These Gorgeous Stones Were Accidentally Created From Layers Of Car Paint In Old Auto Factories

image credit: Danny Nicholson

At first glance, these brilliantly colorful gemstones might look like agate, a stone valued for its beauty and used in the jewelry industry. Their origin, however, might surprise you. These stones, called Fordite or Detroit Agate, are actually paint deposits from old car paintings racks.

Before the car painting process was automated, automotive bodies were painted by hand on long production lines. The vehicles' paint would drip off and dry on the equipment used to move the automotive bodies. This enamel paint would then get baked onto the rack and solidify. After this process is repeated hundreds or thousands of times, the deposits can grow to be several inches thick.