Painted by Time | Fordite Sterling Silver Necklace

 Painted by Time — Fordite & Sterling Silver

Some materials are beautiful because of where they came from. Others are beautiful because of what they have lived through.

Painted by Time holds a little bit of both.

At the center of this one-of-a-kind pendant is a striking piece of Fordite, sometimes called Detroit Agate. But Fordite isn't a gemstone at all. It was created from layers of automotive paint that accumulated during the automobile manufacturing process. As those layers were repeatedly hardened, they slowly built into colorful material that could later be cut and polished.

That history is what fascinates me about Fordite.

Look closely at Painted by Time and you can follow its story one layer at a time. Rich reds wind through black, cream, gray and softer tones, forming patterns that could never be duplicated. Those colors weren't painted onto this piece to create a design—they are its history.

I surrounded the Fordite in handcrafted sterling silver, adding texture around the setting while allowing the incredible pattern of the material to remain the focus. Three slender silver drops move freely beneath the pendant, giving this substantial piece just a touch of movement.

I named it Painted by Time because that is exactly what I see when I look at Fordite—something ordinary transformed over decades into something collectible and unexpectedly beautiful.

And once this piece is gone, there can never be another exactly like it.

Created by hand in my West Virginia studio, Painted by Time is a one-of-a-kind, artist-signed piece of wearable art by International Jewelry Designer Christine Keller.

The Story & Symbolism

Fordite carries an unusual kind of symbolism because its beauty comes from layers, transformation and time.

For me, it is a reminder that our own lives are built much the same way. Experience upon experience, year upon year, each adding another layer to who we become. Some layers are bright. Some are dark. Some we might never have chosen.

Yet together, they create something that could not exist without every layer that came before.

Product Details

• Genuine Fordite focal
• Handcrafted sterling silver setting
• Textured silver design
• Three handcrafted silver drops
• 24-inch adjustable silver chain
• One-of-a-kind statement jewelry
• Artist created and signed by Christine Keller
• $389