What kinds of aromatic woods are Catholic rosaries made of?
My mother was given a rosary in Italy about three decades ago. It was made of some kind of reddish-brown wood and sterling silver. After twenty years, the wood still had a spicy, rich scent to it. The rosary was stolen a few years ago; I’d like to have another one made for her, but don’t know the type of wood. The only aromatic wood in rosaries I’ve been able to find is sandalwood. Does anyone know of other aromatic woods rosaries can be made of?
It was probably rosewood. But could have been cherry, olive, or cedar.
Sounds like cedar.
There are some orders of nuns who make rosaries out of roses. Here, I found this in about thirty seconds of searching. I am sure you can find more info too.
Rosaries can be made from almost any material. Sometimes they are made of wood. Some are made of pearls, etc.
That’s a real shame that such a beautiful rosary was stolen.
Older rosaries were made of more aromatic woods such as cedar and some rarer hardwoods. Export limitations are more strict on certain hardwoods, particularly if the species of tree is endangered.
It is also possible that the wood was treated with some sort of incense or other aromatic agent.