Antique and Vintage Rosaries With Spina Christi Beads- Are They Real or Plastic?

 Here are two vintage rosaries made of spina Christi beads, the seeds from a thorny plant said to be what Christ's Crown of Thorns was made of. Most information points to these beads being from the Zizyphus spina-christi plant, native to the Middle East. But, one rosary is made from the actual seeds, while the other is made of plastic beads produced to resemble spina Christi beads. Can you tell which is which?

 The beads on the left are real, while the ones on the right are plastic. The biggest clue is the uniformity of the shape of the plastic beads. Looking closely (but not shown in the pictures), you can see a little line from the mold that the beads were formed in running along the outside of each bead. Compare the variations in color in the beads on the left, the richer shine and the difference in shapes. The holes in plastic beads will always be right at the top and bottom of the beads, whereas the holes in the actual seeds may be a little off center.
Another clue is the plastic beads will lay perfectly flat. The variations in the size and shape of the real beads generally prevent them from all laying flat.

 Here they are jumbled together- can you see the difference now?

Another clue might be the age of the rosary based on materials. The center of the real seed rosary is an old Art Deco style and you can see the brass beneath the silver plating. The center on the right is made of some kind of white metal, possibly pewter, commonly used in the last half of the 20th century. Although, dating a rosary does not guarantee it has authentic spina Christi beads, generally, the older the rosary, the more likely the seeds will be real.
Hopefully, this will help you in your rosary collecting. Remember, there really is nothing wrong with plastic, although, I must admit, I have a real aversion to it!
Find a wonderful selection of antique and vintage rosaries on The Sacred Bead. I am always very careful with describing rosaries, their age and what they are made of. If I don't know or am not sure, I'll always state that.

Antique Rosaries from Lourdes

Undoubtedly the most frequently found rosaries from France, both new and antique, are the wonderful rosaries from the site of Mary's appearance to Bernadette Soubirous in 1858. Millions and millions of people have gone to Lourdes for healing, and there are over 60 officially recognized miraculous healings that have occurred at Lourdes in a century and a half. There may be thousands of unrecognized healings!
Most pilgrims come away with a souvenir of their journey to Lourdes, and rosaries from Lourdes have a long tradition of making a lasting reminder of a journey to the healing waters of Lourdes. Beautiful sterling and natural coral were popular yet expensive rosaries  during the 1800s. Rare and beautiful today, they were a true treasure then as they are now. More moderate rosaries had simple wooden beads and crucifixes. In the mid-20th century many crucifixes had a tiny vial of healing water from the Grotto of Lourdes embedded in the crucifix. One of the most interesting of the modern rosaries is the 100th anniversary of the apparition of Mary at Lourdes featuring little bubble beads made of lucite that were rumored to have been filled with healing water. Each of the Ave beads has a tiny blue Mary inside, while the Pater beads usually have the Sacred Heart of Jesus inside. Pictured are just a few rosaries from the famous Lourdes found on The Sacred Bead. The Sacred Bead has an amazing selection of antique rosaries for sale, also vintage rosaries and antique and vintage crucifixes.

 The famous 100th Anniversary Rosary from 1958, note the tiny blue images inside each bead and the grotto of Lourdes on the center.

 

This beautiful 1800s single decade sterling and mother of pearl rosary has "Lourdes" impressed on the back of the cross and would have been a treasured reminder of a pilgrimage to Lourdes. 

 Late 1800s French Jet (black glass) mourning rosary with ND de Lourdes imprinted on the back of the crucifix.

 Beautiful rosary from Lourdes. Note the lovely red faceted glass beads. See all of them on The Sacred Bead.

Antique Rosaries with Jet Beads

Jet beads are renowned as mourning beads, at the height of their popularity during Victorian times. But few of the black beads found on jewelry or rosaries are truly jet. More likely they are black glass, known as "French Jet." Other substances used to simulate jet included man-made compounds like gutta percha.


True jet is a carbonaceous mineral related to lignite coal. It is relatively soft for a gemstone and very light weight. Compared to glass, which is much heavier, true jet beads feel more like amber, another very lightweight natural substance.
Whitby jet was produced in the jet mines of England and is no longer a source for jet. Highly expensive and rare, Whitby jet was at its height of popularity during the reign of Queen Victoria, although jet has been used as an adornment since ancient times.
Today, most jet beads are produced in China and they are quite lovely.

This is a beautiful antique French mourning rosary using glass "French Jet" beads. You can find it on The Sacred Bead.

Time for Another Warning About Rosaries with Added Skulls on eBay

I know I've already posted about the several sellers on eBay who have added modern carved ox bone skulls made in China to vintage and antique rosaries AND not been honest about saying they are modern additions, but after searching rosary + skull on eBay tonight I see the trend seems to be expanding. Before you ever buy an antique or vintage rosary with an attached skull, look at the seller's other items. If you see rosary after rosary with little skulls hanging off of them, all looking very much like the little skulls that are from modern Buddhist malas or ones found in online bead stores, then you should question the seller about the time period that the skull was added to the rosary. I've actually asked several sellers, receiving no reply from one and an admission from another that yes, she adds them. Unfortunately, without asking, you probably won't be told this in the auction.
None of this wouldn't matter IF people knew that the skull is not original to the rosary. Adding a skull bead that cost mere pennies does not increase the value of a rosary by a hundred or more dollars. Bidding is fierce on some of these rosaries and it really disturbs me that people are paying their hard earned money for something that is not authentic.
I make new rosaries using skull beads, so I am quite familiar with them. I also have quite a few rosaries with authentic antique skulls attached in my private collection. There is an enormous difference between the two. You can see my prior post from November, 2010 for pictures of authentic skull beads and how they are attached to the rosary- they are not dangling from them!
I am also seeing a trend in attaching a small, deep red tear drop shaped bead and selling these as antique rosaries with a drop of blood bead. Again, if you see the same dealer with numerous rosaries with the same bead, attached in the same way, it is a good clue that it is a recent addition.
When you have a favorite rosary, you can add whatever you like to it to help with meditative prayer. It is selling the rosary without informing the buyer that it is a modern addition that seems less than honest.

A Magnificent Givre Bead and Sterling Rosary

Without a doubt, this is one of the most fabulous rosaries I've had. Note the hand cut givre beads with a black core and clear outer layer. I believe these are Murano glass beads, made on the famous glass-making island of Murano Italy, renowned for its centuries of bead making. Along with the incredible beads, this large rosary has all sterling metal parts. Especially gorgeous is the large detailed crucifix and the lovely spacers on either side of the Pater beads. Each exquisite spacer is detailed with a rose and leaves. This is an exceptional antique rosary, beautiful and finely crafted. It would make a spectacular gift, to be treasured for a lifetime. This lovely rosary is from France, where some of the world's finest rosaries have been produced.


I never clean or polish rosaries, you will see that the silver has an antique patina. The new owner may polish or not depending on their tastes.
See this and all my other fine antique rosaries on The Sacred Bead, the largest source for antique, vintage, and designer rosaries on the internet!

Coral Rosaries Antique and Modern

Nothing is more beautiful than a coral rosary with colorful beads from the sea. Long treasured for its health giving and mystical qualities, coral was highly prized during Victorian times and many lovely rosaries from this time, most of French origin, still exist today. Often one of the first gifts for an infant, coral was believed to protect the baby from harm. Although we seem to have lost this view of coral in the modern world, it is still strong in many cultures around the world. Protection from illness and the evil eye and other spiritual harms were its primary function. Now, we tend to love coral simply for its beauty. Shown below are two modern rosaries, using deep red dyed coral, and two lovely antique French rosaries with natural undyed coral.

The modern rosaries are made of sponge and bamboo corals, dyed to give the naturally white coral its color. There is nothing wrong with modern dyed coral, but it is important to be aware of the differences between antique natural coral and modern dyed coral.

Antique rosaries have natural Mediterranean coral beads, they are the natural color and are quite rare. The beauty of the coral is unsurpassed. Highly protected, natural red coral is expensive and precious today, even more so than in the past. Modern beadworkers and rosary makers generally use the dyed coral from the Pacific due to its availability and economy. The prices for modern dyed coral beads are just a fraction of what the price for authentic red coral would be. Because of its scarsity, natural red corals are both protected and products made from them regulated. Each country has laws regarding the importation of natural red coral and other natural corals.

Care should be taken when purchasing a coral rosary- be sure the seller knows if the beads are really coral. Many people are fooled by the glass and celluloid beads that were made to resemble coral. The colors were quite accurately reproduced, made specifically to look like the much more valuable coral. Looking at the beads with a hand lens lets you know if the beads are natural coral. Tiny growth lines are visible inside the coral, this is not visible in glass or celluloid. Many of the antique beads are also hand cut, especially the tiny ones common on rosaries. They will have a rounded, yet not perfect, shape.

The rosaries shown below are all available on The Sacred Bead. Look in the antique sections for authentic antique coral rosaries and in the designer section for modern coral.

The top two pictures are of a lovely modern, strung rosary using a deep red bamboo coral for the impressive beads.

The above two pictures are a modern rosary with beautifully dyed deep orange-red sponge coral.

This gorgeous rosary is a lovely Art Nouveau French rosary with natural Mediterranean coral beads in a lovely salmon color. Note the extra tiny medals on either side of the Pater beads, each has a profile of Jesus on one side and Mary on the other. This is a very rare and beautifully made rosary.  

Below is an early 20th century Art Deco natural coral rosary.