Important objects in the collection include an inlaid table with a grape design made by Thomas Woodruff and exhibited at the 1851 Great Exhibition, where it won a prize.
In 2005 the Ashford Black Marble collection was boosted by the purchase of the Tomlinson Collection. In 1945, John Michael Tomlinson began researching his family history and discovered that his ancestors had been marble inlayers at Ashford in the Water. Tomlinson began to collect examples of his craft as well as writing a book on the subject, when he died in 2000 he had over 150 examples. Tomlinson wanted his collection to return to Derbyshire and thanks to the support of the V&A Purchase Grant Fund, the Art Fund and generous local benefactors, his collection is now at Buxton Museum.
Further objects were added to the collection from 2009 to 2013, through Enlightenment!, an HLF funded 'Collecting Cultures' project. This included an unusual plinth with a silhouette design and a jewellery set made by Selim Bright.
