Planning is always a good idea, but even more so when dealing with natural stones, such as autumn agate. As you can see in the picture, there are variations in the stones. And that's a good thing. That's one of the reasons people prefer natural beads. However, the majority of my beads are solid cream in color with faint brown swirls. One bead is a pinkish color. I decide on this one as my center bead. By doing this, it balances the bracelet and breaks up the monotony of a single color. Note that the difference in colors is not drastic - I'm aiming to keep this piece relatively neutral.
Along with color arrangement, remember your LINK standard bracelet sizes. The average wrist is approximately 7" around. To compensate for the clasp and loops used to close and attach the bracelet, I subtract about one inch from the length of the beads. That means the total length of my beads without findings is 6" inches. Get it? 7-1=6.

If you own a beading tray...lucky you. I actually don't own one. Instead, I usually lay things out on my table. Anyway, if you don't have one, you can string the beads on threads or thin wire and lay them across a ruler for measuring. Larger flat beads don't need to be strung but you may find it helpful.

Here's a suggestion for measuring: Place the center bead on your layout tool (table or tray). Place an accent bead on either side. Continue until you have 1) an even amout of beads on each side and 2) you reach the desired length of the bracelet.

Now that you have your design, you can begin building. In this case, I'm using bronze findings, but you can use whatever color you'd like. Stringing the beads is fairly easy. Depending on the size of your bead, you may end up using one pin per bead.
Thread the eye pin through the first bead. If necessary, clip the pin 1/2" from the bead. Using your round nose pliers, create a tight loop. You want to make the loop as small as possible, but still allows for proper movement.