What is a rosary necklace?
Religious orders demand that a rosary is worn at all times, and it can be convenient to make it a necklace by wearing it around the neck.
The rosaries – normally wooden – worn in many orders are easily large enough to wear around the neck – but that is not so of the rosaries in normal use by the public at large.
So a rosary necklace is a standard five decade dominican rosary but with a clasp somewhere, generally the center of the third decade to allow a rosary, large enough to wear around the neck, but too small to fit around the head, to be unclasped as a necklace.
Rosary necklaces are generally chain based – can be silver or gold rosaries too. And they serve a very useful purpose, since it allows the rosary to be used at any time in any place.
It is generally possible to convert a chain rosary to be a rosary necklace, but many precious metal chain rosaries may be too fragile to be used this way.
It is sad to see rosaries generally and rosary necklaces becoming a fashion accessory, and not treated with the respect they deserve
