The dreamy, technicolor hues of surfite are a beautiful byproduct of an industrial process turned into art. These layered colors are formed from years of paint buildup at surfboard manufacturing plants.

When the layers of the material are removed, they can be superheated to undergo a fiery metamorphosis as the different coats are fused into a solid, luminous substance. Surfite’s ethereal glow has not escaped the notice of the upcycling community, attracting artisans with its unique allure while simultaneously reducing landfill waste.

This necklace contains a polished Surfite pendant, which was made with material sourced from a surfboard manufacturer in California.

Several different surfite pendants are available and each is a unique work of art. Every layer of color represents its own surfboard coating, the paint of which has been transformed into a wonderful pendant.

The surfite centerpiece is set into a sterling silver backing and comes with an 18" chain. Necklaces are shipped in a black padded jewelry box along with an informational card which serves as certificate of authenticity.

Each pendant has its own unique coloring and pattern. You can see all currently available pendants in the collection below.

Looking at surfite, you might think it a beautiful rock formed from natural forces, but the material is entirely artificial. Its many layered colors are actually the product of surfboard manufacturing, the accumulated excess paint layered on top of itself over and over.

The material is then baked and cut into stones, each one a unique blend of colors and layering. This heating causes the paint coatings to fuse together, giving it a dreamy new look that is perfect for beachy vibes.

A similar product called fordite, or Motor Agate, was produced by layers and layers of automotive paint in car factories. The process was a slow one—an inch of fordite is the product of about 997 layers of paint. Through fordite, one can track the rise of the American auto industry in the 1960s and 1970s, as this is when the colors in fordite are most vibrant. Today this process is automated, leaving behind no excess paint, making fordite a valuable specimen from the past.

Surfite is still made today in much the same way as fordite, with paint accumulating in factories. It can also be produced by individual aristains called surfboard shapers—after sanding and sculpting a board, shapers pour liquid resin over the piece, which then accumulates onto the floor. This material is then cut, baked, and shaped into brilliant pieces.

Fordite and surfite are classic examples of upcycling, the repurposing of waste into a new product. In this case, the material often finds its home in jewelry, where its many layered colors make for an eye-catching adornment. Not all surfite has been so reclaimed - a lot of it ends up in landfills, where some day in the far future it may be found again, a bit of human-engineered geology.