Rosary Beads and Chaplets - Weapons for our Times

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Rosaries and Chaplets are truly HEART TO HEART gifts!

I would have never guessed that I'd be making rosaries. The thought to do this kept coming to me for several months after a successful cancer surgery that was not certain I would survive. Each time, I gently pushed it away thinking it wasn't for me. Then one day I ordered a new rosary. It came with an extra Our Father bead and space. It was obvious that not only was this machine made, but no human even quality controlled it for errors. I mentioned the 'inkling' to my Pastor, of wanting to begin making and repairing rosaries. Before I knew it, he made up an ad for the weekly bulletin! With his kind encouragement and help, I began looking around for rosary parts ... and before I knew it, I was ordering enough for a small army!
And so, it began!
I take great pride in my craftsmanship and strive to perfection in my work. As you can likely tell from the prices, my labor and time are not figured into the final price. This is mostly a labor of love in that the main objective is to put rosaries into the hands of folks that will use them, thus assisting Our Lady's Efforts. We need to pray for: the sanctity of life, mitigation of punishments, consecration of Russia, conversion of sinners, releasing souls from purgatory, return of fallen away Catholics, increase of Faith, sins committed against the Sacred & Immaculate Hearts and the list goes on and on and on! So, these rosaries are priced VERY affordably for this express purpose.

The joy that fills my soul as my hands create these prayerful gifts is astounding. Oftentimes, as I am working, I have an audio or video of the rosary or Chaplet of Divine Mercy on and I pray with each bead I add. Additionally, when I'm done with each rosary, I pray at least a chaplet on each one before they're packaged.
When I receive an email of a sale, I immediately say a prayer for the buyer, who later gets 'perpetually enrolled' in my 3PM daily prayers.
I am now, offering monthly Masses in addition to the annual Novena of Masses for all my customers and their intentions from the Seraphic Mass Association.

MATERIALS

My rosaries are assembled for strength with good link locking construction. I began using nickel silver 19-22 gauge wire, because it's one of the strongest materials and tarnish resistant. I still use it on occasion, however, I've found a very wonderful and strong tarnish resistant silver plated wire that works very nicely with most designs. I am even able to get it in a thicker wire for the larger and heavier beads. Very often, I find that the jump rings are not as strong as I'd like them to be on some items and I will sometimes make my own "S" connectors from wire to use instead. These are much stronger than most of the jump rings and can add a vintage look to the piece with some extra plyer pressure and curls. I order my own jump rings for strength, but will use the standard jump rings when I'm certain they are at least 16-21gauge.
In general, these rosaries will provide DECADES (pun intended) of very satisfactory use.
I will, from time to time (and special orders), use Gold (10-18KG), Gold Plated (GP), Silver Plated (SP) & Sterling Silver (SS).
These will be clearly marked in the descriptions.

Corded rosaries/chaplets use heavy duty cord (the thinner cord is strong & bonded; the heavier thick cord is comparable to venetian blind cord #15. Hemp is 100% natural (biodegradable & eco-friendly) 10#cord.
Short of fire or cutting it, it should last for years and years.
It should not be left alone with young children as their weight will not likely break it and it could cause harm.

Beads Beads and More Beads

I have enough beads to make rosaries till pigs fly and the cows come home! There are just SO many beautiful beads out there. Even the plastic and acrylic beads are beautiful! Smooth and round, faceted, shapes .. all esthetically pleasing to the eye, albeit, lighter to the touch. One of the better plastic beads is a very hard and specially treated bead referred to as either 'wonder' or 'miracle' beads. These beads appear to be glowing from the inside or seem to have a solid bead suspended in the middle of a translucent bead. A very nice effect that's worth the price difference. But I have to say, my favorites are the Czech crystal and glass pearls! The brilliance is magnificent and the feel is like silk gliding through your fingers. They're just wonderful. Top of the line crystals are the Swarovski crystal beads. The brilliance, fire feel of these gems are unequaled. I use other glass and pearls that are also very good quality and feel equally nice but I like the Swarovski best. Czech Fire Polished glass beads have a great reputation for excellence. They have rich, vivid colors and a long-standing tradition of fine craftsmanship. Czech Fire polished glass is a pressed glass that is reheated in hot brick ovens to give it smooth finish. I also have some glass from India that is very nice and metal beads and wood and .. and ... oh my! :)

Some Semi-Precious Stones

Jasper is made from rock composed of chalcedony, dense microcrystalline quartz and other minerals which make up the colorful bands or patterns throughout it. Jasper is found in Germany, India, France, Russia and the U.S. It is rare to find Jasper that is uniformly colored.
Peridot Jasper is a type of cream colored jasper that has faint wisps of green throughout. Its said to give its wearer a sense of well being and protect against negative thoughts.

Black Onyx itself is a variety of striped chalcedony that is made up of alternating broad, flat bands of black and white. Onyx differs from other agate in the fact that the bands of which it is formed are parallel and regularly spaced. If the specimen of onyx is brown and white, it is called Sardonyx. If it’s red and white, then this onyx is called Carnelian Onyx. When the specimen is black throughout the bands, then it is called Black Onyx. Black onyx can be natural or dyed and has been valued by the Greeks and Romans, used in India to ward off the “evil eye” and used as a worry stone in the Middle East. Onyx can be found in Uruguay, Germany, Canada and the U.S. It is said to eliminate apathy, stress, negative thinking, and help with public speaking.

Jade is the name given for two different gem rocks; Jadeite and Nephrite. (The Jadeite type being both the rarer and thus, more precious than Nephrite type) There are many shades of green, off-white, pink, reddish, orange, blue lavender, tan, gray and black. Jadeite is vari-colored, whereas much of the nephrite is a bold green, white and black. Jade is said to have the power to cure kidney ailments. In fact, the term nephrite is derived from the term Lapis Nephriticus (kidney stones). The name Jade is said to be derived from the Spanish term for hip stone, Piedra de ijada. All Jade should be kept away from intense heat and acids. It also stimulates creativity while creating harmony. Since Ancient times in China, Jade “yu” has been regarded as the royal gemstone. It is the state gemstone of Alaska.

Howlite is a naturally white stone with either dark gray or black spider webs throughout. It is commonly dyed to imitate Turquoise and Lapis Lazuli. It is named after the mineralogist Henry How, who found it in Nova Scotia in the 19th century. It is the stone of memory, knowledge and progress. It is also said to eliminate pain, stress and anger. Howlite should be kept away from acids, strong light and cleaning products.

Aventurine (Commonly misspelled Adventurine) A form of Macrocrystalline quartz (meaning the crystals are recognizable with the naked eye), it is found in Brazil, India, China and Japan. Most Aventurine is reddish brown to yellow with shimmering metallic particles called mica throughout the stone. If there are any red or brown particles in Aventurine, it is caused by hematite platelets. Some specimens of true green have also been found naturally, but most green, blue and red gems on the market have been dyed. Aventurine is said to bring peace and promote positive attitude, confidence and tranquility.

Peridot (Chrysolite, Olivine) A yellow-green gemstone that is colored due to the amount of ferrous iron within, Peridot is the birthstone of August and can be easily confused with Emerald. Peridot is susceptible to acids and quick temperature changes. Do not clean Peridot jewelry with an ultrasonic cleaner. Some say that Peridots’ name comes from the Arabic word “faridat” (gem), and was the most popular gemstone during the Baroque period. It is also said that Peridot was Cleopatra’s favorite gemstone. Hawaiian legend states that Peridot gemstones are the tears of the goddess Pele. Peridot has been used to slow the aging process and help with one’s speech. It has also been used to help find things that are lost. Peridot is found in China, Pakistan, Australia, Egypt, Norway and the U.S. All items are handcrafted. Therefore, size, shape, hole size, and finish may vary slightly.

Lapis Lazuli by its binomial name is a crystalline aggregate composed largely of blue lazurite. It also will have pyrite and mica throughout it, which makes Lapis Lazuli look like a night sky. Lapis Lazuli used to be ground up to make ultramarine pigments for paint as early as the 11th century A.D. This stone of truth and friendship can be found from a true blue to deep blue with occurrences of purplish blue to blue-green. It was one of the first stones to be used for jewelry. It is found in Afghanistan, Egypt, Canada and Chile. All over the world, Lapis lazuli is considered a stone of truth and friendship. The blue stone is reputed to bring about harmony in relationships and to help its wearer to be an authentic individual who may openly state his or her opinion.

Rhodonite, like Rhodochrosite, Rhodonite comes in rosy to deep pink colors but has black dendrite inclusions throughout. Its name is derived from the Greek word rhodon (pink). It is much more durable than Rhodochrosite and does not react to acids the way Rhodochrosite does. Rhodonite will have a flat finish to it, due to the fact that it doesn’t polish up very well. Rhodonite is called the “singer’s stone” because it makes one more sensitive to sound, as well as helping the nervous system and the feminine reproductive system. It is found in Australia, Japan, Canada, Madagascar, Mexico, Russia, Sweden, New Jersey and Colorado

Hematite was used for making seals in Babylonia, and a frequent mineral used in mourning jewelry in the early 20th century. In the past, Hematite was used in creating blush. Hematite gets its name from the Latin word “haimo” (blood) because of the blood-red color of the powder that occurs when Hematite is ground up. It is found in England. Norway, Sweden, Morocco, New Zealand, Pima County – Arizona, Wisconsin and Michigan. Hematite is the state mineral of Alabama. Frequently fashioned into small pearl like beads, some people who wear hematite find that it becomes too heavy to wear after awhile. Hematite is also used to inspire peace, aid clarity, and balance.

Job's Tears beaded rosaries were a favorite of both Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa of Calcutta. They favored them because of their humble nature and you will likely recognize them in any of the many pictures taken of them praying with them.
Job's Tears are actually seeds, which, surprisingly, grow 10 per stalk, just like the decade of a rosary!
As seeds, they vary slightly in size, naturally every effort is taken to match batches as closely as possible.
The natural oils from human hands make them shiny - so the more they are handled as a rosary the shinier they become!
It is not wise to pull out the core remnants (tiny bits of woody fiber left inside the beads) because it helps stabilize the bead on the wire.

- These beads are special purchase in season, Rosaries begin at $29.99 with Job's Tears -
TRIVIA: Job's Tears are in fact edible, used ground into a tea as a remedy for arthritis.
They have been used for making jewelry and as a food supplement since the times of ancient Egypt.

... More on the way!