Sterling Silver Fordite Pendant — Detroit Agate Oval, "Fossil of the Assembly Line," Handmade by a Field Paleontologist, One of a Kind

An oval window onto a color you can't find in nature.

This is fordite — also called Detroit agate — the hardened, layered overspray that built up on the racks of old automobile paint booths. Coat after coat baked hard over years, until it could be cut and polished like a gemstone. Every band of color is a different car that rolled down the line; the layers read like tree rings — a "fossil of the assembly line." The factory made it by accident, one coat at a time. No two pieces exist.

This bright, swirling cabochon is bezel-set in a hand-fabricated sterling silver oval with a softly textured (reticulated) ground that makes the color float. Finished front and back.

Handmade by Bob Boscarelli — field paleontologist and silversmith & lapidary working from Soquel, California. He studied jewelry at Cabrillo College under Dawn Nakanishi, whose rule stuck with him: make the back as nice as the front. Part of his Cyberzoic studio collection; arrives with a small card telling its story.

The details

• Technique: hand-fabricated sterling silver, reticulated ground, bezel-set
• Materials: sterling silver, fordite (Detroit agate)
• Size: approx 2.2″ incl. bail × 2″ body × 1.4″ wide
• Pendant only (no chain included)
• Signed on the back with his maker's mark
• One of a kind — only one exists.

Care: keep dry, avoid chemicals; polish gently.

Shipping: Free US shipping — ships from California via USPS Ground Advantage (tracked & insured), in protective packaging. Processing 3–5 business days. US-only to start.