FOLKLORE

HENRI LEBEAU, A FRENCH PROSPECTOR AND GOLDSMITH, CAME OUT WEST TO MAKE HIS FORTUNE. HIS OPTIMISM FADED WHEN HE BECAME LOST AND WAS APPROACHING STARVATION.

ONE NIGHT HENRI DREAMED OF THE LUSH VINEYARDS OF HIS FRENCH HOMELAND. WHEN HE WOKE UP, HE HEARD RUNNING WATER FROM A STREAM. FOLLOWING THE STREAM, HENRI FOUND GRAPES NATIVE TO SOUTH DAKOTA. HENRI LEBEAU SETTLED IN THE BLACK HILLS AND CRAFTED JEWELRY USING THREE COLORS OF GOLD WITH DESIGNS REPRESENTING THE GRAPES AND LEAVES THAT HAD SAVED HIS LIFE.

LEGEND

GYPSIES TRAVELING THROUGH THE BLACK HILLS IN THE 1950’S STARTED A LEGEND WHICH SAYS, “TO ONE WHO WEARS THE BLACK HILLS GOLD, GOODLUCK AND FORTUNE WILL UNFOLD”

MYTH

THERE IS A MYTH THAT PINK AND GREEN GOLD IS MINED ONLY IN THE BLACK HILLS. THE DISTINCTIVE COLORS OF BLACK HILLS GOLDARE ACTUALLY CREATED THROUGH AN ALLOYING PROCESS, WHICH MIXES OTHER METALS WITH PURE 24K GOLD.

THE DELICATE GREEN COLOR IS ACHIEVED BY ADDING STERLING SILVER WITH GOLD.

THE ROSE COLOR IS MADE BY COMBINING GOLD WITH COPPER.

BACK TO THE TOP

24K GOLD BARS

THE PROCESS OF MAKING LANDSTROM’S ORIGINAL BLACK HILLS GOLD BEGINS WITH 24 KARAT GOLD BARS…. AND A VISION.

GOLD SHEETS

ALLOYS OF 12 KARAT GOLD ARE ROLLED INTO SHEETS OF GOLD. LANDSTROMS MAINTAINS THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF SHEET THICKNESS IS THE INDUSTRY.

LEAVES

LEAVES AND OTHER COMPONENT PARTS ARE PUNCHED OUT OF THE GOLD SHEETS. OTHER BLACK HILLS GOLD COMPANIES MECHANICALLY PRE-STAMP THE BACKGROUND TEXTURE.

WAX

EACH NEW DESIGN BEGINS WITH A TWO-DIMENSIONAL DRAWING AND BECOMES A THREE-DIMENSIONAL DESIGN CARVED IN WAX.

10K CAST

THE WAX IS SURROUNDED BY A PLASTER-LIKE SUBSTANCE. WHEN IT IS HEATED, THE WAX MELTS AND LEAVES A VOID THAT THE MOLTEN GOLD CAN BE POURED INTO. THIS CREATES A CASTING IN 10K GOLD.

SOLDER

THE 12 KARAT GOLD PUNCHED OUT LEAVES ARE INDIVIDUALLY HAND-SOLDERED TO THE CASTED GOLD FRAME.

24K GOLD

DEPENDING ON THE DESIGN, SELECT PIECES OF LANDSTROM’S ARE DIPPED IN LIQUID 24 KARAT GOLD TO CREATE A BRIGHT EYE CATCHING FINISH.

WRIGGLE

“WRIGGLING” IS A HANDCRAFTED FINISHING METHOD THAT CREATES THE RICH FROSTY DEPTH IN LANDSTROM’S LEAVES.

ENGRAVE

THE VEINS OF EACH LEAF ARE METICULOUSLY HAND ENGRAVED TO PRODUCE UNIQUE LIGHT-CATCHING, PRISMATIC CUTS.

FROM THE FIRST STEP TO THE FINAL INSPECTION, EACH PIECE OF LANDSTROM’S ORIGINAL BLACK HILLS GOLD REFLECTS THE SKILLS OF UP TO 50 DIFFERENT HIGHLY TRAINED ARTISANS.

BACK TO THE TOP

BACK TO THE TOP

BACK TO THE TOP

LOOK FOR THE LANDSTROM’S (squiggly) ‘L’ TO MAKE SURE YOU’VE GOT A TREASURE, NOT A TRINKET.

EACH PIECE OF LANDSTROM’S ORIGINAL BLACK HILLS GOLD IS STAMPED WITH OUR REGISTERED TRADEMARK:

OTHER REGISTERED TRADEMARKS IN LANDSTROM’S “FAMILY” INCLUDE: BH GOLD JCO
BLACK HILLS GOLD JCO
THE F.L. THORPE BRAND MARKED WITH:
(large 'W' mark with a 'V' at the bottom)

BACK TO THE TOP

BACK TO THE TOP

BACK TO THE TOP

A 60 YEAR OLD BLACK HILLS GOLD RING

BACK TO THE TOP

1874 SOUTH DAKOTA GOLD RUSH

BLACK HILLS GOLD HISTORY BEGINS WHEN HORATIO N. ROSS, A SCOUT FOR GENERAL GEORGE ARMSTRONG CUSTER, DISCOVERS GOLD IN THE BLACK HILLS.

1876 HENRI LEBEAU

INSPIRATION FOR THE BLACK HILLS GOLD GRAPE AND LEAF DESIGNS IN THREE COLORS OF GOLD IS CREDITED TO A PROSPECTOR / GOLDSMITH NAMED HENRI LEBEAU. THESE DESIGNS PROBABLY BEGAN IN THE MINING TOWNS OF CALIFORNIA DURING ITS GOLD RUSH DAYS IN 1849 AND WORKED THEIR WAY THROUGH THE MINING CAMPS IN IDAHO, NEVADA, MONTANA AND COLORADO. HENRI LEBEAU BROUGHT THESE DESIGNS FROM MONTANA TO SOUTH DAKOTA IN 1876, WHEN HE OPENED UP A SHOP IN CENTRAL CITY.

CENTRAL CITY AND DEADWOOD GREW OUT OF THE WILD WEST ERA OF PROSPECTORS, SALOONS, AND LEGENDARY FIGURES LIKE WILD BILL HICKOK AND CALAMITY JANE.

1878 S.T. BUTLER

HENRI LEBEAU TRAINS S.T. BUTLER WHO STARTS A JEWELRY MANUFACTURING STORE AND PRODUCES BLACK HILLS GOLD JEWELRY WITH HIS SON, GEORGE M. BUTLER IN DEADWOOD.

1900’S CLARENCE THORPE

CLARENCE THORPE NEPHEW OF GEORGE – GRANDSON TO S.T. BUTLER, TAKES OVER BUSINESS.

1919 F.L. THORPE COMPANY

CLARENCE THORPE SELLS HIS BUSINESS TO HIS BROTHER, FRANK THORPE. FRANK FORMS A PARTNERSHIP WITH ED “E.O.” LAMPINEN UNDER THE NAME F.L. THORPE COMPANY.

FRANK THORPE AND ED LAMPINEN DISSOLVE THEIR PARTNERSHIP AND DIVIDE THE ORIGINAL MOLDS AND DIES BETWEEN THEM.

FRANK THORPE CONTINUES THE F.L. THORPE CO.

ED LAMPINEN BUYS GEORGE BUTLER’S TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT AND FOUNDS THE BLACK HILLS JEWELRY MANUFACTURING COMPANY.

1944 IVAN LANDSTROM

IVAN LANDSTROM BUYS THE BLACK HILLS JEWELRY MANUFACTURING COMPANY AND MOVES IT TO RAPID CITY. ED LAMPINEN STAYS ON STAFF TO TRAIN EMPLOYEES IN THE TRADITIONAL METHODS OF CREATING BLACK HILLS GOLD JEWELRY.

1968 CONSTANCE LANDSTROM DREW

BLACK HILLS JEWERLY MANUFACTURING COMPANY DOING BUSINESS AS LANDSTROM’S ORIGINAL BLACK HILLS GOLD CREATIONS PASSES TO CONSTANCE LANDSTROM DREW, DAUGHTER OF IVAN LANDSTROM.

1981 FEDERAL MANDATE

BLACK HILLS GOLD JEWELRY FEATURES GRAPE LEAVES, CLUSTERS AND VINES IN TRI-COLORED GOLD. BY FEDERAL MANDATE, THIS STYLE OF JEWELRY MUST BE MANUFACTURED IN THE BLACK HILLS OF SOUTH DAKOTA IN ORDER TO BE DESCRIBED AS “BLACK HILLS GOLD JEWELRY.”

1995 LANDSTROM’S ACQUIRES F.L. THORPE COMPANY

BLACK HILLS GOLD HISTORY COMES FULL CIRCLE WHEN LANDSTROM’S BUYS THE F.L. THORPE COMPANY OF DEADWOOD IN 1995 MAKING LANDSTROM’S THE SOLE OWNER OF ALL OF THE ORIGINAL BLACK HILLS GOLD DESIGNS.

2006 THIRD LANDSTROM GENERATION

LANDSTROM’S PASSES TO CONNIE’S DAUGHTER AND SON. LANDSTROM’S CONTINUES TO BE DEDICATED TO HANDCRAFTMANSHIP AND TO MAINTAINING THE HIGHEST STANDARDS IN THE BLACK HILLS GOLD INDUSTRY.

BACK TO THE TOP