Henri was a kind and gentle lad, who loved all things of nature and beauty. He especially loved to walk through his parent's vineyards and enjoyed the delicate aroma and beautiful colors of the grapes and flowers. As Henri grew older, he felt a yearning to see the rest of the world. With the blessing of his parents, Henri left on a journey to the new land that he had heard so much about. Henri traveled for months and months and finally arrived in America, where he worked for a short time as a jeweler and goldsmith. It wasn't long before Henri became fascinated with the tales of fortunes being made in California. He joined a wagon train and headed for the gold rush of California and started out on a trip that proved fatal for most of the party. Henri wandered aimlessly for months until he came upon the Black Hills region of South Dakota. He decided to stay in the Black Hills and try to make his fortune. Henri spent months and months searching the Black Hills for his fortune in gold, but failed after a long search. Henri, tired and discouraged, near death, sat down to rest by a large tree. He fell fast asleep and dreamed of the beautiful vineyards of his homeland. When Henri awoke, he was inspired by his dream and vowed to become a success. With his new vigor he created various hues of gold into the grapes, leaves and tendrils of this dream. He began to sell the handcrafted jewelry to other miners and prospectors, and became very successful. The beautiful look that Henri created became a part of the Black Hills legend and thus, Black Hills Gold Jewelry was born. |