07/19/2026
Handmade Rosary: Brass, Copper & Natural Stone… worthy of a Knight’s armory.
This one took some time, and I believe it shows. Every metal element… the cross, the centerpiece, and the decorative copper bead spacers… all hand fabricated, no castings here. That’s “handmade” in the true jewelry making sense, as defined by the FTC’s Jewelry Guides: shaped, formed, and finished by hand from raw material.
Brass and copper stock, riveted together, form the simple but deeply symbolic budded cross, with the bail as the only feature silver soldered. The centerpiece follows the same brass and copper build, with a copper fleur de lis mounted on each side. I designed this part as an open pass through piece to allow for the single cord design while maintaining a traditional aesthetic.
Both pieces carry a mirrored design, finished identically on both sides. Turn it any way you like, you’re always looking at the front.
The copper bead spacers received the same hand fabricated treatment. Nine for holes for each spacer. Each drilled, cut, and shaped by hand, for a total of 108 details on the spacers alone.
The cord work is its own feature. I used a combination of black aramid (Kevlar) cord and brown micro cord, each strand run as a single continuous length with no splicing. Theoretically, this combo gives it a tensile strength rating of 420 lbs, so this isn’t just decorative, it’s built to last.
Between each bead, hand tied barrel knots keep them from knocking together and give your fingers a nice, defined space to move through while praying. Those same knots with two different cords create the distinctive helix look that adds to its uniqueness.
Black onyx and tiger’s eye gemstones alternate throughout the decades, with fossil jasper marking the Our Father beads, flanked by the handmade copper spacers.
With all that brass, copper, and stone, this rosary carries real weight and heft in the hand. This isn’t a delicate piece, it’s substantial, built to be felt as much as seen.
I’ll be adding this to auction soon, unless I receive an offer I can’t refuse. 😉
Thanks for looking.
