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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.

Products: 1502

Ruby Zoisite 4mm Round 15-16 Inch

Original price $13.00 - Original price $13.00
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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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Madre de Cacao 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $9.00 - Original price $9.00
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Madre de Cacao is a very hard tropical wood with a visible grain. This species is formally identified as Gliricidia sepium and can be found by diff...

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Golden Rhutilated Quartz A 3mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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Peruvian Rhodochrosite 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $7.00 - Original price $7.00
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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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Original price $7.00 - Original price $7.00
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Pietersite 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $38.00 - Original price $38.00
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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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Original price $38.00 - Original price $38.00
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Obicular Jasper 6mm Round - 15-16 inch

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Lapis 2mm Round 15-16 Inch

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Lapis is a semi-precious stone and one of the most sought after throughout history. It is highly regarded for its beautiful blue color flecked with...

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Green Lodalite Quartz 6mm 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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Large Hole

Amethyst 6mm Round - Large Hole Beads

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

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Rosewood 10mm Round Bead - 15-16 Inch

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Rosewood is a hardwood found in the Phillipines. The soft, blush color is deceptive, this wood variety is so hard that it is often used in heavy co...

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Ruby 3mm Round Faceted A Grade - 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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Citrine 8mm Faceted Round - 15-16 Inch

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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...

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Hematite White Silver Plated 2mm Faceted 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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Moonstone 6mm Round Mixed - 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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Golden Obsidian 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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Golden Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass, shiny black with a golden sheen. Obsidian is produced when lava erupts from a volcano and ...

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Large Hole

Black Gold Amazonite 6mm Round Large Hole Beads - 8 Inch

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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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Large Hole

Golden Obsidian Natural 6mm Round Large Hole Beads - 8 Inch

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Golden Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass, shiny black with a golden sheen. Obsidian is produced when lava erupts from a volcano and ...

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DZI Agate 6mm Round Watermelon Black/White - 15-16 Inch

Original price $13.00 - Original price $13.00
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These Dakota Stones "DZI" style agate beads are made to resemble beads first found in India between 1000 and 2000 BCE. These reproductions are desi...

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Original price $13.00 - Original price $13.00
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Green Lodalite Quartz 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $24.00 - Original price $24.00
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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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Original price $24.00 - Original price $24.00
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Kunzite 6mm Round Mixed - 15-16 Inch

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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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Large Hole

Wood Rhodonite 6mm Round Large Hole Beads - 8 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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Bayong 6mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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Bayong is a hardwood native to the Philippines with a natural red-brown color, and is similar to Mahogany.Like all of Dakota Stones items, our wood...

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DZI Agate 6mm Round Black Line Pattern - 15-16 Inch

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These Dakota Stones "DZI" style agate beads are made to resemble beads first found in India between 1000 and 2000 BCE. These reproductions are desi...

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Original price $13.00 - Original price $13.00
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Rocky Butte 6mm Faceted Round - 15-16 Inch

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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...

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Pietersite 6mm Round 15-16 Inch

Original price $21.00 - Original price $21.00
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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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Original price $21.00 - Original price $21.00
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Aquamarine 4mm Faceted Round AAA Grade Beads - 15-16 Inch

Original price $28.00 - Original price $28.00
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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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Citrine 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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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...

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Original price $28.00 - Original price $28.00
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Dendritic Black Opal 6mm 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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Cubic Zirconia (CZ) Lavender 3mm Round Faceted - 15-16 Inch

Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
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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...

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

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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...

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Black Spinel 5mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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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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Hematite White Silver Plated 4mm Round 15-16 Inch

Original price $13.00 - Original price $13.00
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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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Original price $13.00 - Original price $13.00
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River Stone 8mm 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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Large Hole

Opalite Large Hole 10mm Round - 8-inch

Original price $14.00 - Original price $14.00
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Opalite is the trade name for man to made glass treated to exhibit the internal flashes of true Opals in translucent samples, and opalescence or lu...

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DZI Agate 8mm Round Watermelon Black/White - 15-16 Inch

Original price $14.00 - Original price $14.00
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Current price $14.00

These Dakota Stones "DZI" style agate beads are made to resemble beads first found in India between 1000 and 2000 BCE. These reproductions are desi...

View full details
Original price $14.00 - Original price $14.00
Original price $14.00
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Current price $14.00

Citrine 8mm Round 15-16 Inch

Original price $64.00 - Original price $64.00
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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...

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Original price $64.00 - Original price $64.00
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Mixed Stone 4mm Round 15-16 Inch

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Moss Agate 6mm Round 15-16 Inch

Original price $12.00 - Original price $12.00
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Moss Agate is a variety of Chalcedony, clear to milky white to dark green, with inclusions that appear in patterns similar to moss or lichen. The i...

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Citrine 3mm Round Faceted - 15-16 Inch

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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...

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Original price $15.00 - Original price $15.00
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Hematite Pyrite Color Plated 2mm Faceted Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
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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...

View full details
Original price $10.00 - Original price $10.00
Original price $10.00
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Australian Boulder Opal 4mm Faceted Round - 15-16 Inch

Original price $28.00 - Original price $28.00
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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...

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Large Hole

Rhodonite Large Hole 10mm Round - 8-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 (...

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Original price $14.00 - Original price $14.00
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Large Hole

Larvikite 8mm Faceted Round Large Hole - 8-inch

Original price $13.00 - Original price $13.00
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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...

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Larimar with Matrix 8mm Round Beads - 15-16 Inch

Original price $48.00 - Original price $48.00
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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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Large Hole

Amethyst 8mm Round Large Hole Beads - 8 Inch

Original price $18.00 - Original price $18.00
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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 ...

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Original price $18.00 - Original price $18.00
Original price $18.00
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Current price $18.00

Red Creek Jasper 8mm Round - 15-16 inch

Original price $14.00 - Original price $14.00
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Red Creek Jasper is named for the Red River in china where the stone was recently discovered. Its colors include burnt red, mustard yellow, olive g...

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African Jade (A) 10mm Round 15-16 Inch

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

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Blue Chalcedony (Marbled) 6mm Round 15-16 Inch

Original price $26.00 - Original price $26.00
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Blue Chalcedony is a naturally occurring soft blue translucent stone. It is a member of the Quartz family, a form of silica with a cryptocrystallin...

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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.