Sieber Agate'

 In Lower Saxony of Germany you'll find the Sieber Valley town of Herzberg nestled in the Western Harz Mountains where an old foundry is located. Sieber Agate is the name given to this slag glass from the old (copper) foundry smelter. Six hundred years ago the workers at the old factory considered it unwanted, nuisance slag and who'd a thunk we would be cutting gems from it today. When they cleaned out the smelter they dumped the slag into pits and buried it. Not all of the stuff is pretty with most full of tiny bubbles to big bubbles that render it junk. But when they hit a batch of good solid blue with no bubbles, it's like finding a good Laker or something.  That's right, 600+ years ago! It amazes me that someone found such a perfect use for this ancient man made glass. Ford Agate is being marketed by someone who is cleaning paint over spray off racks that hold car parts that are being painted.  The paint builds up over time on the racks with layer after layer of different colors.  A worker breaks it off (cleans it) and when you see it exposed it's much like how a fortification agate looks/forms. The paint is very hard and polishes well.....>like a car does! Both of these gems were once a factory's waste. Kinda neat if you ask me!(1 lb.) a bit brittle like opalite