America's automotive history has been captured in a unique way. Old paint from U.S. auto factories has literally been sealed in stone, creating an enamel material called Fordite or Motor Agate. Unlike real agate, which forms over millions of years, these colorful layered stones were forged over the course of many decades at car manufacturing facilities in Michigan.
Back in the day, before automated car painting was put in to practice, workers used to hand spray paint cars on long metal racks. The paint would often drip down and harden onto the production lines, then high heat from the baking process would convert it into a rock-like state. When the paint deposits had grown by inches, some saw an opportunity to chip them off and use them for jewelry and keepsakes.
With the modernized car painting techniques implemented today, the creation of Fordite has become a thing of the past; however, while there are some who can emulate its looks, Fordite produced in old car factories is much more valuable. Decades from now, it may even be featured in museums, as the material truly does capture a piece of automotive history. What's really interesting is that you can see paint color trends from several decades ago inside of the stones, like the sea-foam greens and pale yellows that were popular in the past.
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