Fordite

I have wanted to post on this for some time. One of the most beautiful things to come out of the motor city in a long time, Detroit agate. Its also known as Fordite, some apparently coming from the motor city and some from London or Dagenham (in reference I gather to the auto plants where they were "grown or harvested").

This spectacular material is a formed by the overspray in the paint booths where they paint cars, or where they used to paint cars. This overspray accumulated in thin layers of various colors when they changed colors on the factory line. Then the enamel paint was baked over and over to create (Im told) very hard and light material. The material was then harvested by someone very clever from these paint booths. The paint slag is then cut into smaller pieces and worked on a lapidary like a rock or gem.

I went through a moment of puzzlement where I thought, paint chips, I mean thats what these are after all, paint chips from car paint. How can that look good. When I hear about paint chips, I often think of battleship grey paint layered up on a school wall or something but this is obviously not the same.

I have to thank Cindy of Goldilocks Jewlery Designs , she also sells on Ebay. All the photos came from her and she was kind enough to let me post them. If you click on the link, it will take you right to her website. She is selling some D. Agate on ebay under the name, ebay ID: cindimus. Take a look at her ebay store, where there is some of this wonderful stuff for sale right now. I tried a bunch of times to link to it but cant, sorry.

For insight into some of Detroits politics, and the goings on visit RiverRant and hear the musings of my pal who lives just out side of the D. There is always something interesting happening there.....

I like the sparkle colors in these which I think are the Dagenham ones. The metallic car paints that have ended up on the walls and rails make some of these very attractive to me.

I often wonder who was the first to venture into some of these things. Who looked down and said its sure not pretty but ate the first lobster or clam, who brewed and drank the first beer (yeah lets ferment oats, barley, yeast and water that sounds good), who first saw the potential of this material ?

Some of these pieces look like the Japanese Mokume Gane technique to me. The process comes from simulating wood grain and is often done in layers of different color metals. This one on the bottom left is my favorite, love it !