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.
Shungite 8mm Round 15-16 Inch
Original price
$29.00
-
Original price
$29.00
Original price
$29.00
$29.00
-
$29.00
Shungite is a black, lustrous, non-crystalline mineraloid consisting of a high percentage of carbon. It was first found in a deposit near Shunga vi...
View full details
Original price
$29.00
-
Original price
$29.00
Original price
$29.00
$29.00
-
$29.00
Carnelian 10mm Round - 8-Inch
Original price
$10.00
-
Original price
$10.00
Original price
$10.00
$10.00
-
$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
Original price
$10.00
-
Original price
$10.00
Original price
$10.00
$10.00
-
$10.00
Amethyst 4mm Round - 8-Inch
Original price
$10.00
-
Original price
$10.00
Original price
$10.00
$10.00
-
$10.00
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
$10.00
-
Original price
$10.00
Original price
$10.00
$10.00
-
$10.00
Amazonite 8mm Round Large Hole 8-Inch
Original price
$14.00
-
Original price
$14.00
Original price
$14.00
$14.00
-
$14.00
Amazonite is a member of the feldspar family, Amazonite, also known as Amazon Stone, ranges in color from blue-green to green. It is an opaque ston...
View full details
Original price
$14.00
-
Original price
$14.00
Original price
$14.00
$14.00
-
$14.00
Dumorterite 8mm Round 8-Inch
Original price
$8.00
-
Original price
$8.00
Original price
$8.00
$8.00
-
$8.00
Dumortierite is an aluminum borosilicate mineral that varies in color from blue, green and brown to the more rare violet and pink. First described ...
View full details
Original price
$8.00
-
Original price
$8.00
Original price
$8.00
$8.00
-
$8.00
Dog Teeth Amethyst 8mm Round - 8-Inch
Original price
$9.00
-
Original price
$9.00
Original price
$9.00
$9.00
-
$9.00
Dog Teeth Amethyst has a purple and white striped appearance due to its combination of Amethyst and White Quartz. The name derives from the recurri...
View full details
Original price
$9.00
-
Original price
$9.00
Original price
$9.00
$9.00
-
$9.00
Rose Quartz 8mm Round 8-Inch
Original price
$9.00
-
Original price
$9.00
Original price
$9.00
$9.00
-
$9.00
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
$9.00
-
Original price
$9.00
Original price
$9.00
$9.00
-
$9.00
Green Aventurine (AAA) 8mm Round 8-Inch
Original price
$11.00
-
Original price
$11.00
Original price
$11.00
$11.00
-
$11.00
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
$11.00
-
Original price
$11.00
Original price
$11.00
$11.00
-
$11.00
Rose Quartz 8mm Large Hole Round - 8-Inch
Original price
$12.00
-
Original price
$12.00
Original price
$12.00
$12.00
-
$12.00
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
Chakra Banded Mixed Stone 8mm Round 15-16 Inch
Original price
$20.00
-
Original price
$20.00
Original price
$20.00
$20.00
-
$20.00
Our Chakra strands are comprised of Amethyst, Lapis, Blue Apatite, Green Aventurine, Citrine, Carnelian, Red Garnet and Crystal Quartz.Amethyst is ...
View full details
Original price
$20.00
-
Original price
$20.00
Original price
$20.00
$20.00
-
$20.00
Cacoxenite 8mm Round 15-16 Inch
Original price
$25.00
-
Original price
$25.00
Original price
$25.00
$25.00
-
$25.00
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
$25.00
-
Original price
$25.00
Original price
$25.00
$25.00
-
$25.00
Rose Quartz 6mm Round - 8-Inch
Original price
$8.00
-
Original price
$8.00
Original price
$8.00
$8.00
-
$8.00
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
$8.00
-
Original price
$8.00
Original price
$8.00
$8.00
-
$8.00
Red Tiger Eye 8mm Round Large Hole 8-Inch
Original price
$12.00
-
Original price
$12.00
Original price
$12.00
$12.00
-
$12.00
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 ...
View full details
Original price
$12.00
-
Original price
$12.00
Original price
$12.00
$12.00
-
$12.00
Tiger Eye 8mm Round Large Hole 8-Inch
Original price
$12.00
-
Original price
$12.00
Original price
$12.00
$12.00
-
$12.00
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 ...
View full details
Original price
$12.00
-
Original price
$12.00
Original price
$12.00
$12.00
-
$12.00
African Turquoise 8mm Round - 8-Inch
Original price
$8.00
-
Original price
$8.00
Original price
$8.00
$8.00
-
$8.00
African Turquoise is not actually Turquoise, but rather a speckled teal Jasper found in Africa and often treated to simulate the beautiful blue-gre...
View full details
Original price
$8.00
-
Original price
$8.00
Original price
$8.00
$8.00
-
$8.00
White Howlite 8mm Round - 8-Inch
Original price
$8.00
-
Original price
$8.00
Original price
$8.00
$8.00
-
$8.00
White Howlite is named for Canadian mineralogist Henry How, who first discovered the stone in Southern California in 1868. It is typically white or...
View full details
Original price
$8.00
-
Original price
$8.00
Original price
$8.00
$8.00
-
$8.00
MATTE Bloodstone 8mm Large Hole Round - 8-Inch
Original price
$14.00
-
Original price
$14.00
Original price
$14.00
$14.00
-
$14.00
Bloodstone most commonly refers to green Jasper with red inclusions consisting of Hematite. Naturally occurring in hues of blue-green to green with...
View full details
Original price
$14.00
-
Original price
$14.00
Original price
$14.00
$14.00
-
$14.00
Sodalite 8mm Round - 8-Inch
Original price
$8.00
-
Original price
$8.00
Original price
$8.00
$8.00
-
$8.00
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
$8.00
-
Original price
$8.00
Original price
$8.00
$8.00
-
$8.00
Blue Apatite 6mm Round 8-Inch
Original price
$14.00
-
Original price
$14.00
Original price
$14.00
$14.00
-
$14.00
Blue Apatite ranges in color from light teal-blue to bright blue to dark blue-green. It can be easily confused with other minerals due to its varie...
View full details
Original price
$14.00
-
Original price
$14.00
Original price
$14.00
$14.00
-
$14.00
Carnelian 4mm Round 8-Inch
Original price
$6.00
-
Original price
$6.00
Original price
$6.00
$6.00
-
$6.00
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
Original price
$6.00
-
Original price
$6.00
Original price
$6.00
$6.00
-
$6.00
Yellow Jade 8mm Large Hole Round - 8-Inch
Original price
$12.00
-
Original price
$12.00
Original price
$12.00
$12.00
-
$12.00
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 to...
View full details
Original price
$12.00
-
Original price
$12.00
Original price
$12.00
$12.00
-
$12.00
White Howlite 6mm Round - 8-Inch
Original price
$8.00
-
Original price
$8.00
Original price
$8.00
$8.00
-
$8.00
White Howlite is named for Canadian mineralogist Henry How, who first discovered the stone in Southern California in 1868. It is typically white or...
View full details
Original price
$8.00
-
Original price
$8.00
Original price
$8.00
$8.00
-
$8.00
Dog Teeth Amethyst 8mm Round Large Hole 8-Inch
Original price
$13.00
-
Original price
$13.00
Original price
$13.00
$13.00
-
$13.00
Dog Teeth Amethyst has a purple and white striped appearance due to its combination of Amethyst and White Quartz. The name derives from the recurri...
View full details
Original price
$13.00
-
Original price
$13.00
Original price
$13.00
$13.00
-
$13.00
Aquamarine 8mm Large Hole Round - 8-inch
Original price
$16.00
-
Original price
$16.00
Original price
$16.00
$16.00
-
$16.00
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
$16.00
-
Original price
$16.00
Original price
$16.00
$16.00
-
$16.00
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
-
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.