You've seen its beauty, known of its popularity, but have you ever wondered how it came to be known as "Black Hills Gold"? Legend has it that a young Frenchman became lost while panning for gold during the gold rush days in the Black Hills. Wandering through the hills, he was soon fatiqued and stopped to take a rest beneath a tree. The young man fell asleep and dreamed about the grape vines and grapes reminiscent of where he grew up.
This dream spawned the inspiration to invent the beautiful tri-colored gold jewelry with grapes, vines, and leaves that became known as black gold. White settlement of the region increased with discovery of gold. The city of
Deadwood grew rapidly because of the prospecting. The historic town was home to S.T. Butler, known as "The Father of Black Hills Gold."
The three-color grape leaf style used by Butler may have originated in California during the gold rush of 1849, working its way eastward through the mining camps of Nevada, Idaho, Montana, until finally reaching the Black Hills.
This legendary jewelry has evolved much since the Gold Rush Days, but is still widely known and attracts visitors to the area to learn of its history, as well as take home a historic jewelry souvenir direct from the Black Hills, home of Black Hills gold.
