Discovered in the 1940s, charoite beads raise eyebrows with their lantern-like fancy rondelle shape and sizes of 7.5x6.5-13x7.5mm. These 18-inch strands include 60 pieces of this stunning purple gem, which was officially described in the late 1970s after years of speculation. While some sources claim it was named after Russia's Chara River, others believe it was inspired by the Russian word for "charms" or "magic."
