I hand cut this freeform shaped focal bead from rare "Black Fordite" rough with sparkles and silvery grey lustre that looks like a cross between Silver Sheen Obsidian and Crown of Silver Psilomelane! This Fordite is contemporary accumulated paint overspray from a factory in SE Michigan that makes parts for MOPAR/Jeep/Ford vehicles. Shipped in a gift box with a certificate of authenticity. Measurements are in the title in millimeters. 2.5mm drill hole. CHAIN NOT INCLUDED.
I’ve been working with Fordite for over four decades, long before it was a buzzword. While it’s often claimed that Fordite is no longer being made due to changes in automotive painting processes, there is still some contemporary rough available to lapidary artists like myself. I’ve built trusted relationships with a very small number of reputable dealers who know their sources—and I know my material. Every piece I work with is guaranteed to be authentic and connected to the automotive history that makes Fordite so beloved.
Not all Fordite on the market is the real deal. Many so-called “Fordite” offerings are just layered resin or artist’s acrylic paint with no connection to factory overspray or car culture. I stand by my work and my reputation. You’ll never get fake Fordite from me—only genuine material shaped with care, experience, and deep respect for its origins.
My own story with Fordite goes back to the 1970s, when I was part of a rock club in Michigan. Back then, local rockhounds with jobs in Detroit’s auto plants would salvage baked paint chunks from the spray booths. These colorful blocks—layer upon layer of enamel overspray, hardened in curing ovens—were sometimes called Fordite, Chryslerite, Buickite, or Detroit Agate. Whatever the name, we knew they were special. Over the years, Fordite has grown from a regional oddity into a sought-after upcycled gemstone, prized for its vivid color, history, and bold patterns.
The Metaphysics of Fordite: Drive, Creativity, and Transformation
Fordite is a talisman of resilience and reinvention. Born from industrial waste and transformed into beauty, it embodies the alchemy of turning challenges into art. With its joyful energy, bold color bands, and deep automotive roots, Fordite is associated with:
Creative expression and innovation
Safe travel and protection on the road
Freedom of movement and personal momentum
Transformation through intention
Eco-conscious living, upcycling, and mindful consumption
Some say it holds the energy of “new car smell” and road trip wanderlust. Others see it as a symbol of layered experience, joy, and the cycles of creation and destruction.
Like all metaphysical stones, your experience will be your own. Let Fordite speak to your inner rebel, your artist’s eye, or your road warrior soul. Trust your intuition and connection with this one-of-a-kind material—and may it support you on your own sacred journey.
More will be revealed.
—DVHdesigns