Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

BuyBlackHillsGold.com gears up for the Holidays


Online retailer of Black Hills Gold Jewelry gears up for the Holidays by adding new  winter designs to their offerings. They begun preparing for the holidays by adding a whole new design of Black Hills Gold Jewelry by Coleman’s Moonlight Eclipse Collection. 

The Moonlight Eclipse Jewelry has a white powder coat on brass with skillfully hand-cut details characterizing the individuality of each piece.  This wondrous collection includes three beautiful black hills gold earrings and pendant sets, three black hills gold watches with white powder coat straps, one beautiful black hills cross necklace, one black hills gold tear drop pendant and a black hills gold heart necklace featuring a  gold cross decorated with 12k gold pink and green leaves.
BuyBlackHillsGold.com will continue to enrich their offerings for next few weeks  by adding more designs to their existing Black Hills Gold Jewelry Collection to provide more quality products at the best prices.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Black Hills Gold Bridal Sets


Couples like to buy matching bridal set to maintain a tradition of having a engagement ring that matches perfectly with the wedding ring.

The benefit of buying the bridal set is not to worry about a matching ring for the wedding later. Getting the wedding band along with the engagement ring assures a perfect coordination for both rings. Also you can have them sized correctly so you need not worry about finding a ring that coordinates the diamond quality, metal color, height, width, and the ring size of the engagement ring. When you buy them together, you will find that you will save not only money, but also time in doing so.

This week BuyBlackHillsGold has featured two beautiful black hills gold bridal sets from their collection of high quality black hills gold wedding rings at BuyBlackHillsGold.com. 



The first is a stunning 10k Gold Black Hills Bridal Set. This set has two green 12k gold leaves and two rose 12k gold leaves with five brilliant diamonds. At the heart of this romantic bridal set design is a gorgeous center diamond available in 3 different sizes. The large center diamond is flanked by two of the four grape leaves and two smaller diamonds. The wedding band features the other two diamonds along with two more grape leaves. When worn together you have the beautiful illusion of one ring.

The second one is a exquisitely crafted 14k Black Hills Gold Antiqued Diamond Bridal Set. This set features a .10 carat diamond set in black antiquing accompanied by two smaller diamonds, one on the black hills gold wedding ring and the other on the black hills gold engagement ring.

For more information about these black hills gold bridal sets, please visit http://www.buyblackhillsgold.com/black-hills-gold-bridal-sets.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Black Hills Gold Masonic Rings

What are Masonic Rings?

Masonic rings are rings for 'Free Mason' believers or followers. The ring is usually worn in the right hand. In the past, to avoid suspicion of any cult activity, members wore the rings in secret. When in public, they wore the ring facing the palm of the hand in order to hide the crest. The Masonic rings have a design mostly of a square or compasses. By wearing this ring, the Free Mason follower is promising to live his life full of virtues and good deeds seeking the knowledge of life. He also promises to protect the teachings and beliefs of his community. Free Mason community though has different lodges with varying belief they all share a common goal. Hence the Masonic designs vary slightly but have the same square and compass theme.

How to wear a Masonic Ring?
Should a person wear the ring with the points of the legs of compass facing him or with the points of legs facing away from him? According to Masonic Service Association of North America, it can be worn either way. The 2 points of the compasses may point to the Mason to remind him of his obligation or the 2 points of the compasses may point toward others to show an outward sign of the wearer's authenticity as a Master Mason.

As Gold is considered as one of the precious metals in the world, most of the Masonic Rings are made of yellow gold or white gold. However, pure gold is not recommended for Masonic Rings, as they are very soft and malleable. You will find Masonic Rings made of 10k, 14k or 18 k Gold as well as sterling silver.

What is a Black Hills Gold Masonic Ring?
Black Hills gold jewelry are handcrafted heirloom jewelry distinguishable by it’s tri-colored gold leaves, grapevine and flower accents. By Federal mandate, the jewelry must be manufactured in the Black Hills of South Dakota in order to carry the name Black Hills Gold Jewelry. Black Hills Gold by Coleman manufactures beautiful Black Hills Gold Masonic Rings with onyx center stone decorated with Masonic emblem along with classic black hills gold designs of grape leaves on the side.

Black Hills Gold Masonic Rings make a great gift for a free mason. Many designs of Black Hills Gold Masonic Rings can be found at http://www.buyblackhillsgold.com/masonicrings.

Information about history of Freemasonry can be found at Masonic Service Association of North America www.msana.com.
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Thursday, December 2, 2010

Exploring Black Hills Gold Jewelry



Hello Jewelry lovers!!! As a Jewelry lover and collector, the word ‘Jewelry’ brings the magical enthusiasm in me. It’s fascinating to look at many ways various cultures tend to construct their adornments filled with their values and beliefs. Across world adornments have been used as decoration or wealth or tradition or trade. I relate jewelry as passion, showing what you are and what you value. I have been researching and collecting jewelry since 2000, my latest passion being “Black Hills Gold Jewelry".

S. T. Butler, Montana native goldsmith, created a standard design – the grape leaf. He used 12karat rose or pink gold (adding copper to gold), 12karat green gold (adding silver to gold) and yellow gold creating little works of art into unique tri-colored jewelry pieces.

Today, we see modern and contemporary designs on old theme. As jewelry collector and maker, I not only love the intricate patterns, but boy, the tri-color!!! It’s a fact that pink gold with a feminine look, green gold with the delightful aspect and the charming effect of yellow gold blend in to bring a special beauty to each piece of art created.

I will keep exploring and enjoying the “Black Hills Gold Jewelry" and hope you will too. I will keep posting my latest finding and you feel free too.

Cheers!!
Su

Monday, October 4, 2010

History of Black Hills Gold

Black Hills
 Black Hills gold jewelry is a piece of handcrafted heirloom jewelry distinguishable by its tri-colored gold leaves, grapevine and flower accents.

The history of Black Hills Gold started in 1874. A group of 1000 men were led by George Armstrong Custer into the Black Hills area in search of gold. As they found a small quantities of gold near present day Custer, South Dakota, the great Black Hills Gold Rush began.

 Discovery of gold in Deadwood and Whitewood Creeks in the northern Black Hills, resulted in increased White settlement in the region. The city of Deadwood, a historic mining town was also home to S.T Butler, who is known as the father of Black Hills Gold Jewelry. Using torch for soldering and handmade punches, S.T Butler created the traditional Black Hills Gold design using red, green and yellow gold. For two generations, Black Hills Gold was run as a retail business with the local scope. F.L. Thorpe, grandson of S.T. Butler, expanded the manufacturing and distribution of Black Hills Gold Jewelry. Hundreds of designs were introduced with the basic motif of grape and leaf design with the tricolor gold. Thorpe, along with a partner E.O Lampinen formed F.L. Thorpe Company. Later, when partnership was dissolved, F.L. Thorpe Company continued business while Lampinen started a separate shop in Deadwood.

In mid 1900s, Black Hills Gold manufacturing moved from Deadwood to Rapid City, when Ivan Landstrom bought Black Hills Jewelry Manufacturing from Lampinen and started manufacturing Landstrom's Original Black Hills Gold Creations.

In 1940's a lady named Clara Arnold owned and operated her own manufacturing plant in Rapid City. Later, her company was bought by the Stamper family in 1959, and it has since operated under the name Stamper Jewelry Inc.

According to a federal ruling in 1980s, the design of jewelry with tri-color grape leaves and grape clusters must be manufactured in the Black Hills of South Dakota in order to carry the name "Black Hills Gold Jewelry." Few other companies also started manufacturing Black Hills Gold including Coleman, South Dakota Gold and Mount Rushmore.In 1995, Landstrom purchased F.L Thorpe company, and has continued to manufacture Thorpe designs, in addition to expanding to newer styles.

Today, Black Hills Gold jewelry are made in modern and contemporary designs though focus remains on tricolor grape leaves and grape bunches with detailed accents making it a specialized and unique jewelry.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Welcome!

Welcome to the premier blog spot of Black Hills Gold jewelry! This blog will cover a wide array of topics specifically related to Black Hills gold - history, trends and fashions in jewelry, social and cultural shifts related to jewelry in general and the like.

First,  a few things about myself. As a female member of the Homo Sapiens species, it is natural that I am attracted to jewelry and get excited seeing new designs and creative innovations, but my attraction goes beyond simply seeing, admiring and wearing jewelry. I am not only drawn towards jewelry of all forms, fashions and prices but also like to look at the anthropological roots of jewelry and the place that it has occupied in social relations, culture and human development.

The classic dictionary definition of jewelry would simply be -  objects of precious metal often set with gems and worn for personal adornment. However, the significance goes beyond just that. There is a social and cultural relevance, one of position and prestige in the society as well as conveying a message discreet or indiscreetly about the person wearing the jewelry.

In this blog, I will focus on my passion - which is Black Hills Gold jewelry. This particularly interests me not only because of the unique nature and design of Black Hills Gold type of jewelry, but there is a certain mystery, mystique and history behind this that is absolutely exciting. This is now part of folklore as well as modern American history, one of several that formed and shaped this great nation.

I welcome you to join and follow my blog as well as would be interested in any comments of your own that would enrich this discussion. Enjoy and talk to you sometime on the Web!!