Pure 24 Karat gold bars, and stocks of pure silver and copper are the basic materials. These metals are not required to be mined in the Black Hills. Pure gold and other precious metal stock can be acquired from anywhere in the world. The finished jewelry known as Black Hills Gold must be produced in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
The different colors of gold used for leaves and other details are made when the pure 24 Karat yellow gold is alloyed with copper to achieve the traditional 14 karat pink (or red) gold, and the gold is combined silver to create the 14 karat green. The resulting gold bars are then readied for rolling.
The alloyed gold bars are rolled by presses to different thicknesses for different types of jewelry. Each part is carefully stamped, one at a time, out of the rolled gold sheets using patterns and dies. The solid gold leaves and other patterns are then ready to be added to a cast jewelry base.
