I too was raised Catholic. When I see Madonna or the like wearing a rosary as jewelry I cringe. Like if I wore a yamulke (Jewish skull cap) as fashion.

Recently a friend of mine told me of a Carmelite Convent here (Carmelites are a cloistered order.) She had taken roses from her mother's funeral and the nuns make rosary beads from the rose petals. So rosaries can be very personal.