Jewellery & Watch News
Handcrafted British Blue John Jewellery
C W Sellors showcase an exceptional collection of jewellery pieces made from Blue John. The beautiful and unique mineral variety of fluorite or fluorspar is found within the limestone at Treak Cliff Cavern near the North Derbyshire village of Castleton. Characterised by strong bands of white and bluish purple, Blue John is made up of many microscopic cubic crystals aggregated together to give it a distinctive serrated appearance, a feature which differs from flourite itself which is a softer material that cleaves easily. The use of Blue John flourished in the 19th Century where it was mined on a large scale for ornamental purposes. Today Treak Cliff cavern which is the only location in the UK where Blue John can be found, is mined by hand on a much smaller scale due to the mineral’s fragility. Once the Blue John Stone has been mined, it is left to dry out for a year where it is then treated with resin to aid its durability.
Blue John’s fascinating qualities require the delicate and highly skilled handiwork of professionally trained jewellery craftsmen to shape the friable mineral into beautiful, lustrous works of art. http://www.cwsellors.co.uk/collections/blue-john/products/blue-john-necklace-oval-rope-edge-silver-p261-00043012
Each lump of raw Blue John Stone has its own compelling story to tell, discovered in veins measuring three inches thick or in nodular forms which line the inner walls of the cavities of the carboniferous limestone within the Derbyshire Caverns. Taking a significant amount of time to complete, our beautiful Blue John earrings, Blue John rings, Blue John necklaces and Blue John bracelets have been finished in sterling silver, 9ct yellow gold and 18ct white gold to complete sophisticated pieces for all occasions and for every individual.
Our abstract shapes of Blue John which are cut and defined into unique jewellery items, line our C W Sellors collections with elegance, bestowing a level or beauty hard to match with any other semi-precious stone alike. Carved into sophisticated cufflinks for gentlemen or our signature C W Sellors heart cross design, Blue John has been implemented into our bespoke jewellery creations to reflect the meticulous and highly intricate nature of the mineral’s alluring nature. http://www.cwsellors.co.uk/products/blue-john-and-gold-cross-heart-necklace
This vintage style cameo brooch features a large oval central stone of Blue John set within 9ct yellow gold. The edge of the setting is frilled at 8 points around the stone to accentuate the exquisite white, yellow and purple colourways which flow throughout the mineral, emanating a mirror-like polish from its smooth cold surface. The design is the perfect example of the very best of C W Sellors’ innovative work using the magnetizing power of the highly desirable Blue John stone. http://www.cwsellors.co.uk/products/blue-john-brooch-set-in-9ct-gold-50a55m054
More information together with our full collection of Blue John designs can be admired here.
