Know Your Rocks

Fordite (Motor City Agate)

You would think that paint certainly is not suitable for jewelry, but this paint overspray from the 60’s and early 70’s was very tough. Remember that the enamel was baked after each color was applied, so while the vehicle was getting baked, so was the overspray on the assembly stand. Layers were baked over and over, perhaps hundreds of times. Also the paint contained lead. Lead was added to allow for speed drying, pigment, increased durability, to resist corrosion causing moisture, and to retain a fresh appearance. I’ve been told that the paint “flowed” better with the lead. Bottom line is that Fordite is tuff stuff. I use my diamond wheels to form this paint just as I do with other stones.

At an art show I had one lady ask me in a sarcastic voice, “Does this paint have lead in it?”. I could see she was just “testing” me, so I asked her “Why, are you going to eat it?”. My counselor and wife admonished me later, but it was fun anyway. I think back to all the lead paint I ate as a kid. I couldn’t resist the lure of paint peeling off the wall! It’s a wonder any baby-boomer is still alive. Virtually ALL paint had lead in it “back in the day”. You can be sure that the small lead content of your jewelry is certainly not the biggest threat to your health!

By the mid-70’s OSHA rules regarding health and job safety, and robots began painting cars using powder coating, virtually eliminating Fordite, as the paint no longer built up on the assembly stands. Fordite’s days came to an end when powder coating was mandated in most applications.

It’s amazing to me the variety in pattern that can be coaxed out of a single piece of Fordite. The real secret of Fordite is that it may not come out of a Ford Plant. I cannot tell where exactly where most of my Fordite came from (I often call my Fordite “Motor City Agate” if I do not know it’s source), and neither can 90% of jewelry makers, although some car collectors can actually match colors to old cars.

This rare antique paint is quite expensive to buy, if you can find it. It’s a great day when I find someone with a stash of this wonderful material. You also could own a piece of Fordite jewelry or give one as a gift.  A wide variety of folks admire the Motor City agates - because they love the bright colors, the cool designs, they worked for an automotive company, or they just love jewelry.

In recent years fake Fordite has become the norm. This new fake Fordite is made overseas, has wider paint layers than the real Fordite, and comes in gaudy bright colors that were never put on cars. You might like this new Fordite, but it is not the real deal. Buyer beware; Most dealers will lie about what they have; well maybe not lie, as they themselves may have been deceived.