With difficulty a border is to be drawn, in order to limit the topics agate and jasper. Both distinguish in the percentage of the participating amount of quartz depending upon formation and discovery site, so that this is hardly a valid parameter. On this web page also now and then a rock, whose amount of quartz constitutes less than half, slips into the articles. So far however at least the criterion “genuine” was valid (i.e. naturally developed without the effort of humans )

But in this article we make an exception. First of all because this material apart from its original name Fordite carries also the name motor-agate. Second, because many interested collectors identify this material in natural origin and ask for its formation time by time.

This material originally received the name Fordite, because it develops as waste product with paint work during autoproduction. With in former times usual technology of the hand lacquer finish the autoparts at frames were hung up, which carried the parts again and again into the furnace and were heated together with the carriage-parts.

On these frames then the colored layers of Fordite formed by the time. Occasionally these frames had to be cleaned. Sophisticated workers recognized the value „of the waste “and earned themselves alittle money with the sale of the paint-slag. Fordit is relatively soft but gives a good polish. Since the technology of the hand lacquer finish  was replaced however by more efficient powder coating techniques, no new Fordite finds the way on the market and the price for this unusual material is quite high. The name ”Motor- Agate “ was introduced by dealers, in order to avoid copyright  conflicts with the Ford engine company.

The website www.fordite.com finds is presenting further pictures and information to this topic.