Blue John was first discovered and treasured by the Romans. It was particularly admired by the Victorians as they were the first tourists to visit the network of intricate caves.
The purple-striped stone is mined around the Peak District village of Castleton, Derbyshire.

It was discovered around 1750 in Treak Cliff, just outside Castleton, Blue John very quickly became popular for use as a decorative ornament.

Within ten years there were sixteen mines working the area to supply thirty-odd local firms who fashioned it into fireplaces and other ornaments for the stately homes of England.

Goblets, urns, bowls, obelisks, clocks, paperweights, chalices and pyramids were all created from the distinctive Blue John. No two pieces look totally identical thanks to the colour variations in the stone. It was also used to create decorative stained-glass window panels, an example of which can be seen in Buxton Museum & Art Gallery.

Fourteen different banding patterns of Blue John have been identified which come from different veins in the mines. Realistically, although the individual Blue John veins have been categorised and named, the nature of the stone means that there are many more than fourteen different Blue John varieties in existence, and to the untrained eye they can all look similar.

Extensive mining over the years has depleted the veins, today mining is restricted to sorting through old spoil heaps, increasing the rarity of the this beautiful stone.

The term " Blue John " is said to be taken from the French Bleu-Jaune (which means Blue-yellow). During the 1770s Blue John was exported to France to have ormolu decorations added and it is believed that it was during this time that the name stuck.

No two pieces of Blue John are the same and with very little left to be mined you are purchasing a unique item of jewellery.

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