Rosary Bead Necklaces | From Sacred Praying Tool to Hot Jewelry

Rosary - from the Latin word 'Rosarium' meaning rose garden. In Catholicism, the rose is a symbol of perfection; thus the rosary expresses the idea of a permanent garden of prayer.

Traditional Roman Catholic devotional beaded necklace or bracelet. Commonly used for prayer and meditation. The term also refers to the praying itself.


Traditionally, rosaries consist of five sets of beads, each set comprising one large bead representing the Lord's Prayer, and 10 smaller ones (a decade) representing the Hail Mary.



Copyright photo below under Wikimedia Commons.

The appeal of the rosary necklace lies in its use as a recitation tool, its spiritual meaning, and its connection with the Bible and the life of Christ. Aside from the most commonly known, the 5 decade Dominican rosary there are many other versions. Such as Rosary of the Seven Sorrows, the Franciscan Rosary, and the Brigittine Rosary.

Originally the rosary had 150 beads, corresponding with the number of psalms in the Bible. The rosary also resembles a garland (wreath or festoon) worn as a crown. This crown of roses, symbolizes the spiritual bouquet given to the Blessed Mother.

In the fifteenth century the development of the Rosary as we know it today came to a rise. During this period the Dominican influence with the Rosary grew and the Dominicans can be seen as the principal promoters and defenders of the Rosary throughout history. Hence the rosary also referred to as Dominican Rosary. During the 1600's the Rosary design is becoming more and more universally the same.

In the beginning of the entrance of the rosary into Europe the prayer form was also known as "praying the "bedes" or "saying the paternosters". Bedes is an AngloSaxon (early English) word meaning prayers.

In 1627 The French King Louis the XIII ordained the public recitation of the Rosary against the rebellious Huguenots.

Fifteen thousand Rosaries were distributed to the troops with set hours of prayer. The Huguenots were defeated and France was saved.

Photo Painting of Louis XIII by Peter Paul Rubens by Acander (Wikimedia Commons)

The Dominican Rosary or 5 Decade as it is referred to as well is the most well known rosary necklace and prayer. There are various rosaries but in common speak, when someone talks about the rosary the Dominican or 5 Decade is meant.

Madonna instigated the rosary as a fashion item in the 1980's. In an interview she says this about it :

"I think I have always carried around a few rosaries with me. There was the turquoise colored one that my grandmother had given to me a long time ago. One day I decided to wear it as a necklace. I thought, "This is kind of offbeat and interesting."

I mean, everything I do is sort of tongue in cheek. It's a strange blend a beautiful sort of symbolism, the idea of someone suffering, which is what Jesus Christ on a crucifix stands for, and then not taking it seriously at all.

Seeing it as an icon with no religiousness attached to it. It isn't a sacrilegious thing for me. I'm not saying, "This is Jesus Christ," and I'm laughing. When I went to Catholic schools, I thought the huge crucifixes nuns wore around their necks with their habits were really beautiful. I have one like that now. I wear it sometimes but not on stage. It's too big. It might fly up in the air and hit me in the face."

Time Magazine Cover May 27 1985

Left: Sterling Silver Ruby Colored Swarvoski Crystal Rosary with a Silver Sterling Crucufix. Middle: Also Sterling Silver with an Antique style Crucifix and the one on the right is also made of high grade silver sterling and has 7mm Swarovski Crystal Rosary Beads (clear, blue, fuschia and green, 59 in all). Click photo's for more info, prices or buying.

Rosary bead necklaces are also used for meditation, relaxation and protection from negative energy.

The left Catholic Rosary is made of sterling silver and has a miraculous medal in the center The fluted handmade beads are finely detailed.

The right sterling Silver Rosary also has a medal in the center and brown goldstone beads. Click the photos for more info, prices and buying.

After Madonna wore them in the 80's combined with corsets the rosary beads necklace trend currently has been revived. David Beckham, Britney Spears, Marlon Wayans, Rihanna and many more celebs have been spotted wearing them.

Painting of Madonna with a rosary made by Franz Tavella around the end of the 19th century.
License photo by Moroder (Wikimedia Commons)

In his book, "The Secret of the Rosary," St. Louis de Montfort explains how wearing the rosary as a necklace or on one's belt is a way of honoring the mother of God:

"Our Lady blesses not only those who preach her Rosary, but she highly rewards all those who get others to say it by their example."

And:

"Alphonsus, King of Leon and Galicia, very much wanted all his servants to honor the Blessed Virgin by saying the Rosary. So he used to hang a large rosary on his belt and always wore it, but unfortunately never said it himself. Nevertheless his wearing it encouraged his courtiers to say the Rosary very devoutly."

"Looking at him with great kindness Our Lady said: "As a reward for this little honor that you paid me in wearing my Rosary, I have obtained a great grace for you from my Son. Your life will be spared for a few more years. See that you spend these years wisely, and do penance."

source: catholictradition.org

The rosary was historically worn around the neck to keep the devil away. A colleague of Father Gabriel Amorth, chief exorcist of the Vatican once, during an exorcism, heard the devil say:

"Every Hail Mary is like a blow on my head. If Christians knew how powerful the Rosary was, it would be my end."

In Mexico it is more common to wear the rosary around the neck than it is in the USA.

"Wearing of a Rosary that one actually uses to pray is neither uncommon nor sacrilegious in various Roman Catholic-adherent cultures and was a common practice in the Medieval and Renaissance periods, particularly among religious (monks, nuns, and friars). Rosaries are also worn hanging from or looped over a belt, particularly with some religious habits, pinned to and hanging from a shoulder or neckline, or wrapped around a wrist or arm as a bracelet.

Some Christians feel that it is sacrilegious for a non-believer to wear a rosary around the neck. This is particularly true in Roman Catholic cultures that have histories of persecution, particularly among the Irish and English Catholics. Because Irish Catholic tradition is often seen as normative in the United States and Canada, this has been the source of some conflict in the past.

The Roman Catholic Church states: "Sacred objects, set aside for divine worship by dedication or blessing, are to be treated with reverence. They are not to be made over to secular or inappropriate use, even though they may belong to private persons". Thus it is acceptable to wear a rosary if one is doing so to show veneration, however it is not acceptable if one is wearing the rosary irreverently, such as wearing it as a piece of jewelry. Many saints have worn their rosary around the neck, and in the Secret of the Rosary, it is mentioned that a person put his rosary around his neck to keep devils away from him."

The rosary was originally used by people who could not read or write to help them meditate on the life of Jesus.

Before the existence of rosary beads, a knotted rope was moved from one bag to another to keep track of the amount of prayers.

I am not Catholic, nor am I raised that way. But half my family, of my mothers side is. Many of my youngest memories are intertwined with Catholic symbolism. The rosary is one of the most expressive examples. I have been hesitant to wear a rosary necklace when I was younger but when I got older I began to perceive it as appropriate. Although I wouldn't wear it among my Catholic relatives out of respect, on other occasions I do.

For me it is not only nostalgia, it also reminds me of the beliefs and history of my grandparents and ancestors. Although I am more orientated to Buddhism and other philosophies I do think I can wear a rosary necklace with respect and because of the personal meaning it has to me. For me its something like when I almost died a few years ago. Colleagues told me they had prayed for me. I don't believe in God, but not only did I really appreciate them praying for me, it really touched me.

Rosaries worn as necklaces for non-religious purposes but instead as a fashion item are available in different variations. This type of jewelry was popularized by the pop star Madonna in the 1980s. Recently the rosary necklace fashion trend has experienced a come-back.

The English football captain David Beckham appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair wearing a Dolce & Gabbana rosary necklace worth $ 700.

This exclusive 24 Inch - 20.6 Grams in 14k Yellow Gold White Gold and Rose Gold rosary is available at Jewelryweb
. (At only $ 1,760.60)

Rosary necklaces first achieved widespread popularity in the German-speaking areas of Europe.

The Boondock Saints characters in the movie with the same title also added to the popularity of the rosary necklace as a fashion item.

The 1999 movie starring Willem Dafoe, Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus. Fraternal twins set out to rid Boston of the evil men operating there while being tracked down by an FBI agent. The movie characters Connor and Murphy also added to the popularity of the rosary necklace wearing these prominently during the movie.

Photo's of the original movie prop necklaces can be seen on yourprops.com

Some other stores offering rosary bead necklaces.

Jewelbasket.com
Save 5% on everything at JewelBasket.com. Free shipping on orders over $75. Code: jb5star

"One day through the Rosary and the Scapular I will save the world"

These were the words our Blessed Virgin Mary spoke to Saint Dominic when she appeared to him in the 12th century. According to the traditional story Dominic was ordered to spread devotion to the rosary and as a reward his Dominican order (Order of Preacher) would flourish.

Both are 22K gold over sterling silver rosary bracelets.

Although the use of the rosary was commonplace hundreds of years before, in the year 1520 it became officially accepted by the Catholic church when Pope Leo X gave the rosary official approval (sanction).

In 1240, The Golden Horde, a seemingly invincible Mongolian army, attacked Europe from the East and defeated every European army who fought against it. Also the Knights Templars were beaten battle after battle. The Golden Horde was on the verge of conquering the whole European soil since there was no army left to oppose to them. Then, suddenly they ceased their wars and returned to their homeland Mongolia. This miracle was attributed as a result of the many Europeans who prayed the rosary. Source: thecatholictreasurechest

Gold Plated Rosary Box featured a hinged design with a secure latch.

This Rosary Case is pre-engraved with a cross and "First Holy Communion" in script letters