Rosaries

Rosaries or prayer beads made of amber are found in various religions. Amber is attributed with beneficial effects not only for health but also for the mind. Kneading amber beads in fingers stimulates the peripheral nerves, calms the mind and helps to concentrate during the meditation. Amber rosaries are used mostly in Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam.
In Buddhism, amber is one of the seven, or sometimes eight, treasures of the Buddha, along with gold, silver, coral, pearls, lapis lazuli and agate. Amber beads are used to make "mala" rosaries, which consist of 108 beads. This is because the number 108 symbolises the number of vices one faces on the path to nirvana. A similar meditation aid is used in Hinduism, where the rosary is also made up of 108 beads, and in addition to mantras the names of Gods are also repeated.
In Islam, amber is considered the most valuable gemstone for "tesbih" (or also "tespih" or "misbaha") rosaries. They usually consist of 33 or 99 beads plus dividing beads or discs. A rosary of 99 beads represents all the names of Allah. The 33-bead rosary refers to a hadith that calls on Muslims to repeat the subhanallah 33 times after prayer.