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Handmade Rosary, crystal Our Father and Sapphire Beads with nickle silver crucifix and center

Strings of beads have been used for prayer and meditation for ages, they help to center and focus. Scented objects such as rosaries have also been used in many religions. On feast days, early Christian priests wore garlands of rosebuds or beads made from rose petals, ground and blended with fixatives into an aromatic paste, then rolled into balls and pierced with a needle. It is a lovely idea to make an object to hold during meditation practice, and most people find that it helps to focus.

The making of rose petal rosaries is a very ancient craft. Apparently, Pope Leo the Tenth gave official sanction for the use of rose petal beads or rosaries, by the Catholic Church. That was in 1520 A.D. Prayer beads made from rose petals have a rich and lengthy history.

Originally there was always 165 beads on a strand and they were made solely of rolled rose petals, which is where the word rosary, derived from rosarium (or rose garden) came from. The Victorians developed the process with the use of fixatives and binders which made the beads stronger and able to retain their scent for a much longer time.

Victorians used these beads for scenting clothes, jewelry and prayer.

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