How to choose, wear, and give a religious medal: our mini guide

A medal is much more than a piece of jewelry: it is a way to carry your faith with you, to entrust yourself and your loved ones to God. But with so many Virgins, saints, stones, and chains, it is not always easy to choose. This is our mini guide to choosing, wearing, and gifting a religious medal, with everything we have learned from making them.

1. A little history

Christians have worn signs of their faith since the early centuries. Over time, medals featuring the image of the Virgin or the saints became one of the most widespread devotions: they are given at birth, for First Communion, or at a wedding, worn for a lifetime, and often passed down through generations. We have always grown up surrounded by them at home, and that is how Khartes was born.

2. The most beloved medals

• Our Lady of Mount Carmel, patroness of the sea, associated with the scapular. How to choose it.
• The Miraculous Medal, the most widespread in the world, a classic for baptisms. How to choose it.
• Saint Benedict, the great medal of protection. How to wear it.
• Our Lady of the Pillar, patroness of Hispanic peoples. Her history.
• Saint Anthony, the patron saint of engaged couples and our family. Why we love him so much.
• Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, Fatima, El Rocío, Covadonga, and the Abandoned: the Virgin of every home and every land.
• Saint Jude Thaddeus, for difficult causes, and the Sacred Heart and the cross, the most universal symbols.

If you like the Miraculous Medal, here are all our Miraculous Medal pieces, handcrafted in Spain.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel with natural pearls, ready to gift

3. Every medal, its history

These are the medals and devotions we make at Khartes, with their origins, their feast days, and when to gift them.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Feast day: July 16

She takes her name from Mount Carmel in the Holy Land, the birthplace of the Carmelite Order. According to tradition, in 1251 the Virgin gave the scapular to Saint Simon Stock as a sign of her protection. She is the patroness of the sea, sailors, and the Spanish Navy, and one of the most beloved devotions of Spanish families.

To gift: For First Communion, for those who live by the sea or travel often, and for anyone who wants to feel under the Virgin's mantle. Read the guide.

Miraculous Medal

Feast day: November 27

In 1830 the Virgin appeared to Saint Catherine Labouré in the chapel on rue du Bac in Paris and asked her to have this medal struck. On the front, the Virgin with the inscription "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee"; on the back, the M with the cross, the two hearts, and twelve stars. It was called "miraculous" because of the many graces attributed to it.

To gift: For baptisms and births, times of illness, and as the first medal for any devotee. Read the guide.

Saint Benedict

Feast day: July 11

Saint Benedict of Nursia (6th century) founded the Benedictine Order and is the patron saint of Europe. His medal features the cross with the initials of the prayer "Crux sancta sit mihi lux" ("may the holy cross be my light") and, around it, the "Vade retro Satana". That is why, for centuries, it has been the great medal of protection.

To gift: For Confirmation, an important beginning, a time of inner struggle, or for anyone who wants to keep Saint Benedict close every day. Read the guide.

Our Lady of the Pillar

Feast day: October 12

Tradition tells us that in the year 40 the Virgin appeared to Saint James the Apostle on the banks of the Ebro in Zaragoza, atop a stone column, to encourage him in his preaching. She is the first Marian devotion in history, and the patroness of Hispanic peoples and the Spanish Civil Guard.

Here are all the models of our Our Lady of the Pillar medal.

To gift: For anyone named Pilar, for people from Aragon, for those who live far from Spain, and for any October 12. Read the guide.

Saint Anthony of Padua

Feast day: June 13

He was born in Lisbon in 1195, was a Franciscan and an extraordinary preacher; he died in Padua in 1231 and is a Doctor of the Church. He is invoked to find lost things and is the patron saint of engaged couples. He has always been a devotion in our family.

To gift: For weddings and engagements, couples, and for anyone looking for something… or someone. Read the guide.

Saint Jude Thaddeus

Feast day: October 28

One of the twelve apostles and a relative of Jesus. He is depicted with the image of Christ on his chest and a flame above his head, a reminder of Pentecost. He is the patron saint of difficult and desperate causes: the one people turn to when it seems there is nothing left to do.

Here are all our Saint Jude Thaddeus medals.

To gift: For a difficult time involving health, work, or family, and for anyone who needs hope. Read the guide.

Sacred Heart of Jesus

Feast day: the Friday after Corpus Christi

Between 1673 and 1675, Jesus appeared to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in Paray-le-Monial (France), showing his heart as a symbol of his love. Among his promises are peace in families and comfort in difficult times. Spain was consecrated to the Sacred Heart in 1919, on the Cerro de los Ángeles.

To gift: For a new home, a marriage, an anniversary, and for anyone who wants to place their life in God's hands. Read the guide.

The cross

Feast day: September 14 (Exaltation of the Holy Cross)

The most universal symbol of Christianity: the love that gives itself until the end and the hope of the Resurrection. Simple, it can be worn alone or with a medal of the Virgin.

To gift: For Confirmation, for men and women alike, and for anyone who prefers a discreet symbol. Read the guide.

Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception

Feast day: December 8

It celebrates that Mary was conceived without original sin, a dogma proclaimed by Pope Pius IX in 1854, although it had been defended in Spain for centuries before that. She has been the patroness of Spain since 1760. She is depicted with her hands joined, dressed in white and blue, and standing on the moon.

To gift: For baptisms, for anyone named Concepción, Inma, or Purísima, and on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Read the guide or see our Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception medals.

Our Lady of Fátima

Feast day: May 13

In 1917, from May 13 to October 13, the Virgin appeared to three shepherd children—Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta—in Fatima (Portugal), asking them to pray the rosary for peace in the world. Her sanctuary receives millions of pilgrims every year.

To gift: For anyone named Fatima, for pilgrims, and for anyone who prays the rosary or prays for peace. Read the guide.

Our Lady of El Rocío

Feast day: Pentecost

Her hermitage is in the village of El Rocío, in Almonte (Huelva), near the Doñana marshes. Every Pentecost, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims visit it during one of the most famous pilgrimages in the world. They call her the White Dove.

To gift: For anyone named Rocío, for people from Andalusia, and for pilgrims. Read the guide.

Our Lady of Covadonga

Feast day: September 8

The Santina is in the Holy Cave of Covadonga, in the Picos de Europa. She is associated with the Battle of Covadonga (722), where Don Pelayo began the Reconquista, and is the patroness of Asturias.

To gift: For anyone named Covadonga, for people from Asturias, and for anyone who carries Asturias in their heart. Read the guide.

Our Lady of the Forsaken

Feast day: the second Sunday of May

Patroness of Valencia. Her devotion was born in the 15th century to accompany the sick, the mentally ill, and abandoned children. They affectionately call her Geperudeta because of the slight tilt of her image.

To gift: For anyone named Amparo or Desamparados, for people from Valencia, and for anyone going through a time of loneliness. Read the guide or see our Our Lady of the Forsaken medals.

An idea: the Sacred Heart medal

If you are looking for a medal for a new home, a wedding, or an anniversary, the Sacred Heart is a wonderful idea. Here are some of our pieces, enameled by hand:

Enamel and lapis lazuli Enamel and natural pearls Red enamel and pearls Pendant Scapular Detente bracelet

4. How to choose the right medal

The devotion. The most important thing is that it has meaning: the Virgin of the name of the person who will wear it, the one from their land, the family devotion, or a saint who will accompany them in a specific time. If you are searching by name, see our medals by name.

The material. Our medals are handmade in Spain with 18K gold plating (24K for the Sacred Heart and the rustic cross), with natural pearls and stones, and hand-applied enamels.

The stone or color. The pearl is light and the classic for baptism and First Communion; lapis lazuli recalls the Virgin's mantle; amethyst, turquoise, or fluorite add color and personality. Every stone is natural, so every medal is unique.

The size and chain. All come with a 40 cm gold-plated chain + a 5 cm extender, which fits both children and adults.

Saint Benedict with pearls: a medal to wear every day

5. The blessing

It is tradition to take the medal to be blessed by a priest before you start wearing it. It is a simple gesture that gives it its full meaning: a medal is not an amulet, but a reminder of faith.

6. A medal for every moment, need, or devotion

Every medal has its history and its meaning. This is our little cheat sheet to get it right.

For every moment in life

• Birth and baptism – Miraculous Medal or Immaculate Conception. To place the baby under the protection of the Virgin; it is the classic baptism medal. Baptism gifts.
• First Communion – Our Lady of Mount Carmel or a scapular. The scapular is usually given at First Communion, and the natural pearl symbolizes the purity of that first encounter. What medal to gift for a First Communion.
• Confirmation – Saint Benedict or a cross. Strength for the path of adult faith. What to gift for a Confirmation.
• Wedding – Saint Anthony. The patron saint of engaged couples, to bless the "I do". Wedding gifts.
• A new home or family – Sacred Heart. Among its promises are peace and unity in families. How to choose your Sacred Heart medal.

For every need

• Protection – Saint Benedict. His cross and his prayer ask to ward off evil and temptations. The Saint Benedict medal.
• Difficult causes – Saint Jude Thaddeus. The patron saint of impossible causes, when everything seems lost. The Saint Jude Thaddeus medal.
• Thanks – Miraculous Medal. It was called "miraculous" because of the many graces attributed to it since its origin in 1830. What the Miraculous Medal means.
• Travel and the sea – Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Patroness of sailors and those who are far from home. How to choose it.
• Lost things – Saint Anthony. To find objects… and also your way. Saint Anthony, the patron saint of our family.
• Comfort – Our Lady of the Forsaken. Mother of those who suffer or feel alone. Her history.

For every land and devotion

• Aragon and Hispanic peoples – Our Lady of the Pillar. The first Marian devotion, associated with Saint James the Apostle. Saint James the Apostle and Our Lady of the Pillar.
• Andalucía – Virgen del Rocío. The White Dove of the marshes. How to choose it.
• Asturias – Virgen de Covadonga. La Santina, where it all began. How to choose it.
• Valencia – Virgen de los Desamparados. La Geperudeta, the mother of the Valencians.
• Pilgrims – Virgen de Fátima. Peace and the rosary, from Portugal to the world. How to choose it.
• All of Spain – La Inmaculada. Patroness of Spain, purity and hope. How to choose it.

What if you don't know which one to choose? The Virgin bearing the name of the person who will always wear it is always a good choice: check out our medals by name.

7. How to wear it every day

Around your neck, alone or with other medals; on a pearl or natural stone necklace to make it stand out; or on your wrist, with a St. Benedict or Sacred Heart bracelet. We always wear our medal: protected and showing off at the same time.

The Virgen del Rocío with natural pearls

8. Giving it as a gift: an act of love

Giving a medal is entrusting someone you love. All of ours come wrapped as a gift free of charge, and in our gift packs we combine them with a bracelet, necklace, or choker at a special price.

It always comes wrapped as a gift

9. What to look for when buying a medal

• That the image of the Virgin or saint is well defined.
• The plating and material, especially if it is going to be worn every day.
• That it includes the chain.
• That you can exchange it if you make the wrong choice: at Khartes the first exchange is free for 14 days.

10. How to care for it

Put it on after perfume and cream, and take it off to shower, swim, or exercise. Store it separately and clean it with a soft, dry cloth. Here are 6 tips to make the shine last longer.

Facts you can check

About the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the devotion in the video:

• The phrase "I will reign in Spain" comes from Blessed Bernardo de Hoyos, a young Jesuit who claimed to have received it in Valladolid on May 14, 1733. He was beatified in 2010. Source
• In 1899 Pope Leo XIII decreed, with the encyclical Annum Sacrum, the consecration of all humankind to the Sacred Heart. Source
• The first monument on the Cerro de los Ángeles, in Getafe, was destroyed in 1936. The one seen today was consecrated on June 25, 1965. Source
• In 2024 Pope Francis dedicated his encyclical Dilexit nos ("He Loved Us") to the Heart of Jesus. Source

A companion for life

A medal accompanies you in good days and difficult ones, and one day passes into other hands with all its history inside. If you don't have yours yet, discover all our medals in our online store, www.khartesmadrid.com: handmade in Spain, with 24–72 h shipping and free from €65.

Marian and Bárbara