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Black Hills Gold jewelry treasures
Black Hills Gold is a treasure with a long and colorful history which began many years ago during the famous gold rush in the 1800's, specifically with a Frenchman named Henri Le Beau. He was following the masses Westward, in hopes of gaining his fortune, but became separated from his fellow-travelers. When he fell asleep he had a dream which led him to design the now famous pattern of grape clusters and leaves, and through the years this design has endured. Cast in 10 Karat gold, in the beautiful colors of yellow, rose, and green, Black Hills Gold jewelry is uniquely and beautifully designed. Here at bhgolddiggers.com you can buy necklaces and bracelets online, gemstone silver rings, Black Hills Gold wedding rings, and much, much more. You can also purchase from one of our outlet stores across South Dakota. Take some time to read about our products and look at the breathtaking jewelry our artists have created for you. You will be delighted with what you find -- you have our guarantee.
Black Hills Gold Jewelry manufactured by Gold Diggers
Black Hills Gold jewelry is hand crafted in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Bright yellow gold is skillfully combined with grape leaves and grape clusters made from green gold and pink gold.
Legend has it that the first Black Hills Gold jewelry was crafted by a master gold smith named Henri Le Beau. He had been born in France and had studied under master European gold smiths. Henri had an adventurous spirit and came to the United States, where in New York he hoped to further his craft with American gold smiths. After several years of further study he heard of the gold rush in California where rumor had it that gold nuggets as large as your fist were being found. That was where Henri wanted to be, where the gold was plentiful and he could practice the art of jewelry making. He joined a wagon train and headed west. Near the Badlands of South Dakota the wagon train came under attack and Henri found himself separated from the train and his belongings. After wandering around for days without provisions Henri found himself at the end of his strength stumbling around after nightfall. He passed into a deep sleep in which he had a vision of the babbling brooks and vineyards of his native France. Upon awakening Henri found he had fallen asleep near a small creek and was surrounded by wild grapes. With fresh water at hand and grapes for provisions, Henri was rejuvenated. He followed the creek and found his way to the Deadwood and Lead area of the Black Hills.
At that time Deadwood and Lead were poised to have a gold rush of their own. Some of you may have heard of the days of ’76 when word of the gold strike spread like wildfire bringing with it hundreds of small mining claims. Henri never did become much of a prospector, but he did make his mark on the area. With some of his remaining finances he bought gold from more successful prospectors. In commemoration of his good luck in finding provisions that saved his life, Henri made beautiful jewelry adorned with grape clusters and leaves in a distinctive three color design. Henri’s luck continued with his new jewelry design which became very popular among the prospectors. Jewelry made in the Black Hills with grape leaves and grape clusters have come to be known as Black Hills Gold jewelry.
The gold rush brought with it some of the west’s most colorful characters such as Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, and Potato Creek Johnny. Even the renowned Buffalo Bill Cody is said to have traveled through the Black Hills on his way to Cody, Wyoming. Over the years many of the small mining claims were acquired by the Homestake Mining Company. The original claim was filed in April, 1876. For most of the next century the Homestake Mine in Lead was one of the most productive, richest and largest gold mines in the world. Homestake produced about 350,000 ounces of gold per year over its operating lifespan of 125 years. Officially the Homestake gold mine closed in 2001 in December. At that time it had reached more than 8,000 feet into the earth to bring up its gold. Temperatures deep in the mine were as high as 135 degrees and air conditioning was required for miners to be able to work.
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