What sets our rosaries apart?
How we make them
The beads we use
The parts we use
How to order?
How long will it take?
How we make them
Although the Sisters have been making cord rosaries for many years, they are a more recent addition to our site when compared to the wire rosaries we offer. Our cord rosaries are made by hand on strong cord. We have found that cord rosaries are most susceptible to breaking on the “last knot” of the rosary, where the end of the cord can come out and start to unravel. The prevent this, we solidify our knots with hand-stitching and a varnish-like sealer to be sure they do not come undone.
The beads we use
Over time, we have found that the sharp edges along the holes of most beads (especially precious stones) are so sharp that they wear out and fray the cord. For this reason we limit the beads available for building cord rosaries to wood beads only. Wood beads have large smooth holes, and are perfect for use on a cord rosary.
The parts we use
We offer three different types of metal for our crucifixes, centerpieces and side medals.
Nickel silver – Nickel silver is a compound of nickel, copper and zinc, also called “base metal.” Though it does not retain the luster of other materials such as sterling and has no silver content, it is a strong, durable metal. We use nickel silver wire on rosaries with base metal parts.
Silver oxidized – Our silver oxidized centers and crucifixes are composed of a solid brass core with a heavy silver plating and an antique finish, and each piece is individually die struck.
Pewter – Our pewter pieces are produced here in the USA, with a special high grade pewter that is lead and cadmium free, developed to provide medals that are light and durable. You will find the same beautiful detail as on our sterling silver and gold filled pieces.
Sterling silver – For our sterling wires, we use Argentian silver wire, which is more resistant to tarnishing. Our sterling silver crucifixes, centers and side medals are produced to the highest standards of artistry and workmanship by several exceptional manufacturers in the USA. All pieces come with a lifetime guarantee.
Gold filled – Gold filled products give the look and feel of 14 karat gold for a fraction of the price. Gold filled, also called rolled gold or gold overlay, is made by heat and pressure bonding a layer of karat gold to a brass alloy core. The exterior of the product, everything you can see or touch, is a solid layer of karat gold, in contrast to gold plated items, which usually consist of a microscopic film of gold particles covering a base metal by an electroplating process. Due to the particles, gold-plate has the tendency to chip, flake and wear off. The gold layer on gold-filled products is approximately 100 times thicker than gold-plate, and due to its bonding process does not tarnish, chip or wear off. For this reason, gold filled items are generally considered lifetime products. All of our products (including the wire, chain, beads, clasps and rings that we use on our gold filled rosaries and bracelets, as well as all medals, centerpieces and crucifixes) are 14/20 Karat gold filled.
Wood inlaid crucifixes - Most of our wood inlaid crucifixes are made of rosewood or ebony with nickel silver or brass. The wood inlaid crucifixes that are paired with our gold filled rosaries are made of yellow brass. It blends well with the gold filled parts. Most of the styles we offer were either imported from a well known manufacturer in France (now closed), or are made right here in the U.S.A. by the Vexilla Regis Foundry, who learned their technique.
How to order?
Through our Build a Custom Rosary feature, we offer customers the opportunity to build a completely customized rosary. You can choose your own centerpiece, crucifix, side medals, Our Father beads and decorative caps. We also offer options for being able to decide on a rosary more quickly by ordering through our Partly Custom Rosary feature. This feature gives you a choice from a wide variety of rosaries we have made in the past, using photos of these rosaries. Here you will have your choice of bead colors and type of metal to be used. The Pre-designed Rosaries feature lets you choose from a great photo gallery of beautiful rosaries designed either by the Sisters or by past happy customers. Nothing could be simpler! Of course, our Ready-Made Rosaries make it simplest of all: rosaries that are completed and ready to ship - a wonderful option for last minute gifts.
How long will it take?
We offer thousands of options for centers, crucifixes, and side medals. We also hand-make each rosary to order, so we usually ask about three to four weeks to complete rosary orders. Occasionally we are able to rush orders, but our monastic observance makes this difficult! So the best option for last minute gifts would be the rosaries on our Ready-Made Rosaries page.
