Title: Type 3 Fordite, aka Detroit Agate
Period: early- to mid-20th century
Origin: North America
Media: glass
Classification: debris
Provenance: Scarborough Gem & Mineral Club ‘Wonders of the Earth’ show
Accession number: 104.656.435
Fordite is the layered remnants of pre-electrostatic car painting. When car bodies were sprayed with automotive enamel, piles of excess colour spray paint collected on the floors and skids. Layers of different colours built up over time. When cut off in sections and polished, it creates trippy patterns in slabs and chunks.