Is Fordite a natural stone?
No. Fordite is a man-made lapidary material, not a mineral. Its stone-like appearance comes from the tightly layered paint revealed when the material is cut and polished.
The material
Not a stone.
A record of paint.
Fordite, sometimes called Detroit agate, is from layers of automotive paint overspray that built up layer by layer in automotive assembly plants.
How it reveals itself
Every cut changes the story.
Fordite can hold stripes, rings, drips and metallic flashes. Cheryl cuts into each piece to reveal the pattern beneath, then refines the surface through progressively finer polishing.
Older material can look and behave differently from modern pieces. A listing's factory, era and color details are part of what makes a particular piece worth collecting.
The short answer
What Fordite is made of.
Fordite is hardened automotive paint buildup. In older paint operations, overspray settled onto racks and other surfaces instead of the vehicle. Repeated oven-bake cycles turned those layers into a solid material that can be cut, shaped, and polished.
It is sometimes called Detroit agate because a polished cross-section can resemble a colorful natural stone. The resemblance is visual, not geological. Fordite is valued because each cut reveals a one-of-a-kind record of color, movement, and automotive history.
Up close
Every layer
has a past.
From the raw buildup to the finished piece, no two cuts reveal the same history.
Wearable history
Made to be seen from every angle.
Some pieces become pendants and accessories. Others remain rough, slabs or cabochons for collectors and makers who want to work with the material themselves.
Frequently asked questions
Fordite, clearly explained.
What is Fordite made of?
Fordite is made of hardened automotive paint buildup. In older paint operations, overspray collected on racks and other surfaces, then hardened through repeated oven-bake cycles.
Why does Fordite have colorful patterns?
Every layer records a different application of automotive paint. A new cut can reveal stripes, rings, drips, metallic flashes, or broad pools of color that were hidden inside the buildup.