Also known as Detroit Agate or Motor City Agate, Fordite is an irreplaceable and matchless automotive material, made of hardened enamel paint that built up and baked as cars were moved along a factory track and were spray painted by hand. With the old factories long gone and today’s automated car painting, Fordite has become a rare and quite valuable stone.
In the beginning multilayered colored chunks of rock hard “enamel slag” were the product of the overspray paint chipped from the racks, skids and conveyor equipment in the automobile paint booths of yesteryear.
Maybe mesmerized with the swirling of the colorful overspray, maybe with a keen eye for beauty or art, enterprising workers at the Ford Motor Company in Michigan in the 1940s, were the first to scrape up the baked enamel and keep pieces of these chips now known as Fordite.
FACT: Most significant as a stone with an authentic history, Fordite represents a specific time – often a specific car like the Corvette – in America’s automotive history. When Fordite chips are ground down and polished, the whirling/swirling array of colors produces a dazzling stone; a limited supply makes them rare; the most intense colors are from the 1960s/1970s – Prime Corvette Time! These cabs intrigue me!
“A Day Dream of Owning A Corvette”
This sterling silver pendant showcases an authentic Corvette Fordite from the year the auto was made. Measuring 2½” x 1¼” the pendant hangs from an 18” Viking Knit Style Chain.
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COMMENTS: Gorgeous/Gorgeous/Gorgeous: Lori Bowers; Stella Flores; Ellen Walden; Denise Jansky ~ It reminds me of the pictures of the narrow canyons that you see, that have multi colored walls; Lynda Kelly ~ another stunning piece of art work..💋
FUN FACT: Known as the “Vette” and considered an American sports car icon, Chevrolet has built about 1.5 million Corvettes since 1953. The earliest designs were one of the first true collectible cars of the modern era – making it one of the most popular sports cars of all time.
“A Days Drive In A Corvette”
This piece of fabulous Fordite, from the Corvette Auto Factory Paint Booth, dazzles with an intense metallic and high gloss. I do like its spirit and feel. Pendant measures 2” x 1” and hangs from an 18” Viking Knit Style Chain.
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FUN FACT: These days, 12 exterior paint choices are available. Many Corvettes come in varying shades of grayscale, but there are some exciting colors: a vibrant yellow as well as multiple colors of blue and assorted red.
“Riding High In A 1969 Mustang”
Doubling the interest is a two-part pendant showcasing Fordite, cut by Keith Horst, Prescott, AZ, with a Freshwater Pearl, an Aquamarine Colored Crystal, and Copper accents at the top set in Sterling Silver. Pendant measures 3¾” x 2” and hangs from an 18” Copper Rolo Style Chain.
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FUN FACT: Synonymous with the car, Mustang Sally, a rhythm & blues song best known by the 1966 recording by Wilson Pickett, rose to #6 on the R&B charts and #23 on the Pop charts. It ranks on the Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
“Cruz'in In a 1970 Chevelle SS”
A large striated piece of Fordite, cut by Keith Horst, Prescott, AZ, is sent in sterling silver with a Topaz Color Crystal and Freshwater Pearl as accents. The pendant measures 3” x 2” and hangs from an 18" Copper Herringbone Chain.
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Fun Fact: Having “style for miles”, the Chevelle was considered THE muscle car when it first came out in 1967 – proving that engine power was a leading force in consumer appeal.
“Watching For Elvis In His 1955 Pink Cadillac”
This uniquely shaped piece of polished Fordite set in Sterling Silver is enhanced with a Pink Crystal Stone and Sterling Silver accents. Pendant measures 2½” x 1½” and from an 18” Wheat Weave Copper Chain.
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FUN FACT: The Pink 1955 Cadillac Fleetwood purchased by Elvis Presley became the era’s iconic style. At the time, Ford Motor Co. was the only manufacturer to offer pink as a standard color and, as popular culture would have it, individual car owners in the 1950s began to paint their cars various shades of pink. The original pink Cadillac remains on permanent display at Graceland.
FACT: According to Hagerty Drivers Club Magazine: cars from 1900 to 1979 are considered either Antique or Classic – both categories imply the same thing: the car is old. If it was manufactured in 1980 or later, it is considered a collector car.
So many of us have a relationship to our cars – either past, present or yet to come. These original pendants with centerpieces of whirling/swirling chips of Fordite are a great way to keep our car connection and conversation lively.