diff --git a/semantic_version/django_fields.py b/semantic_version/django_fields.py
index e5bd7eb..7874856 100644
--- a/semantic_version/django_fields.py
+++ b/semantic_version/django_fields.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 import warnings
 
 import django
+from django.core.exceptions import ValidationError
 from django.db import models
 
 if django.VERSION >= (3, 0):
@@ -71,14 +72,17 @@ def deconstruct(self):
 
     def to_python(self, value):
         """Converts any value to a base.Version field."""
-        if value is None or value == '':
-            return value
-        if isinstance(value, base.Version):
-            return value
-        if self.coerce:
-            return base.Version.coerce(value, partial=self.partial)
-        else:
-            return base.Version(value, partial=self.partial)
+        try:
+            if value is None or value == '':
+                return value
+            if isinstance(value, base.Version):
+                return value
+            if self.coerce:
+                return base.Version.coerce(value, partial=self.partial)
+            else:
+                return base.Version(value, partial=self.partial)
+        except ValueError as err:
+            raise ValidationError(err)
 
 
 class SpecField(SemVerField):
@@ -100,8 +104,11 @@ def deconstruct(self):
 
     def to_python(self, value):
         """Converts any value to a base.Spec field."""
-        if value is None or value == '':
-            return value
-        if isinstance(value, base.BaseSpec):
-            return value
-        return base.BaseSpec.parse(value, syntax=self.syntax)
+        try:
+            if value is None or value == '':
+                return value
+            if isinstance(value, base.BaseSpec):
+                return value
+            return base.BaseSpec.parse(value, syntax=self.syntax)
+        except ValueError as err:
+            raise ValidationError(err)
diff --git a/tests/test_django.py b/tests/test_django.py
index 3361a9b..9c7846d 100644
--- a/tests/test_django.py
+++ b/tests/test_django.py
@@ -5,10 +5,8 @@
 import unittest
 
 from semantic_version import Version, SimpleSpec, NpmSpec
-
 from .setup_django import django_loaded
 
-
 if django_loaded:  # pragma: no cover
     from semantic_version import django_fields
     from .django_test_app import models
@@ -20,12 +18,12 @@
     from django.test import TransactionTestCase
     from django.test import runner as django_test_runner
     from django.test import utils as django_test_utils
+    from django.core.exceptions import ValidationError
 
 else:
     DjangoTestCase = unittest.TestCase
     TransactionTestCase = unittest.TestCase
 
-
 test_state = {}
 
 
@@ -139,10 +137,10 @@ def test_coerce_clean(self):
 
     def test_invalid_input(self):
         v = models.VersionModel(version='0.1.1', spec='blah')
-        self.assertRaises(ValueError, v.full_clean)
+        self.assertRaises(ValidationError, v.full_clean)
 
         v2 = models.VersionModel(version='0.1', spec='==0.1.1,!=0.1.1-alpha')
-        self.assertRaises(ValueError, v2.full_clean)
+        self.assertRaises(ValidationError, v2.full_clean)
 
     def test_partial(self):
         obj = models.PartialVersionModel(partial=Version('0.1.0'))