The ‘Gemstone’ That Tells the Story of America’s Automotive History

Born from the golden age of the American automotive industry, Fordite, also known as Motor Agate or Detroit Agate, isn’t technically a gemstone but rather an unintentional man-made marvel. Layers of paint, like strata, have fused to form a unique material today prized by jewellers and collectors.

Fordite was composed during the era of hand-spray painting cars, a process used extensively from the 1920s through to the late 1970s. As vehicles were painted in layers of vibrant enamel, excess paint would accumulate on the racks and skids that supported the car frames. Over time, this overspray hardened in the baking ovens, sometimes undergoing hundreds of curing cycles, and built up into thick, vividly layered slabs.

Eventually, the hardened paint became an obstruction and had to be removed. That’s when a few eagle-eyed factory workers began salvaging the material, recognising its accidental beauty. When cut and polished, Fordite reveals mesmerising patterns – swirling, psychedelic bands of colour that resemble natural agate.

But unlike gemstones formed over millennia, each layer of Fordite tells a human story: a snapshot of the car colours popular in a given decade, from the muted tones of the 1940s to the metallic brights of the 1960s and 70s. In essence, Fordite captures the evolving tastes of mid-century America and the rise of Detroit as the heart of the global car industry.

In recent years, Fordite has been utilised by several jewellers, as well as visual artists. Designer Marla Aaron is among those captivated by the material, incorporating it into her signature lock designs before expanding into cuffs and earrings. Her Fordite pieces gained traction on the runway when fashion designer Roland Mouret featured them in his Spring/Summer 2020 show at New York Fashion Week.

With the rise of electrostatic painting methods in the 1980s – which magnetise paint directly onto car bodies and eliminate overspray – this colourful byproduct is no longer created. The “mines” of Fordite are effectively closed, making existing material all the more precious.



Feature image: Pinterest