Here at the Blue John Gallery, we are proud to have designed and handcrafted breathtaking collections of Blue John jewellery since our founding in 1979. The Blue John Gallery was the name given to our very first fine jewellery boutique which opened by in the town of Bakewell, Derbyshire by our founder Chris Sellors. Ever since, we have created a never-ending range of Blue John jewellery designs which we have sold in our own boutiques, on our website and at several Derbyshire tourist destinations like Chatsworth House.
Everything you need to know about Blue John
Blue John is a semi-precious gemstone found only in a small area of Derbyshire in the UK in a village called Castleton. It was believed to have been originally found over 2,000 years ago by Romans who settled in the village in search of lead deposits. Instead, the stunning blue, purple and yellow hues of Blue John caught their eye. Its name is thought to derive from the French term ‘blue et jaune’ which translates to ‘blue and yellow’, tributing the stone’s distinctive bands of colour. Because of its colour and its scarcity, the stone has become coveted all over the globe and remains Britain’s rarest mineral with only a few small veins and nodules of the gemstone remaining in the Castleton area.
Blue John has only ever been found in Castleton in Derbyshire, England. To the west of Castleton in the hillside, there are four known locations that have housed Blue John: Peak Cavern, Speedwell Cavern, Blue John Cavern and Treak Cliff Cavern. Out of these, only two remain as working Blue John mines. Treak Cliff Cavern is one of these last working Blue John mines and is widely believed to have been the very first mine to excavate the gemstone. First opening in 1745, Treak Cliff Cavern continues to unearth occasional pieces of Blue John today and it is these rare pieces that the Blue John Gallery is pleased to use within our jewellery collections.
Our Blue John Jewellery Collections
For over 40 years, the Blue John Gallery has been committed to using only the finest quality Blue John stone in our Blue John jewellery collections. From classic designs to bespoke pieces to contemporary works of art, you can find a huge range of Blue John jewellery on our website, all handcrafted with the first choice of gemstone material from the hillside at Treak Cliff Cavern in Castleton. All our Blue John jewellery is even sold with a Certificate of Authenticity to provide peace of mind and traceability to the gemstone source and craftsmanship.
Our Blue John jewellery collections offer something for everybody with the stone placed within a choice of sterling silver, yellow gold, rose gold and white gold and each design offering complete individuality with every Blue John stone completely unique to the next. Our award-winning collections include Blue John necklaces, Blue John engagement rings, Blue John bracelets, Blue John cufflinks, Blue John earrings and many more. For more information on this rare and highly treasured gemstone and to shop Blue John jewellery for yourself, head over to the Blue John Gallery website here.
