[Rockhounds] Fordite

[Larry Rush]

Recently, as a birthday gift, I received a "specimen" in a mineral box, labeled "Fordite- Detroit Agate".
Thinking I had now in my sweaty, little palm, a NEW mineral species,  I took a closer look.If you have not heard of this kind of "specimen", I'll save you the time...it is broken polished fragments of solidified paint and enamel from the obsolete car-painting booths in the Ford motor plants.
It does come in finely banded layers and swirls of color, similar to agate in looks.
But, there the similarity to minerals ends!!
There is no science involved, no mining from ores deep in Mother Earth, no crystallization, no eye-catching Geometry.......You won't find this one in Dana!In short, it is just a cheap way to merchandize and take name advantage of our esteemed love of mineralogy.
If you haven't heard of this scam, look it up on the Web, and be disappointed for yourself.
For me, I have too much respect, not to mention a lifetime fascination for mineralogy, to allow a cheap "look-alike" substitute to occupy my attention for very long.I wonder how the mineral-naming committee, the IMA, feels about this?
And, lastly, my gift-giver meant it only as a joke, one which did not make me smile!
Let the buyer beware!
Larry