On a daily basis, we are surrounded by art within our everyday world. Fordite (aka Detroit agate) is a stunning example of the phenomena that can occur before our very eyes. Initially, these beautiful gems appear to be naturally produced rock. In fact, though, the colorfully captivating stones are actually the result of automobile paint that has built up over time.
In the past, when cars were hand spray-painted, the run off from the paints would collect on the ground and in the tracks and would undergo extreme heat when the cars' paint was set under high heat in ovens. Color upon color, layer upon layer, the paints merged together to produce the unpredictable formations.
Not much is known about how the pieces left the old factories, but it is assumed that “some crafty workers with an eye for beauty realized that this unique byproduct was worth salvaging. It was super-cured, patterned-like psychedelic agate, and could be cut and polished with relative ease!”
Today, with a little shaping and polishing, the fascinating raw materials are often transformed into gorgeous rings, necklaces, and earrings. Since the car painting process no longer exists, the beautifully unique stones and jewelry are considered more and more rare. So check out these tiny bits of history while they are still around!
Fordite website
via [Amusing Planet], [AZBlueRockers]
