London - A new variety of a mineral that graced homes of the aristocracy during the Regency period has been found in Derbyshire – 150 years after the last discovery.
Blue John derives its name from the French “bleu-jaune”, referring to the “blue-yellow” appearance of the stone. The vein was found at Treak Cliff Hill, near Castleton in the Peak District and craftsmen have already started working samples into decorative bowls and other pieces
Such items were highly fashionable in the early 1800s and graced the tables of some of Britain’s great houses, including Buckingham Palace and Chatsworth House in Derbyshire.
There has not been a distinctive new vein discovered since the mid-1800s. Each vein has its own characteristic colouring and this latest addition has been named the Ridley Vein after Gary Ridley, the miner who found it. He said he could not “believe his eyes” when he came across the Blue John, which was like none he had ever seen before.
Daily Mail