Being a freelance journalist who writes about topics encompassing jewelry, antiques, nature, popular culture, and more, I’m always on the hunt for unique stories. A few years back, I came across Fordite, an eye-catching material that resembles agate and jasper, but is entirely manmade.

Fordite was created as a byproduct of paint overspray baked over time on the walls and assembly stands in manufacturing plants including Ford (where it gets its name) but also Chrysler, General Motors, Kenworth trucks, and Jeep. Sometimes you’ll see it labeled as Detroit agate and Motor City agate. The heyday of Fordite was the 1940s to 1970s — the decades before automated car painting was introduced in the mid-‘80s to curb waste.

As one car after another would be pulled through the bays for painting, the paint would accumulate, destined for disposal. Some factory workers were intrigued by the buildup, or slag, and would cut it out and keep it. In time, they discovered the vibrant-hued chunks could be fashioned into keychains, jewelry, and souvenirs.

Today, you’ll often find it sold by sellers based in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and other places with a history of making cars. Hobbyists obtain the material from abandoned factories, some having been employed at the plants back in the day.

Fordite in its raw form is usually sold by the pound, but can also be sold by the gram. While regarded as an American “gemstone,” in actuality, Fordite can be harvested anywhere in the world where vehicles were painted the old-fashioned way. The swirling and banding of the stone reminds me of a human fingerprint.

What I love about Fordite is no two specimens are alike. Experts can even tell just by looking at a piece what car model(s) had been painted. Possessing a catalog of car paint codes from dealerships can help you with this task. You will encounter some Fordite in the shape of stalactites if the layers had formed from hardened drips of enamel paint. Lead-containing Fordite sometimes has visible layers of gray primer.

When you think back to the muscle car craze of the ‘60s and ‘70s, picture Mustangs. That variety of Fordite is immediately recognizable because of its bright metallic shades. The “bullseye” look comes from Fordite being collected in flat sheets. I’ve commonly seen this with the type from Jeeps, known as Jeepite.

Non-traditional Fordite is harvested outside of the plants. A roadside attraction and art installation called Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas, was established in 1974. People bring their own spray paint and decorate the discarded cars. The sun then hardens the paint (sort of), simulating the effect found in automotive factory painting. The color layers are thin and vibrant but can bleed into each other in a bit of a watercolor sort of way. Some artisans shy away from working with Cadillac Ranch because it can be brittle due to not being baked after each coating.

Sara Jordan-Heintz is a journalist, author, and editor based in Iowa. An “old soul” she is an avid collector of vintage jewelry, Russian stacking dolls, and autographs. In her free time she’s a voracious reader and lover of classic movies — “All About Eve” being her top pick. Her favorite fictional sleuths are Columbo and Jessica Fletcher. She holds a degree in American Studies from the University of Iowa. Connect with her at: sara.jordan909@gmail.com.