuse it with Emerald. A cryptocrystalline C...

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Rainbow Ocean Agate 8mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch

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Original price $25.00 - Original price $25.00
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Madagascar Green Dendritic Opal 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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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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Silver Grey Mixed Moonstone 10mm 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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Plum Tourmaline 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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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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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.