| In the 19th century, The Black Hills of South Dakota | | | | different colors used in the jewelry are alloys of gold. |
| was an untamed area held sacred by The Sioux | | | | To obtain the green hue, silver is alloyed with yellow |
| Native Americans. White men knew nothing about it | | | | gold. Copper is alloyed with yellow gold in differing |
| when George Armstrong Custer led the first | | | | mixes to obtain red or pink gold. |
| expeditionary force there in 1874. This expedition was | | | | While it is true that in the 1980's a federal judge ruled |
| a violation of a peace treaty with the Sioux, a violation | | | | that any gold called Black Hills Gold must be |
| that the Sioux never forgot. They exacted their | | | | manufactured in the Black Hills, this does not mean that |
| revenge on Custer at The Battle Of Little Big Horn in | | | | the gold itself has to be from it. Makers purchase their |
| Montana two years later. | | | | gold from many sources, and as long as the jewelry is |
| A few months after the expedition had entered the | | | | made, it is legal to use the name. |
| area, a man name Horatio Ross discovered gold along | | | | Black Hills gold begins with ingots of gold, silver and |
| French Creek. The lure of gold has the power to lure | | | | copper. These are melted and combined to make the |
| men to pursue it no matter where it may lead them. | | | | different karat alloys used and different colors, then |
| The gold found at French Creek had the same effect, | | | | formed into gold bars. Some of these gold bars are |
| and led to one of the last great gold rushes of the | | | | then rolled to various thicknesses according to the |
| west. The town of Deadwood was a gold rush town, | | | | needs of the jewelry being made, then they are |
| with all that goes with it. Prospectors, saloons, gambling, | | | | stamped using patterns and dies. Other gold bars are |
| violence, and famous people. Wild Bill Hickok was shot | | | | used to cast the base of the piece of jewelry. |
| to death in a saloon in Deadwood as he played poker. | | | | Cast pieces are polished, then the pressed gold items |
| His card hand contained a pair of aces and a pair of | | | | are hand soldered to the jewelry base. After further |
| eights, ever since known as the Dead Man's Hand. | | | | hand work, polishing and many inspections, a high |
| The man that has been called the father of Black Hills | | | | quality piece of Black Hills Gold jewelry is the result. |
| Gold, S.T.Butler, also lived in Deadwood. His jewelry | | | | This type of jewelry is known for its high quality, |
| design of the colored leaf so often seen in this type of | | | | beauty and value. It remains a popular type of jewelry |
| jewelry may have originated in San Francisco during | | | | that is not only very pleasing to the eye. It is a uniquely |
| the gold rush of 1849. Black Hills Gold designs also use | | | | American form of the jeweler's art. |
| grapes and grape stems as well as the leaves. The | | | | |