About

Founded in 1998, Equatoria began with a passion for finding unusual and beautifully made religious and devotional objects from around the world. Ann Ahlswede and James Richard “Dick” Halbert were both visual artists with a deep appreciation for historic craftsmanship and distinctive forms. Their travels, research, and years of collecting led them to discover pieces from Europe, Latin America, Africa, and elsewhere that were often difficult to find and in danger of disappearing. What began as a small catalog business eventually grew into a specialized source for unique religious jewelry and rosary components.

As Equatoria developed, the focus increasingly turned toward the pieces used to create rosaries and religious jewelry: rosary centers, crucifixes, crosses, medals, links, and other distinctive components. Many of the designs in the Equatoria collection are based on antique and vintage pieces that were carefully selected, researched, restored, and adapted for reproduction. Using traditional lost-wax casting methods and a variety of metals, Equatoria has worked to preserve the character and detail of these older designs while making them available to today's makers and retailers.

Today, Equatoria continues that tradition as a wholesale source for religious and rosary jewelry components. Our collection includes hundreds of distinctive designs in bronze, sterling silver, and other metals, with an emphasis on pieces that are difficult to find elsewhere. From traditional Catholic medals and rosary centers to crosses, crucifixes, and devotional jewelry components, Equatoria brings together decades of collecting, artistic knowledge, and careful craftsmanship to help designers and retailers create work with a sense of history and individuality.