I have collected fluorite and other minerals since my very first visit to Castleton in Derbyshire UK, at the age of 15. Since then
i have found, bought, sold and given away(to girlfriends usually) more pieces than i can possibly remember.
But my passion for fluorite came from that very first visit to Treak cliff cavern and the first piece of Blue john i found
on the hillside above the mine, i still have it, and will never sell it because it created the initial spark of what has become a passion.
Some 30 years on, pieces of Blue John can still be found there, though you have to look very hard and take time to
study the ground you are walking on, because it's there...right under your feet, below the surface soil, look for glinting on the ground,
especially on a bright day after periods of heavy rainfall, this is when you're most likely to find it.
In truth, it has to be said that the best bits ever to be found on the surface have probably already been taken, having said that, i have found a few small gemmy pieces and some that could be used for lapidary. Collecting in this area has now become seriously restricted, the mines themselves are limited to the extraction of small quantities per year. Basically, "Blue John" is in serious danger of becoming rare, although you would'nt think so once you have browsed the Castleton gift shops where you can actually buy a small specimen for as little as £1.00p. It is only one example of fluorite found in Derbyshire, there are several locations where you can still collect as it was never the principal target of most mining operations in the area, much of it being piled onto dumps and discarded as the principle mineral in most cases was actually Lead ore (Galena).
One location featured in my pictures is the Ladywash mine in Eyam.
Some beautiful specimens of Fluorite and calcite have been recovered from here.(see my pictures)and the quarries at Ashover are great collecting favorites of mine. Generally if there's a mine or a quarry with mineral dumps i'm usually there, bruised shins, dirty hands, muddy boots, soaked to the skin....but i love what i do and that's all that matters.

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