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Rose Petal Beads with Olive Wood Bead Rosary with Silver coated nickel crucifix and center. Handmade.

The Rose Petal Beads on this rosary are made by hand from real rose petals, the process takes about 2 weeks. They were made with Rose Essential oil for a longer lasting scent. The Olive wood is from Jerusalem.

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.

Your lovely rose petal beads are water soluble. When not being worn, store in a cool, dry place--in a container with a packet of silica gel is ideal. Do not let your beads come into contact with liquid. Don't wear them in the shower or swimming. While they can tolerate a bit of sweat, blood and tears, they will dissolve if left in contact with liquid too long. Fortunately, they won't dissolve immediately. But if you find that you hopped into the shower while wearing your beads, panic for five seconds, then remove your beads, pat them dry, if they're not too goopy and set them in a dry place to harden again.

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