Black Hills Gold Rings

Black Hills Gold rings seem to be everywhere these days. The big TV shopping channels feature entire days filled with nothing but Black Hills Gold rings and other Black Hills Gold jewelry, and there are entire stores devoted to nothing but Black Hills Gold.

Before you buy, here are a few things you will want to know:

1. Black Hills Gold was first discovered in the Black Hills of South Dakota (then just Dakota Territory) in the mid-1870’s. Prior to that time, though, missionaries in the early 1800’s reported seeing native Sioux Indians with gold that they said was from the Black Hills. When General George Armstrong Custer sent reports back to the government in 1864 that there was indeed gold in the Black Hills, it set off a major gold rush, and ever since there has been a heavy demand for gold from the Black Hills. Only one active mine remains – Wharf Mine, near Terry Peak in Lead, South Dakota. To be considered true Black Hills Gold today, an item must be designed with a traditional tri-gold, grape leaf motif and be manufactured in the Black Hills of South Dakota, according to a ruling made by Judge Andrew Bogue in 1980. Too many companies had been using the grape leaf motif on their jewelry and manufacturing it in other states prior to that time.

2. Black Hills Gold rings manufactured today may be made out of gold not mined in the Black Hills, but they must be manufactured in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Pure 24K gold is alloyed with pure silver and copper to make 10K, 12K and 14K gold used for ring shanks and as the base for other items.

3. The different colors of Black Hills Gold are made when copper is alloyed with pure 24K gold to create 12K pink gold (which is sometimes used to make rose gold wedding bands, also), and silver is added to create the 12K green color for leaves. The alloyed gold is then rolled, stamped, soldered and engraved into Black Hills Gold rings, Black Hills Gold earrings, and all of the Black Hills jewelry designs available today.

Black Hills Ring from Amazon

The rich history and strict manufacturing guidelines for Black Hills Gold are just a few of the many reasons why you might want to purchase Black Hills Gold rings. You may even want to look into Black Hills Silver if you are on a budget. Whatever you decide, do your due diligence make sure it is genuine Black Hills Gold before you buy!

If you enjoyed this article, you may want to learn more about cubic zirconia rings!