Just as fine cooking starts with the freshest ingredients, designing and crafting sacramentals to last several centuries likewise demands the best. Beauty and heirloom durability are two of the primary guiding principles here at Miracoli Beads.
Crucifixes and Centers
There is something so beautiful and poignant about our components. Every Crucifix and center that we use here is hand cast--never stamped--from vintage originals found all over the world. Each one carries the wear and love of the original owner--a faith legacy, if you will. My favorite pieces are those where the feet of Christ have been worn to smooth; I wonder how long the owner had that Crucifix, what worries and joys were lifted up in prayer, and how long it was in their family. I imagine a mother in Italy, soon-to-be grandmother, sitting in quiet prayer, waiting on word that her daughter has safely delivered that first grandchild. Or a young soldier in France, praying for protection while in a foxhole during the war. Or someone's abuelo in Mexico, praying on his Our Lady of Guadalupe medal in tearful thanksgiving for Our Lady's intercession and the answer to fervent prayer for a harvest good enough to provide for his family for the rest of the year.
When we use the reproductions of these precious parts, not only do we get to appreciate works of art not commonly seen anymore, but we continue the legacy of faith in the Family of God. They are truly special, and we owe a huge debt of gratitude to our casters who are committed to providing these little treasures, especially in light of the skyrocketing precious metals market.
When we use the reproductions of these precious parts, not only do we get to appreciate works of art not commonly seen anymore, but we continue the legacy of faith in the Family of God. They are truly special, and we owe a huge debt of gratitude to our casters who are committed to providing these little treasures, especially in light of the skyrocketing precious metals market.
Wire
At Miracoli Beads, we use only solid alloy wires: either Argentium Sterling or Bronze. You won't ever find plated wire here or anything that will chip or flake away with the passage of time.
Argentium. You may have heard about this stuff, or it may be something you're learning about for the first time. It's my favorite Sterling! It's brighter than simple Sterling and is a low tarnish alloy. It's probably a stretch to say that it's "no tarnish", but its rate of tarnish is extremely low, thanks to the extra germanium that is added to the silver. The addition of germanium causes the surface of the metal to be "sealed" and allows the silver to stay beautifully bright and clear much longer than what you're used to.
Why Argentium? Have you ever tried to polish the links of a pearl rosary, one link at a time? Perish the thought! That's why Argentium. When the Argentium eventually needs a little shine, a quick wipe with a clean, soft cloth is all that you need to bring it right back to good as new. No silver polish needed--ever! From the user's point of view, that's why it's great stuff. From the silversmith's point of view, though, it's superior for the health benefits. Argentium doesn't produce Sterling's usual firescale during production, which is an important health benefit for the highly skilled and wonderful human beings who work to provide us with quality precious metals.
Bronze. It's earthy, gorgeous and ancient. It slows us down and connects us to the past. And it's a great option if you're on a budget. Even if you're not watching your pennies, bronze is such a beautiful metal to design with. The wire starts out bright and you might think slightly pink, but ages to a deep, rich brown, like an old penny. It's also very strong and when wire-wrapped, can easily stand up to toddler mischief without so much as breaking a sweat. In other words, you won't have to baby your beads.
Argentium. You may have heard about this stuff, or it may be something you're learning about for the first time. It's my favorite Sterling! It's brighter than simple Sterling and is a low tarnish alloy. It's probably a stretch to say that it's "no tarnish", but its rate of tarnish is extremely low, thanks to the extra germanium that is added to the silver. The addition of germanium causes the surface of the metal to be "sealed" and allows the silver to stay beautifully bright and clear much longer than what you're used to.
Why Argentium? Have you ever tried to polish the links of a pearl rosary, one link at a time? Perish the thought! That's why Argentium. When the Argentium eventually needs a little shine, a quick wipe with a clean, soft cloth is all that you need to bring it right back to good as new. No silver polish needed--ever! From the user's point of view, that's why it's great stuff. From the silversmith's point of view, though, it's superior for the health benefits. Argentium doesn't produce Sterling's usual firescale during production, which is an important health benefit for the highly skilled and wonderful human beings who work to provide us with quality precious metals.
Bronze. It's earthy, gorgeous and ancient. It slows us down and connects us to the past. And it's a great option if you're on a budget. Even if you're not watching your pennies, bronze is such a beautiful metal to design with. The wire starts out bright and you might think slightly pink, but ages to a deep, rich brown, like an old penny. It's also very strong and when wire-wrapped, can easily stand up to toddler mischief without so much as breaking a sweat. In other words, you won't have to baby your beads.
Gemstones
The Mohs hardness of your prayer beads shouldn't keep you awake at night--that's our job. Some beads are just too soft to stand up to daily use and abuse that prayer beads tend to endure. Let's be real about the life of a rosary: they get rolled up, thrown in purses, briefcases, hung on rearview mirrors, grabbed as you're flying out the door--oops! caught on the door knob... and now the beads are all over the floor as you're trying to get to rosary before Mass. Or they can fall into the hands of our littlest Catholics, who have yet to learn their own strength. Let's not even discuss the washing machine. On hot wash, extra rinse, fast spin cycle. We've all forgotten to check our pockets a time or two. Or ten...
Rosaries need to be tough: cord can get hard and rot (though it washes well : ), chain can break, and plastic can crack (or melt, as the case may be). That's why we make it our job to make sure that our beads come from good, solid gemstones that won't crumble in your hands. Opal is a popular request for a rosary (wouldn't we all love to see one!), but opals are so soft and temperamental that if they make it out of the studio in one piece, they probably won't see a year of prayer life without crumbling. Our gemstones are chosen for their quality, beauty and durability.
Rosaries need to be tough: cord can get hard and rot (though it washes well : ), chain can break, and plastic can crack (or melt, as the case may be). That's why we make it our job to make sure that our beads come from good, solid gemstones that won't crumble in your hands. Opal is a popular request for a rosary (wouldn't we all love to see one!), but opals are so soft and temperamental that if they make it out of the studio in one piece, they probably won't see a year of prayer life without crumbling. Our gemstones are chosen for their quality, beauty and durability.
Lampwork Glass Paters
So just what is lampwork? "Lampwork" covers a wide range of styles, but all are beads made from glass. But not all Lampwork is created equal. You have to be very careful with your sources. If you choose beads that are mass-produced overseas, you can run into quality issues from the manufacturing process itself to the individual bead's beauty: a rose should look like a rose, not a blob. If you choose Lampwork beads from anyone who hangs out their bead maker's shingle, you still aren't guaranteed any sort of quality or durable process in their creation.
What we have found here at Miracoli Beads is that artisan beads provide the most bang for the buck. They are more expensive initially; however, you can't beat artisan beads for the beauty, durability, consistency and precise production process. An artisan lampworker cares very much about the quality of their work and has likely spent years, if not decades, building their style and reputation for quality work. The artisan lampworker doesn't just "make glass beads", they create tiny little works of art, putting a little of themselves into each creation and they care very deeply about the quality of their work and the designer's end result. When your love and your passion is designing beads for someone's prayer life, you can't put a price on real quality.
We have also found that getting to know the artisans is very rewarding. It's wonderful to get to know the people who you trust to help create your finished works. Our Lampwork beads are all made here in America by real artists who devote untold time, expense and effort to perfect their own art. We are so pleased to offer the Lampwork of artisans Kalera Stratton, Michelle Courchaine, Breezy Riggs and Lynn Bauter. These artists have poured their all into the beads that you will hold in your hands as Paters, if your rosary, chaplet or tenner features these miniature works of art.
What we have found here at Miracoli Beads is that artisan beads provide the most bang for the buck. They are more expensive initially; however, you can't beat artisan beads for the beauty, durability, consistency and precise production process. An artisan lampworker cares very much about the quality of their work and has likely spent years, if not decades, building their style and reputation for quality work. The artisan lampworker doesn't just "make glass beads", they create tiny little works of art, putting a little of themselves into each creation and they care very deeply about the quality of their work and the designer's end result. When your love and your passion is designing beads for someone's prayer life, you can't put a price on real quality.
We have also found that getting to know the artisans is very rewarding. It's wonderful to get to know the people who you trust to help create your finished works. Our Lampwork beads are all made here in America by real artists who devote untold time, expense and effort to perfect their own art. We are so pleased to offer the Lampwork of artisans Kalera Stratton, Michelle Courchaine, Breezy Riggs and Lynn Bauter. These artists have poured their all into the beads that you will hold in your hands as Paters, if your rosary, chaplet or tenner features these miniature works of art.
Swarovski Crystal
The name Swarovski is recognized the world over as the best crystal beads that you can buy--anywhere. These Austrian beads (aka "swarkies"), though more expensive than competing brands, can't be beat for their precise facets, consistent quality, exhaustive range of colors, shapes and sizes, and the entire reason that we all love crystal in the first place--that rainbow flash. Swarovski is the only brand of crystal that we use here at Miracoli Rosaries; quite simply, it never disappoints.
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