My love for Rosaries

At the age of 8, I received a brilliant red cut-glass rosary for my First Communion.  It came tucked inside of a dark blue soft velvet pouch. This was my first rosary and I felt so proud and delighted that I had a rosary to call my own.

My love for religious artifacts came from my mother.  She was a deeply religious person, seriously contemplating entering the Nunnery at a young age. Ultimately, she did not, but over the years she had built quite a collection of prayer books, religious medals, scapulars and rosaries.  She kept all of these sacred items in her bottom dresser drawer and we would often look through this collection together. She would take things out one at a time, share stories and let me hold these delicate and worn religious treasures. I was always fascinated by the mystery of where these treasures came from and tried to understand just how old some of these items were.  It was a growing collection, especially as family members passed on she added crucifixes, prayer cards, Bibles and the most gorgeous old rosaries. 

A rosary is a set of prayers that are said during meditation on the events in the lives of Mary and Jesus. The beads are used to count the prayers. Long ago, rosaries began as a leather pouch full of loose pebbles and have evolved to the traditional rosary of 59 beads used today. 

Once I began hunting for antiques and vintage for my shop, I immediately sought out rosaries. They can be somewhat hard to find, as they are small and often tossed in and lost among larger items. Estate sales and large flea markets tend to be the best places to find them, especially if it’s a dealer who specializes in jewelry. They usually have a tray of rosaries, if you ask. Here are a few rosaries available in my shop now. 

Whenever I would find a rosary, especially one that looked old and like something out of my Mom’s drawer I would buy it. Once home, I would get the magnifying glass, and study the medals, look at the beads, and crucifix. Looking for any inscriptions or back-stamps. Simply trying to determine where it came from and the approximate age. 

Over the years I have learned a few tips and tricks to help make it a bit easier for you when you find an old rosary. 

1. Look at the center medal. The center medals come in a variety of images and shapes. If it’s a hollow heart shape, it dates to the mid 1800s and comes from Germany or France. Rosaries showing the letter M, or the Sacred Heart of Christ or Mary are late 1800s. If it is the Blessed Virgin Mary, it dates to 1900-1950s, depending on how young she looks in the medal.  If the center medal is that of a Saint, the age can be determined by when the saint was canonized.  

2.  Check the beads. In the early 1800s rosary beads were made from natural materials like seeds, wood, bone, coral, amber and mother of pearl. They also used beautiful precious metal filigrees.  Glass beads became popular in the 1840s through 1930s. Modern rosaries are often made of plastic beads.  

3.  Examine the cross on the rosary. Some of the earliest crucifixes are made from precious metals like silver, gold-filled or gold washed. Metal filigrees were also common.  Composite crosses, those made from wood wrapped with metal, date to the Victorian era 1837-1901. Victorian era rosaries were often stamped with an image of Christ on one side and Mary on the other. A Stanhope cross is another type of unique cross and contains a tiny peep hole in which images of holy places or saints can be seen.  

Some rosaries may have inscriptions on the back side of the crucifix, which will also help date the rosary.  In the First and Second World Wars, rosaries were commonly given to soldiers to carry. They usually have an inscription such as “ I am Catholic. In case of an accident, notify a priest.” 

I have one of those soldiers' rosaries and it was passed down from the generations. It is one of my favorites and I have that along with several other family rosaries proudly on display in my home.