New variety of hard-to-find mineral discovered in England

Vein of Blue John in Treak Cliff Cavern (Image from Wikimedia Commons)

A vein of a legendary semi-precious mineral was discovered this week in Derbyshire, England, about 150 years after the last discovery.

The vein of Blue John Stone — which is only found in the Peak District — has been named the Ridley Vein after miner Gary Ridley, who discovered it by accident, while testing a new stone chainsaw.

He told The Independent he could not “believe his eyes” when he came across the Blue John, a form of fluorite.

The stone was fashionable during the Regency period in the early 1800s and graced the tables of Buckingham Palace and Chatsworth House.

Bowl made from Derbyshire Blue John (Image from Wikimedia Commons)

Historically there have been 14 distinct veins of Blue John, with the Ridley Vein now entering the record books as variant No 15.

The last Blue John vein was discovered in the XIX century, but in 2013 a team rediscovered a “lost vein” that was first found in 1945.