made from the finest gemstones and precious metals
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The Original Source of Heirloom
Eastern Christian Prayer Beads made from the finest gemstones and precious metals |
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We are the original Eastern Catholic source of artisan beaded Chotki and Komboschoinia. Steeped in the Eastern traditions of the Church, we design our chotkis to reflect the Eastern spirituality from which they were born. We understand the Orthodox mindset and design our pieces accordingly. For example, we would never consider making a chotki from Rudraksha beads, as they are traditionally used for Hindu malas, and to use such a bead in a Chotki is an insult to the Eastern Churches. Instead, as Byzantine Catholics ourselves, we choose materials and colors suited to the cultural and religious heritages of the Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox peoples.
Following are our artisan Chotki, organized by configuration. Every Artisan piece is one of a kind. The item pictured is the exact item you will receive if you order it. Click on the picture to view a larger photo and details, and/or to purchase the item.
Our standard olivewood and 'Publican-style' chotki are further down the page.
| Name of Chotki | Picture Click to view more details or to purchase | |
| St. Patrick's Day Chotki | ..................... $59.99 ..................... |
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| St. Valentine Chotki | ..................... SOLD ..................... |
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| "Trinity" Chotki | ..................... $79.99 ..................... |
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| "Martyrs of the Coliseum" Chotki | ..................... $49.99 ..................... |
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| "Drops of Blood" Chotki | ..................... $49.99 ..................... |
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| Fruit of the Vine Chotki | ..................... $39.99 ..................... |
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| Face of Christ Chotki | ..................... $99.00 ..................... |
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The traditional Slavic configuration, with 3 sets of 33 beads plus one additional bead above the cross
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| 'Gentiles' Chotki | ..................... $99.99 ..................... |
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| 'Golden Rays' 100-bead Chotki | ..................... $109.00 ..................... |
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| Russian Jade 100-bead Chotki | ..................... $199.00 .................... |
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| Psalm 19 100-bead Chotki | ..................... $79.99 ..................... |
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| "Salvation of All Ages" 100-bead Chotki | ..................... $89.99 ..................... |
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This asymmetrical old Slavonic configuration is still used by Russian monks.
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| Lapis Lazuli Vervitsa | ..................... 149.99 ..................... |
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| "Glory to Glory" Vervitsa | ..................... 89.99 ..................... |
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Any artisan chotki on this page (above) will be shipped inside a black velveteen pouch, with the lovely acrylic gift box pictured here. Standard chotkis (below) will be shipped in a black velveteen pouch. All chotkis are shipped with two sets of instructions: one for praying them in the traditional Eastern Rite manner, and the other in a more latinized "chaplet" style. Purchases over $200 will receive FREE shipping. |
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Standard Chotki
"The Publican" Black Glass
And the publican, standing afar off, would not so much as lift up his eyes towards
heaven; but struck his breast, saying: O God, be merciful to me a sinner.
--Luke 18:13
The Jesus Prayer is based on the prayer of the Publican. This chotki was originally designed with Confession in mind. We are to come to the Mystery of Reconciliation in the spirit of the Publican - humility and contrition.
Made of 8mm onyx glass prayer beads, 11x9mm 4-sided gray pressed glass spacer beads, and red glass accent beads, this chotki reminds us that the blackness of our sins caused the blood of Jesus to flow. The cross is silver-finished pewter.
Note: cross may vary from the one pictured.
See table below for ordering.
| 33-bead Chotki (3 sets of 11) |
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100-bead Chotki (3sets of 33, plus 1) |
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103-bead Chotki (Vervitsa configuration) |
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Bethlehem Olivewood
8mm carved olivewood prayer beads imported from Bethlehem, with an olivewood cross. These mequteria are strung on durable, premium quality flexwire, with root-beer-brown glass seed beads.
If you have purchased an olivewood set of prayer beads from us in the past, you will see that what we are now offering is slightly different - the prayer beads we are now using are carved instead of smooth. These beads are of a higher quality than the smooth ones we previously sold.
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33-bead Chotki $34.43 |
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100-bead Chotki $73.35 |
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103-bead Chotki $76.46 |
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St. Patrick's Vision
It is recorded that when St. Patrick and St. Brigid were united in their last prayer, a special vision was shown to him. He saw the whole of Ireland lit up with the brightest rays of Divine Faith. This continued for centuries, and then clouds gathered around the devoted island, and, little by little, the religious glory faded away, until, in the course of centuries, it was only in the remotest valleys that some glimmer of its light remained. St. Patrick prayed that the light would never be extinguished, and, as he prayed, the angel came to him and said: "Fear not: your apostolate shall never cease." As he thus prayed, the glimmering light grew in brightness, and ceased not until once more all the hills and valleys of Ireland were lit up in their pristine splendour, and then the angel announced to St. Patrick: "Such shall be the abiding splendour of Divine truth in Ireland."
--"St. Patrick", Catholic Encyclopedia,
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11554a.htm
This chotki was designed to express St. Patrick's beautiful vision. The gleaming two-tone Czech Firepolished beads are difficult to manufacture, just as it is difficult to maintain our faith while we live in this sinful world. These particular beads are green and crystal: green for Ireland, and crystal for the "rays of Divine Faith" that St. Patrick saw lighting up the island. Some of the beads are mostly crystal while other beads are mostly green; this represents how the light of faith fluctuated in the vision.
Further depicting the vision, the rest of the chotki is accented with gold, to represent "the abiding splendor of Divine truth". The chotki is strung on gold-colored Accuflex wire, divided with gold-finished pewter Celtic knot beads, and culminated with a gold-finished pewter Celtic cross. Gold-colored seed beads between the prayer beads carry the golden motif throughout the chotki.
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33-bead Chotki $18.69 |
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100-bead Chotki $41.53 |
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P.O. Box 10991
Bakersfield, CA 93389
