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