Leap of faith |
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“The best find I’ve made was an ivory French cross – it’s big and carved and dates from somewhere around 1850,” Jan says. “I’ve also had a couple of beautiful crosses from TradeMe – one in silver filigree from India and another that was set with diamonds.”
Their modern-day rosaries are rapidly building a fan base and finding a place with people seeking to put some spiritual meaning into contemporary rituals. Weddings and naming ceremonies might not always take place in churches, but the rosaries are popular as presents or as adornment. Brides carry them or have them worked into their bouquets and, priced from $175 for mother-of-pearl and silver to $2000 for emeralds and gold, they are popular gifts for graduations and christenings.
Children’s rosaries can be made to order to match a family’s interests or a baby’s name can be spelled out in beads. Jan made one for her grandson that has giraffes set between ivory elephant beads, bought by her uncle in India many years ago, a school medal of her father’s and coral she bought in Egypt.
Each set of beads is packed and gift-wrapped in paper that is itself decorated with rosaries. Jan and Mary are enjoying the new creative spin on their friendship and can see the business expanding, initially to include Jan’s daughter-in-law, who’ll help to put the beads together.
There’s only one downside to their endeavour, the women say, and that’s “having to part with a favourite rosary when an order comes in”.
Order online at regankehoe.com
Story: Jacquetta Bell
Photographs: Paul McCredie
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