Black Hills Gold

Originating from a legend, Black Hills Gold jewelry has ultimately become one of the area's most recognized and collectible products. The familiar tri-colored leaf and grape design of Black Hills Gold has become a symbol for over the past century and into the new millennium.

It is widely acknowledged that a would-be gold prospector named Henri LeBeau was the father of Black Hills Gold’s distinctive pattern. The legend of the design is attributed to a dream said to have been experienced by LeBeau while he was wandering in the Hills in the late 1870s. Upon falling asleep in a remote location in the northern Black Hills, LeBeau dreamed of a creek with numerous grape vines growing along its banks. When he awoke, he stumbled over the next hill to see a scene much like the one in his dream. LeBeau later began making a line of jewelry reflecting this dream and went on to train many of the early Black Hills craftsmen in this style of design now known as Black Hills Gold jewelry.

By federal mandate, production of Black Hills Gold jewelry is limited to companies actually manufacturing in the Black Hills of South Dakota. They produce a diverse selection of special themes based upon this famous original design of rose, green, and yellow gold in the grapes and leaves pattern.

Glimpse of the Gold Rush

40M+ ounces of gold was produced at the Homstake Gold Mine in Lead, SD under the direction of George Hearst.

10 percent of the world's gold supply from 1876 to 2001 was prospected in the Black HIlls region of South Dakota.

Custer - 1874

After Horatio N. Ross—a civilian prospector—found the first public traces of gold in French Creek in 1874, the town of Custer became the site of one of the major encampments of the Black Hills Expedition.

Deadwood - 1874

The legendary reputation of Deadwood got its start in 1874 as a rowdy camp after the discovery of gold in the area. In 1876, miners moved into the northern Black Hills where a gold strike was found in a gulch of dead trees, and the community of Deadwood was born.

Keystone - 1875

Miners began to flood presentday Keystone in 1875 when gold was discovered in Battle Creek. Harney City became home to nearly 300 miners who made millions of dollars panning the streams and gravel beds.

Gold mining gave the town its name in 1891.

Lead - 1876

Lead was founded in early 1876, and was known to be more civilized than its sister city of Deadwood down the gulch. A year later, a group of investors led by George Hearst purchased the Homestake Gold Mine.

Hill City – 1876

A group of miners staked their claim along Spring Creek, later to be known as Hillyo, then renamed Hill City.