Why Gold Jewelry Is Surging in Popularity as Prices Hit Record Highs

 Gold prices have been on an extraordinary climb, breaking records and reshaping how people think about jewelry. Earlier this year, gold briefly pushed past the $5,000‑per‑ounce mark before settling closer to $4,600 by late March. That kind of movement isn’t happening in a vacuum. It follows a massive surge in 2025, when gold jumped more than forty percent in a single year. Safe‑haven buying, aggressive central‑bank accumulation, and expectations of lower interest rates all helped fuel the rise. What’s surprising, though, is how little this sticker shock has slowed down everyday buyers. Instead of backing away, people in their thirties and forties are leaning in, treating gold jewelry not just as a luxury purchase but as something that carries emotional weight and long‑term value.

Part of the renewed interest comes from the world feeling unpredictable. Geopolitical tensions, trade disputes, and political instability have pushed many people toward assets that feel solid and dependable. Gold fits that mindset perfectly. At the same time, countries like China and India have been steadily shifting their reserves away from the U.S. dollar, adding even more demand to the market. For individual buyers, gold has become a kind of financial comfort food—something that holds its value even when inflation bites or currencies wobble. But beyond the economic logic, there’s a personal side to this trend. Many buyers are choosing pieces that feel meaningful, items they imagine passing down someday, rather than impulse purchases that lose their shine after a season.

Even with the rising cost of raw gold, jewelry remains a major part of global demand. The number of pieces sold worldwide has dipped to a five‑year low, but the total value of gold jewelry has hit a record high. That means people are buying fewer items, but each one is more substantial—higher in gold content, higher in craftsmanship, and higher in price. It’s a shift toward premiumization, where quality matters more than quantity. For many thirty‑ and forty‑somethings, that aligns perfectly with how they’re approaching purchases in general: fewer things, better things.

Designers have responded to this shift with styles that feel both modern and enduring. Chunkier, weightier pieces are back in rotation, often paired with diamonds to add contrast and sparkle. Sculptural shapes, vintage‑inspired motifs, and minimalist lines all coexist in the current landscape, giving buyers plenty of ways to express themselves without feeling tied to a trend that will fade in six months. And perhaps most importantly, gold jewelry has become an everyday accessory again. Yellow‑gold chains, simple rings with or without stones, and understated diamond necklaces are being worn from morning meetings to evening plans without missing a beat.

Retailers say the rising price of gold hasn’t scared customers away—it’s actually reinforced the appeal. Buyers see gold as stable, timeless, and emotionally resonant. High‑end brands have reported strong growth in their gold‑and‑diamond collections over the past two years, and independent jewelers are seeing the same pattern. People want pieces that feel like investments in both style and personal meaning.

In the end, record gold prices aren’t slowing demand; they’re reshaping it. Consumers are choosing fewer pieces but investing more in each one, treating gold jewelry as something that blends luxury with lasting value. For many, it’s not just adornment—it’s a way to anchor themselves in a world that feels anything but predictable.

Arizona’s Wild Burros: History, Habitat, and the Fight to Protect Them

 

                                                                                    *

Updated on November 3, 2023

John has prospected for gold in Arizona 10 years. His experience taught him to deal with the terrain, heat, and gold fever. He makes tools.

Synonyms for Equus africanus asinus: donkey, ass, jenny, burro | Source

Pots and Pans Jingling and Jangling

When I think of burros, I always have a mental picture of grizzled old Walter Huston in Treasure of the Sierra Madre, leading his donkey on a dusty trail in Mexico in pursuit of gold treasure.

In the 19th century, the burro was frequently described as the most important prospecting tool of the trade and for very good reason. Prospecting involved back-breaking physical labor. It involved journeying over rugged land, panning, sifting and outcrop investigation, and searching for signs of mineralization. Another major factor for favoring burros was the fact that they did not startle the way horses do. The mining endeavor was suited perfectly for the pack animal of choice, the donkey, also known as the burro.

Ancient History

Asses have been domesticated since 3000 BC and have spread throughout the world. The Spanish brought the first burros to Mexico in 1528 with religious orders and then probably crossed the Rio Grande in 1598 with conquistadors.

In Mexico, they were mainly used in silver mines. In the American Southwest, they were used for bearing loads to and from gold and silver mining activity.

The origins of the donkey track to Egypt thousands of years ago. | Source

Origins of the Burro

Originally from Africa, donkeys (a name traditionally used east of the Mississippi, burro to the west) were extremely highly valued for the loads they could carry; this was because of their sure-footed hardiness and strength. Indeed, early hieroglyphics in Egypt (where some contend the donkey, or wild ass, began) depict men leading burros with large baskets strapped to their sides.

If a human loses 10% of his weight in water dehydration, immediate medical attention should be sought. Meanwhile, a burro can lose 30%. Humans require a day to rehydrate, but a burro can rehydrate in 5 minutes. This hardy nature makes them the perfect match for an arid climate.

Burros range throughout all of the North American deserts. | Source

19th Century Gold Boom

By the 19th century, the burro had won its place as a beast of burden
for early prospectors all over the western United States. When the boom in placer mining ended, many burros were simply let loose. Of course, while miners were exploring Arizona for gold and silver, it wasn't unknown for burros to meander away due to the difficult areas they traversed. If the burros' confines were not tight, they would often just wander off.

The Apache Indians favored donkey meat, and burros were captured for food. Other reports from the Army stated that the Indians cherished them for their utility and only ate them in times of famine. It was also noted that burros were used during celebrations, particularly when honored guests were present.

It was also the circumstance where a gold prospector would die of starvation, thirst, or exposure and his burro wound up loose.

Arizona wild burros, the progeny of 16th - 19th century prospectors, are perfectly adapted to desert conditions. | Source

Desert Animals

Wild burros in the North American deserts pretty much stay within 10 miles of water. They eat a variety of vegetation common to the arid spaces. They are great at rooting out food in desolate locations. In Arizona, they eat grass, Palo Verde, Mormon Tea, and forbs (flowering plants that are not sedge, grass, or rush). They pretty much browse, eating a variety of plants. If you want to see them in the summer, travel in the early morning or evening when they forage throughout. I try to get to their pastures in Arizona by 8 a.m. or earlier to see them.

On my last trip to Yavapai County, Arizona, to do some gold panning, I encountered the burros in the photos early in the morning. If you encounter burros in Arizona, chances are that the area they reside in was once active with prospectors seeking their fortune in gold.

The wild burros who inhabit the area where I prospect go down to Lake Pleasant to drink and then return to the desert hills. There are some burros to the south of the lake, but most live to the north. Many times, they just stand motionless and watch as trucks go by. Some of these burros approached my truck as I took photos, looking for food. They are docile and have a reputation for being stubborn. Since they are such survivalists, perhaps the stubbornness has benefited them. I managed to pet them on the snout, but they have been known to nip occasionally.

Named after William and Isaac Bradshaw | Source

Physical Characteristics

The average burro has long ears and a short mane and, at the shoulders, can be up to 5 feet. Their weight can range widely from 180 to 1,060 lb. The average weight of a wild burro seems to be around 350 pounds. Some burros can live up to 30 years in captivity, while the average life span in the wild is about 25 years. Some burros have actually lived up to 50 years.

In terms of color, a burro can be any blend of grey, black or brown. It has lighter shades on the face and belly.

Donkeys have large ears, which may pick up more distant sounds, and may help cool the donkey's blood. | Source

Bradshaw Gold Mining History

Brothers William and Isaac Bradshaw were searching for gold in 1863. They found gold (up to an ounce per day), but it took time for the news to spread, as the reputation of the area as dangerous gave the brothers plenty of time to mine. After the Bradshaw Indian War ended in 1873, a gold rush ensued. Just about all of the washes emanating from the mountains have some placer gold—it is the most plentiful placer area in Arizona.

Of all the claims I have prospected, the ones in Yavapai country are the ones I enjoy the most. More gold has been produced in Yavapai County, Arizona, than any other of the state's counties. Here are the totals of commercial gold production through 1965: Total 3,476,150 lode and 266,804 placers. There are still many small operators and recreational prospectors in the area. These totals do not take into account the 1 ounce of gold I have taken out.

What was really golden to the Arizona prospector was his burro. | Source

The Burro Population

As of 2016, there were an estimated 4000+ wild burros in Arizona, more than any other state. The burro has become a symbol of the Old West in Arizona. Tourists visit burro sites and are amazed at how tame they are and that they have a good disposition. They are often characterized as "cute."

It is no wonder that with all of the 19th-century prospecting activity and the evidence of old mines and mining camp remains in the area; the burro was left to fend for himself, and fend he did!

A Partial List of Mines in the Bradshaw Mountains

• Del Pasco Mine
• Lincoln Mine
• Crown King Mine
• Oro Belle Mine
• Tiger Mine
• Gazelle Mine
• Bulton Mine
• Paxton Mine
• Boaz Mine
• Pacific Mine
• Humbug Gold Mine

             The story of Arizona's Wild Horses and Burros

References

• The Wild Burros of Lake Pleasant, from CaptainZipline.com, 2005-2014, Retrieved from http://www.captainzipline.com/about-us/5-tour-overview/lake-pleasant-arizona/41-burros-and-captain-zipline.html
• Wild Burro Equus Asinus, from DesertUSA, Retrieved from http://www.desertusa.com/animals/wild-burro.html
• Wild Burros of the Mojave Desert Southwestern United States, by the Equine Sciences Academy, retrieved from http://www.tribeequus.com/burros.html
• Western Apache Material Culture, The Goodwin and Guenther Collection, edited by Alan Ferg, The University of Arizona Press, copyright 1987, 222 pages, retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?id=qQh37jpEnL0C&pg=PA45&lpg=PA45&dq=Apache+food+of+burro&source=bl&ots=luIpwtHLca&sig=lYFNh5aCBUcSHsXEEfGkJM1CFUc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiEsYDU0v3TAhXCF5QKHdIJCGgQ6AEISDAK#v=onepage&q=Apache%20food%20of%20burro&f=false
• Donkey, from Wikipedia the free encyclopedia, 109 references, last edited 19 May 2017

The Brass Shell and the Three Coins: A Great Depression Treasure Tale

 

By the summer of 1935, the desert had become Travis’s second home—though not by choice. At twelve years old, he already carried the weight of a grown man’s worries. Every morning he set out across the hardpan with a burlap sack slung over his shoulder, hunting for brass shell casings. A few pennies here, a nickel there—whatever he could earn helped his mother, Clara, keep the lights on and a little food in the cupboard.

The night before, a rare desert rain had fallen, soft and steady. Travis loved the world after rain. The sand turned smooth and pocked with tiny dimples, and the brass he searched for gleamed like buried stars. As he walked, the sun climbed higher, turning the cottonwoods along the arroyo into shimmering towers of green coinage.

That was when he saw it—something half‑hidden in a rain‑made hollow. A strange greenish‑blue stain, just a hint of brass beneath. His heart thumped. He knelt, brushed the sand away, and felt the shape of something long and cylindrical. The more he uncovered, the more the desert seemed to hold its breath.

Three feet down, his fingers struck the end of the metal.

He scraped harder, revealing the oxidized surface of a massive artillery shell casing—three feet long, four inches wide, stamped 37‑85 RIA and marked with the American broad arrow. Government property. A relic of some forgotten maneuver or abandoned depot. To Travis, it was worth real money—maybe enough to buy flour, beans, and a little meat for the winter.

He stood to stretch, the casing in his hands, wiping sweat from his brow. The cottonwoods rustled softly, their leaves flickering like coins in the sunlight. For a moment, he let himself imagine a life where he didn’t have to scour the desert for scraps.

Then—plop.

A soft sound at his foot. Followed by a bright metallic ring.

Travis looked down. In a small pile of sand lay three gold coins, each shining as if they’d been minted yesterday. His breath caught. He picked one up, hands trembling. 1899. The date glowed on the surface like a promise.

He didn’t bother searching for more brass. He ran home.

Clara was washing dishes when he burst through the door. When he placed the three $2.50 gold coins in her hands, the world seemed to stop. She stared at them, her fingers shaking, her eyes filling until tears spilled freely. The coins glowed under the dim lamp, casting warm reflections across the room—reflections of hope, of relief, of a future that suddenly didn’t look so bleak.

In 2023 dollars, each coin would be worth about $485.75, but in 1935, they were nothing short of a miracle. A $2.50 gold coin (the Quarter Eagle) contains 0.12094 troy ounces of pure gold, and it had the purchasing power of $95 -$100 today.

Clara wasted no time. She marched to the town’s lone jeweler, an elderly man with spectacles thick as bottle glass. He examined the coins with a practiced eye, turning them slowly, weighing them in his palm. Finally, he nodded.

“Pure gold,” he said. “And valuable.”

Clara walked home lighter than she had in years, already planning how to stretch the windfall—pay off debts, buy food, maybe even save a little. She tucked the coins into a hidden drawer, her hands still trembling with gratitude.

But fate wasn’t finished.

A sharp knock rattled the door. Clara opened it to find the jeweler again, clutching a small envelope.

He explained breathlessly: the coins were part of a long‑lost fortune belonging to a reclusive millionaire who had died without heirs. The state had been searching for the missing cache for years. Because Clara had reported the find, she was legally entitled to a substantial reward—far more than the coins themselves.

Her $7.50 face value find—worth about $3,280–$3,290 today—would yield a $20 reward. That would buy what $365–$487 would buy today.

Clara nearly collapsed from shock.

In the end, the reward was three times the value of the coins. What began as another day of desperate scavenging became the day hope walked through their door.

Only later would Travis learn the truth: the coins were part of a robber’s hidden hoard, buried decades earlier and never reclaimed. The desert had kept its secret until a boy with a burlap sack and a determined heart happened to dig in just the right spot.

From that day forward, whenever Travis saw cottonwoods shimmering like green coins in the wind, he remembered the moment his life changed—and he never looked at a brass shell casing the same way again.

India’s Silver Imports Plunge as New Licensing Rules Spark Supply Crunch and Rising Premiums

 

India’s silver market has been thrown off balance in recent months as new licensing rules sharply slowed the flow of imported metal into the country. Since India relies almost entirely on foreign silver to meet its needs, the sudden disruption has created a noticeable strain. Local buyers are now facing higher premiums and tighter supplies, and the effects are rippling through industries that depend on steady access to the metal.

The slowdown began in May, when the government introduced licensing requirements for silver imports as part of a broader effort to protect foreign‑exchange reserves. Banks and authorized importers must now secure permits before bringing silver into the country. However, most banks have not yet received approval, leaving only a small number able to continue importing. As a result, shipments dropped dramatically, falling from 747 tons in January to an estimated 29 tons in June. For a country that is one of the world’s largest silver consumers, that June figure represents less than one percent of typical annual demand.

Silver plays a major role in India’s cultural and economic life. It is widely used in jewelry and silverware, and demand spikes during festivals and wedding seasons. Beyond tradition, silver is also essential for various industrial applications, from electronics to solar panels. Because domestic production is negligible, India’s dependence on imports means any disruption quickly affects both consumers and manufacturers. With inventories thinning and demand holding steady, the market has tightened in a way not seen in years.

The supply crunch has pushed domestic premiums sharply higher. According to Metals Focus, the average premium paid over global benchmark prices has climbed to its highest level since the firm began tracking the data in 2019. Traders say physical silver has become increasingly scarce, and some describe the situation as approaching squeeze‑like conditions. Buyers who rely on consistent supply are finding it harder to secure metal at reasonable prices, and uncertainty about future shipments is adding to the pressure.

Part of the challenge stems from how the licensing system is being administered. The committee responsible for approving import permits meets only once or twice a month, slowing the pace of approvals. The government has also begun requiring certificates of origin for shipments, a rule introduced only recently, which has added another layer of complexity. Traders say there is still confusion about how quotas are assigned and what happens once they are used up. The lack of clarity has left many unsure how to plan for the coming months.

Officials say the new rules are meant to curb a surge in silver imports from countries such as Thailand and the United Arab Emirates, which benefit from free‑trade agreements with India. The licensing system follows an earlier move by the government to more than double import duties on gold and silver, a step taken when rising energy costs and geopolitical tensions in West Asia were weighing on the rupee and foreign‑exchange reserves.

The timing of the bottleneck is especially challenging because India is entering its peak buying season. Jewelers typically begin restocking in July to prepare for festivals in October and November, followed by the heavy wedding season that runs from November through March. With imports still restricted and demand expected to rise, traders anticipate that the market could tighten even further. Many are watching closely to see whether licensing approvals accelerate or whether buyers will be forced to navigate an increasingly strained and expensive silver landscape.

Cornish Miners in 19th‑Century Arizona: How Immigrants Shaped the Territory’s Early Copper and Gold Boom

                                                                                       *

Updated on March 30, 2024

John loves writing about Arizona, gold prospecting, and stories of treasure. Beyond finding his gold, he likes reading about others' quests.

Copper, gold, and silver were a boon for Cornish miners in 1850s Arizona. | Source

A Bit of History

Cornwall is a county in Southwest England in the United Kingdom surrounded by water. The English Channel is to the south, and the Celtic Sea is to the west. Arizona is very dry and bordered by no oceans. Cornwall has historically been 99% White British. Arizona has historically had a broad ethnic spectrum: 43% White and 50% Hispanic, with Native Americans, Blacks, and Asians making up the balance. It would seem that the two states have had little in common. But that would be misleading.

In the 19th century (the 1830s -1840s), hard rock miners from Cornwall emigrated to the western United States and Mexico to find their fortune. During the last half of the 19th century, 20% of the male population went abroad. Disease, taxation, a decline in mining, and dwindling trade helped breed poverty and led to their diaspora.

Over the centuries, Cornish hard rock miners had become adept at breaking rock. They knew how to build sturdier shoring and invented contract mining (as opposed to hourly wages). Many inventions came from Cornwall, including the safety fuse, high-pressure steam engines, furnace technology, rock drills, and the Cornish pump. Cornish engineers were highly sought after, while the Cornish miner was not only hard-working but very knowledgeable. The miner's candlestick and the lunch bucket were Cornish blessings.

The Cornish found a home when settling in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Montana, South Dakota, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, California, and Colorado. When the huge placer gold fields in California started to play out in the 1850s, Cornish miners were a cinch to find work in Arizona with its fantastic mineral wealth.

As it turned out, many of Arizona's gold and silver mines were financed by British investors, who could recommend some of the world's finest miners better. Copper, gold, and silver mining would be a boon for the Cornish.

Cornish miners in the mid-19th century. A demise in mining in Cornwall prompted an exodus of Cornish miners and families resulting in a displaced Cornish diaspora. | Source

One Sample of Typical Cornish Mining Acumen

Both hard rock and placer gold have been mined in Quartzite, Arizona for about 125 years. The earliest mention I can find about a producing gold mine is 1862 – the Pyramid Mine. In 1896, the King of Arizona mine began about 22 miles southwest of Quartzite, Arizona.

As an example of the Cornish influence in Arizona, the land was purchased and facilities for processing the gold ore were built nearby. Gold mining requires a lot of water, and that is something Arizona has been short of historically. Not far from the mine a 1000 foot well was dug to provide the necessary water. In 1899, the mine was purchased for a quarter million dollars. The mine featured vat leaching with cyanide while the gold and silver was precipitated in zinc boxes. These enhancements were achieved with the construction background of 125 Cornish miners and mining engineers.

The surface ore at this mine was valued at $2000 a ton, which is very rich. By the time it was done producing, that mountainous area referred to as Kofa (from King of Arizona) yielded 226,654 ounces of gold. In addition, 103,257 ounces of silver, 3.5 tons of lead and one ton of copper were brought forth. It is estimated that the value of the final production was 4.8 million dollars.

There is no underestimating the contributions of Cornish immigrants to the strength of the Arizona and U.S. economy.

The Cornish pumping engine 1877 - when mining at depth, water seapage is always a problem. The Cornish pump helped Arizona copper miners deal with flooding. | Source

Cornish Mining Culture

American miners referred to the Cornish as "Cousin Jacks", their wives as "Cousin Jennies". Frequently inquiring about Arizona jobs for relatives in Cornwall, Cornish miners took on these names. Much of their lifestyle brought to the Americas became adopted in mining towns.

One of the delights to reach Arizona was the pasty. Not only delicious, but these pastries could also be carried in a lunch box and provided a substantial meal. These filling pastries were stuffed with a combination of meat and veggies. They were cooked to a golden brown.

The miners of Cornwall also brought their folklore. Arizona miners soon learned about the Tommyknockers. These were mythical creatures who were supposed to be about two feet tall and dressed in ordinary miner garb. A familiar sound in a mine is a knocking, indicating a weakness that could result in timbers collapsing and mine cave ins. The Tommyknockers supposedly warned the miners of impending danger. Making fun of Tommyknockers could result in terrible misfortune. This belief spread and took on a serious significance. There are stories of mines being shuttered after a disastrous accident. Distant relatives believed that Tommyknockers may have been trapped and in 1956 demanded the mine be opened so the little men would be free to go to other mines to help those miners. Companies were known to have agreed to this, such was the strength of belief.

Outside of warnings, the Tommyknockers were mischievous and were frequently blamed for taking a miner's tools. Not unlike leaving cookies for Santa Claus, the Cornish would leave a bit of their pasties for these leprechaun-like beings, whom they depended on to keep them safe.

A Cornish water wheel

Mining Terminology

We can thank Cornwall for much of the mining language we use today. Mine pits were shafts; horizontal tunnels were levels; tunnels connecting two levels were winzes and raises, depending on the direction they were cut; drainage tunnels were adits.

A code of signals was brought over and let a hoister communicate with miners below. Hauling men in their cages and buckets up and down a mine shaft is inherently dangerous. the Cornish signal code used bells. A standardized version of the code in Colorado gives an idea of how it worked. One bell meant hoist, one bell (if in motion) meant stop, 2 bells meant lower, 3 bells meant men on, and 7 bells was a shaft accident and danger signal. Combinations of these signals with a short pause meant other things. Three bells followed quickly by another 3 bells meant cage release.

Note the signal board in the top left corner. | Source

An Affinity for Music

The Cornish enjoyed music and had a passion for brass bands. These groups were formed in many a mining town. In fact, their love of music and song made them a force behind the construction of opera houses in larger towns. These music halls attracted professional artists and provided a cultural outlet and diversion from an otherwise rough life.

A Bit of Humor --

Why did the Cornishman bring a ladder to the pub?

Because he wanted to reach new "heights"!

A Lasting Legacy

Across our vast continent in search of metallic windfalls, the Cornish people have played a vital role in the evolution of the western United States, as well as shaping our country's modern industry.

Sources

"Pyramid Mine" in Mohave, AZ Gold Vein, Discovered in 1862, Diggings, retrieved 2/8/2018,https://thediggings.com/mines/usgs10102585#deposit-reference

Mine Tales: Kofa Mountains gave area golden glow, William Ascarza, September 7, 2014, Arizona Daily Star, Tucson.com, retrieved 2/5/2018, http://tucson.com/mine-tales-kofa-mountains-gave-area-golden-glow/article_6e630004-8e7b-5eaa-8063-544fa4aac893.html

History and pronuciation of "pasty", January 17, 2013, McMinnvilleBakers, retrieved 2/6/2018, https://mcminnvillebakers.wordpress.com/tag/cornish-miners/

How Miners Dug Gold in Old Arizona, Andrea Aker, March 19,2011, Arizona Oddities, retrieved 2/7/2018, http://arizonaoddities.com/2011/03/how-miners-dug-gold-in-old-arizona/

The Significance of the Cornwall and West Devon mining Landscape, Cornish Mining World Heritage, Our Mining Culture Shaped Your World, retrieved Feb 13, 2018, http://www.cornishmining.net/status/significance.htm

Fun Facts, Daryl Burkhard, The Cornish Miners, 2006, retrieved Feb 1, 2018, http://www.darylburkhard.com/cornishminers.html

Cornish engine, Wikipedia, last edited December 27, 2017, retrieved Feb 4, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornish_engine

© 2018 John R Wilsdon

Arizona Copper: Why the State’s New Gold Rush Is Rising in Superior and Bagdad

The story of Arizona’s copper future is unfolding in two places that have long defined the state’s mining identity: Superior and Bagdad. Both towns are poised to become central players in America’s push to secure domestic copper supplies, a resource now more valuable than ever in the age of electric vehicles, renewable energy, and high‑tech manufacturing. For readers around forty, who remember when mining seemed like a relic of the past, these projects mark a striking return of industrial ambition — one that blends old‑world grit with modern engineering.

In Superior, the long‑awaited Resolution Copper Mine is finally moving forward after years of environmental reviews, tribal negotiations, and political debate. The project sits deep beneath the rugged mountains east of Phoenix, where copper ore lies more than a mile underground. Resolution Copper is a joint venture between Rio Tinto and BHP, two of the world’s largest mining companies, and it represents one of the most significant mining investments in U.S. history. The mine could eventually supply up to a quarter of America’s copper demand, a staggering figure that underscores how vital the resource has become to the nation’s energy transition. The companies have already poured hundreds of millions into early development, converting two shafts that plunge nearly 7,000 feet below the surface and preparing the infrastructure for full‑scale production. When completed, the mine is expected to create roughly 1,500 jobs and generate tens of millions in annual tax revenue for Arizona.

But Resolution Copper’s story is not just about economics. It’s also about the tension between progress and preservation. The site sits near Oak Flat, a place sacred to the San Carlos Apache Tribe, and the project has faced years of opposition from tribal leaders and environmental advocates who fear irreversible damage to the landscape. Supporters argue that modern mining technology can minimize environmental impact and that domestic copper production is essential for national security and clean‑energy goals. For many Arizonans, the debate captures the complexity of living in a state where natural beauty and mineral wealth often collide. As the project advances, it stands as both a promise and a test — a chance to see whether large‑scale mining can coexist with cultural respect and environmental responsibility.

A few hundred miles northwest, another copper story is taking shape in Yavapai County. The Bagdad Mine, operated by Freeport‑McMoRan, has been producing copper for nearly a century, but the company is now considering a massive expansion that could double its output. The proposed $4.5 billion project would add hundreds of millions of pounds of copper per year, making Bagdad one of the largest producers in North America. The expansion would modernize the operation with autonomous haul trucks, advanced concentrators, and new tailings systems designed to reduce water use and environmental footprint. If approved, construction could begin within the next few years, bringing new jobs and infrastructure improvements to the region.

For those who grew up watching Arizona’s mining towns fade into quiet relics, these projects feel like a revival. They signal that copper — once the backbone of the state’s economy — is again at the center of national strategy. The metal that powered early electrical grids now fuels the clean‑energy revolution, linking Arizona’s rugged past to its technological future. Both Resolution and Bagdad embody that connection: one a bold new venture beneath the mountains, the other a reinvention of a historic mine adapting to modern demands.

Together, they tell a story of renewal. Arizona’s copper belt is stirring again, driven by global demand and local determination. Whether these projects ultimately fulfill their promise will depend on how well they balance economic growth with environmental care, but for now, they stand as reminders that the frontier spirit — the willingness to dig deep, take risks, and build something lasting — still runs strong in the desert.

https://resolutioncopper.com/resolution-copper-establishes-54-million-tribal-trust/

The Mowry Massacres: Inside Arizona’s Deadliest Apache Attacks on Frontier Miners

 

In the early 1860s, the mining town of Mowry sat tucked into the rugged folds of the Santa Rita Mountains, a place where ambition and danger lived side by side. It was a settlement built on hope — the hope that silver pulled from the earth could change a man’s fortunes — but it was also a place where every rider on a lonely trail knew that the land itself was watching. Between 1863 and 1865, that watchfulness turned violent. The Mowry massacres, remembered now as one of Arizona’s darkest mining‑era tragedies, claimed the lives of at least sixteen settlers and left the town scarred in ways that would never fully fade.

The story begins with Sylvester Mowry, a former Army lieutenant who purchased the Patagonia mine in 1860. He saw opportunity in the mountains and worked quickly to build a thriving operation. Miners followed him, drawn by wages, adventure, or the simple promise of a fresh start. But they were not the only ones drawn to the area. The Chiricahua and other Apache bands had lived in and around the Santa Ritas for generations, and they considered the mountains sacred. To them, the sudden arrival of miners, blasting powder, and wagon trains was not progress — it was intrusion. As the Civil War pulled U.S. troops away from Arizona, leaving the frontier exposed, the Apaches defended their homeland with raids and ambushes that struck fear into every settlement from Tucson to the Mexican border.

Writer and explorer John Ross Browne arrived in early 1864 and found a community living under constant threat. One of the stories he recorded began on a cold December morning in 1863, when two young mine employees, J.B. Mills and Edwin Stevens, set out along the trail toward the Mowry Mine. They rode casually, unaware that two Mexican boys traveling nearby had spotted Apache tracks in the dust. The boys shouted warnings, but the riders were too far ahead to hear. As Mills and Stevens approached the mouth of a canyon about four miles from town, the brush erupted with gunfire. Stevens fell dead from his horse. Mills, armed and determined, fought back with everything he had, but he was alone and outnumbered. By the time help arrived, both men were gone and the attackers had melted into the mountains.

Browne visited the canyon thirty‑one days later. The place still felt haunted. Broken arrows lay scattered across the ground; some stained with dried blood. The bodies had been mutilated — Stevens pierced repeatedly with a spear, Mills bearing seventeen separate wounds from arrows, musket balls, and blades. Browne wrote about the scene with the kind of blunt honesty that only someone who has walked through violence can manage. His words captured not just the brutality of the attack, but the sense of vulnerability that hung over the entire settlement.

Nearly two years later, death returned to the same canyon. Browne described how a doctor named Titus, who lived and worked at the mine, traveled through the area with a Delaware Native American guide. They were ambushed without warning. The guide died instantly, leaving Titus alone to fight his way through the narrow passage. He managed to push forward nearly two hundred yards before an arrow struck him in the hip. Knowing what awaited him if captured, Titus chose to end his own life with his revolver. Browne wrote that the Apache chief present at the attack spared Titus’ body from mutilation, moved by the doctor’s courage. It was a rare moment of respect in a conflict defined by fear and bloodshed.

By the time Browne finished documenting the town, he noted that fifteen of the seventeen graves in Mowry’s cemetery belonged to victims of Apache attacks. Only two had died naturally. The numbers told the story plainly: life in Mowry was a gamble, and the stakes were often fatal.

Even Sylvester Mowry found himself caught in the turmoil. During the war, Union General James H. Carleton arrested him on suspicion of selling lead to Confederate forces. Mowry insisted he had only been supplying settlers who needed ammunition to defend themselves, and he eventually convinced the court of his innocence. But the damage was done. The town he had built was eventually destroyed by Apache attacks, though it would later be repopulated by new miners who tried once again to wrest a living from the mountains.

The Mowry Mine was mainly a lead and silver mine.

Today, the story of Mowry reads like a frontier tragedy — ambition colliding with ancient claims to the land, courage meeting danger in lonely canyons, and a small mining town trying to survive in a world where every trail could be a trap. For anyone standing in the Santa Rita Mountains now, it’s easy to imagine the silence of those canyons, and just as easy to understand why the people who lived there never forgot what happened.

To read about most of the Apache conflicts, please see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apache_Wars

Pancho Villa’s Lost Treasures: Uncovering the Legend and Hidden Gold of Mexico’s Outlaw General

Pancho Villa (center) surrounded by soldiers | Source

Mexico: 19th and 20th Century

The history of 19th and early 20th-century Mexico is packed with revolutions and counter-revolutions. Since a tradition of viable democracy had no precedence in Mexico, strong men developed throughout the country who were beholden to a president and from whom military and political power were granted. Allegiances seemed to be held as long as the powerful were made comfortable.

When movements to free peons from subjugation by these large landed estate owners arose, leadership frequently came from the less entitled classes, even gangs. When revolutionary leadership needed to raise large amounts of money for a local community or army, there was always the risk of mischief and thievery. To understand the sums of gold, silver, and resources moving about Mexico during revolutionary times, a bit of history is required.

Pancho Villa, Mexican Revolutionary general wearing bandoliers in front of an insurgent camp | Source

I am not an educated man. I never had an opportunity to learn anything except how to fight.

— Pancho Villa

Aggression at an Early Age

Mexico was under the thumb of the hacienda system, a system which saw local power residing in the wealthy landowners while peasants were relegated to serf status working in mines, on farms, or ranches. For over 30 years, Porfirio Diaz, the President of Mexico, ruled the country in this manner favoring the landed and increasing Mexico's debt to foreign countries.

Doroteo Arango, aka Pancho Villa, started working in the fields at a young age. He turned to robbery and banditry when his sister was raped by either a wealthy landowner or Federal Army troops, depending on the version of the story. In some versions he killed the perpetrator at the age of 16, in another he shot the guilty party in the foot. He apparently decided that he hadn't much to lose by becoming an outlaw, and soon his fighting skills brought him to a position of leadership within a gang. He hid in the mountains, coming out to raid and retreat swiftly and effectively with his cavalry. He shared plunder from banks, ranches, railroads, and mines with the less fortunate, and soon became known of as one who took from the rich and gave to the poor.

Sometime in 1909 or 1910, Villa met a political representative of Francisco Madero, Abraham Gonzales, a man who disapproved of the Porfirio Diaz government. This man gave Pancho Villa his first look at what we might call political science today. Some accounts claim that Gonzales even helped him learn to read and write. Both men wanted a better life for their enslaved population, and soon Villa decided to become a revolutionary.

5 kg bar | Source

A Tale of Buried Silver Bullion

In 1911, Pancho Villa commanding the Division Del Norte in the north of Mexico and Emiliano Zapata commanding the Liberation Army of the South defeated Porfirio Diaz and the Federal Army. By 1913, both had parted ways and were supporting other leaders fighting to take power from President Francisco Madero. War requires money, and funding for a revolutionary army is always difficult to secure. Pancho Villa was creative in his quest to support his men.

A famous tale of Pancho Villa and stolen silver bars has been told over and over for many years. But today, documentation discovered by the University of California, Berkeley in 1996 and made public in 1999 brings the truth to light.

On April 9, 1913, Pancho Villa liberated bullion from Mexican Northwestern Train 7. A letter authored by Wells Fargo Bank in El Paso, Texas reveals that a train was plundered south of the capital of the state of Chihuahua (also Chihuahua). Villa and two hundred men held up the train and took 122 ingots of silver worth an estimated $3.4 million today. The silver came from Mexican mines and had been smelted by American companies. Villa knew that trying to cross the border and unload such a quantity of precious metal in the United States would bring about unwanted attention and risk.

Villa arranged for a secret deal with Wells Fargo about 3 weeks after the robbery. He would give the bank the silver in return for the equivalent of $50,000 ($1 million in today's cash). As a bit of value added, he promised to protect any other shipments of bullion from attack and promised that the arrangement would be strictly confidential. He also promised to not attack Wells Fargo offices or cars. Another letter indicates that Wells Fargo was afraid of the repercussions of telling other revolutionaries or the federal government of what had taken place.

The undocumented tale tells of Pancho Villa and his men traveling on the same train they robbed to a town called San Andres where government soldiers attacked them. At night, he and his men escaped to a town called Bachiniva. Somewhere along the road to the same, one of his soldiers who had been killed was buried. In that grave is the body of an outlaw and 122 bars of silver. But now we know that Villa got cash for the silver – and, oh, I forgot to tell you - he only returned 96 bars. Twenty-six bars of silver are not accounted for. For my money, I would bet that that was traded for supplies for his men, which seems to have been his pattern of behavior through 1923.

As claimed by the tale, 96 bars of silver bullion may be buried with a soldier along this road. | Source

Another Treasure: This Time Gold

An important widespread tale of Pancho Villa's fortune is less well documented but nevertheless continues his legend in Mexico. A significant horde of gold is said to be hidden north of Mazatlan and west of Durango. Not far from the Gulf of California, it lies close to the town of Tepuxta. This area was a place of retreat for Pancho Villa. A cavern near the origin of the Rio Presidio River is reportedly the hideaway of this famous treasure.

Not coincidentally, much of Pancho Villas' activity and that of his men was in and around the Sierra Madre Mountains, where Villa and his bandits would take refuge after their hit-and-run tactics with the Federal Army. It is in these mountains that the Rio Presidio begins as a stream.

Banco Minero Funds Pancho Villa

In December of 1913, Pancho Villa and his "Villistas", again in need of money for warfare financing, raided Chihuahua and the Banco Minero. The Director of the bank, Luis Terrazas, stayed behind at his hacienda to protect his family. From there, he retreated hastily to the British Consulate, thinking he would be safe due to traditional immunity. Unfortunately, in typical fashion, Pancho Villa was not impressed by traditional decorum and raided the consulate capturing Terrazas.

Earlier, a bank manager had divulged that a store of gold had been removed from the bank safe and hidden. After some hours of torture, Terrazas gave up that the gold was hidden in one of the bank columns. One of Villa's senior officers found the gold after a destructive search. Gold in the amount of 600,000 Pesos ($6.3 million today) was uncovered. Legend has it that the treasure has never been found, and I suspect Villa spent it on weapons, horses, mules, wagons, food, and ammunition. War is a very costly endeavor.

Governor of Chihuahua 1913-1914, public domain prior to 1923 | Source

Pancho Villa's Legacy

In an irony befitting this enigmatic figure, local folklore has it that an American treasure hunter beheaded him to sell his skull to an eccentric millionaire who collected the heads of historic figures. Buried in Parral, Mexico, his skull was stolen in 1926. Villa had stolen a great deal during his years, only to end up having his own grave robbed.

Pancho Villa loved to have his photograph taken, even playing himself in moving pictures. His military tactics were bold enough and successful enough that American General John Pershing felt it important to study them. His generosity with his troops and the peasantry of Mexico are the stuff of Mexican songs known as corridos. Villa's propensity for ruthlessness and torture are also well known. He held political office, invaded the U.S. at Columbus, New Mexico, and had his battles in 1913 filmed.

Regardless of your opinion of the man, Pancho Villa's memory will continue to inspire affection and bitterness, much as it has for the last 100 years.

Suggested Reading

• Young Joseph Stalin: Examining an Abusive Childhood
  This article investigates Stalin's violent and abusive childhood, his early revolutionary leanings, and the causes of his later cruelty.
• Was Napoleon Bonaparte a Revolutionary or a Tyrant?
  Studying French history? You'll need to know about Napoleon Bonaparte. Here's a brief look at the ongoing debate over whether or not Napoleon should be considered a savior or tyrant of France. Which do you think he was?

Pancho Villa on the Border

Sources

http://felixsommerfeld.com/news/mexican-revolution-blog/2013/7/16/where-is-pancho-villas-gold, July 16, 2013, Heribert von Feilitzsch

http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/99legacy/5-3-1999.html, University of California, Berkeley, 5/3/99, Public Affairs (510-642-3734), Kathleen Scalise, Public Affairs

http://bobbrooke.com/panchovilla.htm, Writing At Its Best, Bob Brooke Communications 2000-2017

http://www.buscadores-tesoros.com/t196-tesoro-de-pancho-villa-en-tepuxtla, June 14, 2008, Pedro Cantu

Biography of Pancho Villa, Didactic Encyclopedia, https://edukalife.blogspot.com, 2016/09, biography-of-francisco-villa-pancho.html, September 26, 2016

© 2017 John R Wilsdon