Our Rosaries and Prayer Beads

On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

This tiger-eye Anglican Rosary will be treasured during Advent, at Christmas, and all year round. The Weeks beads are faceted tiger-eye. The facets catch the inner brilliance of this "cat's eye" stone, reflecting it back with beautiful sparkle. The Invitatory and Cruciform beads are faceted citrine, beautifully cut and of a rich, deep color. They are set off very simply with small vermeil caps.

The Anglican rosary has a cross that has been recast in highly polished bronze from a beautiful Ethiopian example. The cross has a woven appearance. While large, it has been carefully executed so that it is lightweight and comfortable to handle.

As with all of our Christmas collection, this Anglican rosary is one of a kind.

Personent hodie voces puerulae - 

On this day earth shall ring with the song children sing -

This Anglican rosary is based on the wonderful medieval Latin carol traditionally sung by boys. It became a particular favorite of my older son, Gregory, when he was a young chorister. He told me just recently that at the time, he had no idea what the words meant--he just loved the way the carol sounded. I make this rosary each year at Christmastime. It's especially appropriate this year since Gregory and his wife are about to become parents for the first time.

The Anglican rosary is made of vintage (1950's) fine Venetian millefiori beads about 8mm in size. This year's Venetian beads are a great deal finer and more delicate than the 1970's versions I have used in former years which are no longer available to me. These beautiful beads have a red ground, which makes them very festive. The Invitatory and Cruciform beads are simple rounds of shiny 10mm black onyx.

The cross of this Anglican rosary is recast in bronze from an original that dates back to the Renaissance. It is called a "Five Wounds" cross because its circles depict the Five Wounds of Christ. I have also heard it called the "Pilgrim's Cross." This Anglican rosary is one of a kind.

Personent hodie voces puerulae - 

On this day earth shall ring with the song children sing -

This rosary is based on the wonderful medieval Latin carol traditionally sung by boys. It became a particular favorite of my older son, Gregory, when he was a young chorister. He told me just recently that at the time, he had no idea what the words meant--he just loved the way the carol sounded. I make this rosary each year at Christmastime. It's especially appropriate this year since Gregory and his wife are about to become parents for the first time.

The rosary is made of vintage (1950's) fine Venetian millefiori beads about 8mm in size. This year's Venetian beads are a great deal finer and more delicate than the 1970's versions I have used in former years which are no longer available to me. These beautiful beads have a red ground, which makes them very festive. The Pater beads are simple rounds of shiny 10mm black onyx.

The center medal for this rosary depicts the Infant of Prague in a radiant background. It harmonizes beautifully with the radiant crucifix. This rosary is one of a kind.

A simple, beautiful Anglican rosary that will bring a little bit of joy all year round.

As a small child, I wasn't sure I liked the single, bright rose-pink candle among the purple candles on the Advent wreath. It somehow upset my sense of symmetry. In later years, our church (which had ultra-modern architecture) used deep blue altar hangings for Advent, and I hastened to adopt deep blue for our family Advent wreath. One day a clergy visitor said, "You're the only family I know who has a Sarum-rite Advent wreath." The following  year, I re-visited the traditional violet and rose, and rose is what this Anglican rosary is all about.

The Weeks beads of this Anglican rosary  are delightful Peruvian opals that range in pink from deep to delicate. They're interspersed with natural mother-of-pearl Invitatory and Cruciform beads that have been deeply carved into a subtle rose pattern. The combination of cream and pearl is very feminine. It's a delight to the eyes and the hands. The cross is recast in bronze from a Renaissance piece.

This Anglican rosary is one of a kind.

All the days of the poor are hard,
   but a cheerful heart has a continual feast.

The "Christmas spirit" seems to have something to do with elves, shopping malls, snow, and spending lots of money. I ran into the actual Christmas spirit many years ago when my children were small. I dashed into the supermarket a day or two before the holiday to "pick up a few things." The young woman in line in front of me had separated her purchases into Food, Not-Food, and Other. The "Other" pile included a small ham, a bakery pie, some hard candy, and some chocolate kisses. She also brandished a tedious pile of "cents off" coupons. She seemed tense as she paid cash and coupons for the "Not-Food" items. She paid for the "Food" items with food stamps--which in those days were embarrassing paper as opposed to looking like credit cards. The cashier shot her an inquiring look as they came to the third pile. The young woman tallied it silently on her fingers, smiled, handed over her coupons, and said, "Ring it up. I'll be OK." She left the store with very little money. I left it immeasurably richer in spirit. She was blessed with a cheerful heart, and I hope her family enjoyed their Christmas feast.

This cheerful rosary is my way of thanking that anonymous young woman from so long ago. The Ave beads are faceted "poppy" jasper in warm, ruddy tones. The Pater beads are smooth red jasper, a bit brighter than than the small beads.

The rosary is graced with a simple, handsome Edwardian crucifix and center medal that will appeal to both men and women. It is small and compact in size.

This one-of-a-kind rosary will, I hope, bring a little Christmas spirit of the right sort--the sort that is rich in blessings and cheerful in the heart--where it really counts.

The angel Gabriel from heaven came 
His wings as drifted snow his eyes as flame 
"All hail" said he "thou lowly maiden Mary, 
Most highly favored lady," Gloria! 

Another longstanding Atelier-Beads tradition is the creation of a special rosary honoring Christ's Mother.

This year's rosary represents a bit of a departure. As silver prices have inexplicably climbed, and as our pocketbooks have dwindled, it seemed almost too extravagant to render this year's version in silver. I have therefore chosen a lovely, mellow bronze for the crucifix and center medal. The crucifix is very Victorian, embossed with a subtle pattern of lilies. The center medal is a personal favorite, the "Ave Maria" center with crown.

To complement the new bronze fixtures, I raided my collection for the very last six vintage givre "cathedral" beads. These are quite old, with a subtlety and depth of color that is not found in newer versions. They're a swirling mixture of deep, regal, wine red and frosty clear glass with deep gold tops. Each Pater bead is set off by tiny vermeil caps and little freshwater seed pearls. The blue lace agate Ave beads coordinate and contrast beautifully, making a lovely, old-fashioned rosary of great delicacy.

As with all our Christmas rosaries, this rosary is one of a kind.

Holy light, warm our night,
Warm our time of winter.

An Anglican rosary to warm the heart and delight the eyes and hands. Citrine is my birthstone, and I've used two cuts for this rosary. The Weeks beads are brilliantly faceted, a rich and deep gold. The Invitatory and Cruciform beads are also citrine in large smooth rondelles. They have inclusions that reflect the light beautifully.

The cross for the Anglican rosary is recast in bronze from an African original. I treasure it for its woven pattern and its fairly large size.

This Anglican rosary is one of a kind.