BLUE JOHN - very fine polished piece - Castleton, Derbyshire

'BLUE JOHN' FLUORITE

 A gemstone unique to Derbyshire
 
New Cavern Vein, Blue John Mine, Castleton, Derbyshire
 
A very fine, polished piece of Blue John showing good banding. It has been highly polished on one side with a natural surface on the reverse. It is from the New Cavern Vein in the famous Blue John Mine. This is a vintage specimen, thought to have been mined over 50 years ago.

Blue John is a banded variety of the mineral fluorite.  It is only found in the vicinity of Treak Cliff, near Castleton in Derbyshire.  Blue John has been mined for hundreds of years and made into jewelry, bowls, goblets, vases, and numerous other decorative items that are now prized throughout the world.

The origin of the name Blue John is not clear.  It is likely that it was a local name given to the stone by the Derbyshire lead miners who already knew the zinc mineral sphalerite by the nickname ‘Black Jack’. 

A plastic stand is included.

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