Antique Rosaries 1

The Sacred Bead
Previously Sold Rosaries
For Reference
Antique Rosaries 1
Sweet Little Peach Luster Antique Rosary
Approximately 100 years old, may be a
little older, just a sweet little 13" French
rosary. The back of the crucifix is marked
"France." Note the lovely peach luster
beads- These are Prosser beads- an early
pressed glass bead widely used in the bead
industry at the end of the 1800’s. They can
be found traded all over the world! This
peach luster is quite unusual though. The
center and crucifix are made of aluminum,
a highly praised metal at the time this
rosary was made. This little rosary would
be perfect for display with an antique doll..
Sold for $55.00
Art Deco Hallmarked Sterling Silver French St. Theresa Rosary w/Enamel
Unusual hallmarked
(punchmark on bail) French
silver crucifix with enamel
image of St. Theresa graces
this lovely 18" rosary. The
beads are a molded faceted
milk white glass. Note the
beautiful Art Deco Center.
Back of Crucifix and center
are plain. Sold for $105.00
Dainty Engraved Victorian Rosary
Very old, very lovely delicate rosary. This is one that may not
hold up to daily use, it would be perfect for occasional gentle
use. It is 19 1/2' long and I believe the crucifix and center are
gold filled. The rosary has no markings so I am not sure of
this. The other thing I am not sure of is the composition of the
beads. Are they glass, or as I suppose, rock crystal? Either
way, this rosary is a little treasure! Engraved on the back in
old script, L. E. Connell. Sold for $75.00
Old Faux Spina Cristi Bead Rosary with Reliquary Crucifix
Nice old Italian rosary with a reliquary crucifix containing soil
from the catacombs of Rome. This would have been a souvenir
bought when someone visited the holy sites in Rome- something
that was quite popular as a trip of a lifetime! Instead of using the
real beads, this rosary has the plastic version- they actually hold
up much better tan the authentic beads, as sometimes they have
deteriorated with time. Be careful when opening the reliquarythey should always be held with the back facing up- this one has
a piece of paper that says Terra Catacombe (soil from the
catacombs) and the relic itself. The paper has come unglued so
the new owner may want to put a tiny drop of glue on to reaffix
it to the inside of the cross. This is probably from the 50’s-60’s
or so I would think. The center looks like it is pewter and
both the center and cross are
marked Italy. The rosary is
just shy of 22" when laid flat
and is appropriate for daily
use (which the very old real
seed ones often aren't) so
you can do your prayers
with a rosary containing a
relic! Sold for $55.00
*The back unscrews and lifts off
reveling the relic. Note- the paper
is loose so be sure to open this
with the back facing up.
Elegant 800 Silver and Mother of Pearl Vintage French Rosary
In new condition with the original tag still in place, this beautifully elegant French rosary is highlighted by a
modernist 800 silver crucifix with French silver hallmarks on the bail. This would make a fabulous gift for those
who appreciate the workmanship of vintage rosaries, but enjoy a new rosary. Just shy of 20", this beautiful
rosary is one to be treasured for decades. Tag says Zilver 800 Argent- Argent is the French word for solid silver
while argente means silver plated. Sold for $135.00
1800's Huge Carved Brigittine, Six Decade, Lourdes Rosary
Spectacular antique Brigittine, six decade, rosary from France. These were produced starting in the 1870's
continuing into the 1900's but the styles changed over time. The highly carved beads are the earlier rosaries, later
ones became more simple in style with little or no carving on the beads. This one is quite elaborate with deeply
carved beads and impressed images and French on the crucifix, center
and round above the crucifix. The back of the crucifix has the
instruments of the passion impressed into the wood. The circular bead
above the crucifix has "allez boire a la fontaine et vous y laver" or
roughly translated- drink at the fountain and wash you there, referring to
the waters of Lourdes.
The center has the
Sacred heart of Jesus
and Mary, both the
center and the extra
round have a lightly
impressed image of
the Grotto of Lourdes.
What an incredibly
magnificent rosary
from another era.
Sold for $145.00
Beautiful Italian Mid-Century Double Capped Rosary
What a lovely mid-20th century rosary.
This was a souvenir from Rome as it
has Roma in script on the reverse of
the crucifix. Note the very attractive
layered crucifix, there are vines w
heart-shaped leaves. What makes this
rosary really special are the beautiful
pale, pale pink beads with double caps.
Done in the style of rosaries from the
1940's, this one appears to be a little
more recent as the center is typical of
60's and 70's rosaries. It appears this
rosary has barely been used- and is
quite appropriate for daily use. The
bead caps are shiny and bright silverprobably plated. This is a nice large
rosary at 23 1/2" in length. Sold for
$95.00
Extremely Rare Carnelian and Silver Antique French Rosary
This is one of the most intriguing rosaries I've had. About
half of the beautiful beads are carnelian and the rest are
an incredible carnelian colored glass while the other half
are genuine gemstone carnelian. Note the paler Pater
beads which are all authentic carnelian, then there are the
deep soft red Ave beads. Some are glass and others are
carnelian. The closeness of color is so amazing; the only
way to differentiate between the carnelian and the glass is
to closely observe both the surface of the bead and the
interior- the carnelian shows a smoothly cut surface and
interesting variations within the bead. These are not
replacement beads; it's as though the original maker of
the rosary didn't have enough stone beads or maybe had a
mix and they couldn't tell the difference between the
glass and the carnelian. We will never know the whole
story of this rosary. Note the beautiful silver center- this
is a puffed center and the side pictured has a slight
depression. The crucifix is a beautiful hollow silver one,
typical of French rosaries in the last half of the 1800’s.
The rosary is just over 18" when laid out straight. This is
a high-end rosary for the serious collector or one who
wants a devotional object that is rare and exceptional.
Well over 100 years old, the rosary could be carefully
used on occasion. The glass beads have a slightly sparkly
look in this photograph. The Pater beads are pale
carnelian while many of the Ave beads are deep red
carnelian, the others are glass that very closely resembles
carnelian. It is quite a mystery why there are a mix of
beads- we will never know if there was some significance
to the rosary maker or original owner. A precious antique
devotional artifact! Sold for $345.00