New Material: Fordite
Fordite is one of those materials that does not look real until you see it up close.
Those vivid layers of color are actually built-up automotive paint, created over time from repeated paint applications in old car factories. Once the hardened layers are cut and polished, all of that accumulated color becomes visible.
The result can look almost like agate, with stripes, swirls, rings, and completely unexpected combinations.
What Makes Fordite So Interesting
Every piece of Fordite has its own pattern.
Depending on how it is cut, you might see broad bands of color, tight concentric rings, bold contrast, or softer layered transitions. That makes each piece visually different before it ever becomes jewelry.
I love materials like that because they already bring so much personality to the design.
From Industrial Material to Jewelry
Part of the appeal of Fordite is the contrast.
It began as a byproduct of industrial painting, yet once it is cut and polished, it can look surprisingly refined and almost stone-like.
That transformation makes it especially fun to use in jewelry.
Copper pairs beautifully with Fordite because the warmth of the metal gives all those painted layers something solid to sit against without competing with them.
Fordite Jewelry at Sparkling Delicious
When I work with Fordite, I want the pattern to stay front and center.
The shape, color, and direction of the layers do a lot of the design work already, so I prefer to build around what is naturally happening in the piece.
That means no two finished pieces will look exactly alike.
Even when two pieces of Fordite come from the same larger chunk, the cut can reveal something completely different inside.
Why I Keep Coming Back to Unusual Materials
I love beautiful stones, but I also love materials that make you stop and ask, “What on Earth is that?”
Fordite definitely does that.
It has color, history, texture, and just enough weirdness to keep things interesting!
That makes it a very Sparkling Delicious kind of material.
