FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS / FAQ

Welcome to Product FAQ regarding Seashells, Starfish, Books, etc. For Ordering support, please visit our Help Centre
 

Please click on any of the Quick Links below for answers!

·       What's a good Beginner Seashell Book?
·       Can you send me a Catalogue?
·       Can you send me photos of individual Shells?
·       Can you value or buy my Seashell collection?
·       Can I order Paper Nautilus?
·       How best to clean Shells for Aquarium / Cooking Use?
·       How to cook with Seashells?
·       How to Cut Seashells?
·       How to Drill Seashells?
·       How to Paint Starfish?
·       How to Polish Seashells?
·       How to sell my shell Collection?
·       How best to store my Shell Collection?
·       How best to pack Seashells for shipping?
·       What is a 'Decoshell'?
·       What is a 'Specimen Seashell'?

·       What is a 'Scientific Seashell Data Label'?
·       What is 'Specimen Seashell Grading'?
·       Why no photos of Specimen Seashells?
·       Are Cone Shells dangerous? 

·       Can I order a Conch Horn / Seashell Musical Instrument?
·       Can I order a Shell 'To Hear The Ocean'?
·       Can I order Chank Shells / Sinistral Shells?
·       What is CITES? Can I order CITES listed species?
·       Can I order Clam Shells?
·       Can I order Coral items?
·       Can I order a Seashell Operculum (what's that)?
·       Can I order Seashells For Kids?
·       Can I order Chank Shells / Sinistral Shells?
·       Can I order Shells for Cichlids / fish breeding / aquarium use?
·       Can I order Something Unlisted Online?
·       Can I trade or exchange Seashells?
·       Can I travel with Seashells?
·       Can I visit / meet you?

Can't find your question listed? Email us! All good queries will be added to the list.


What's a good Beginner Seashell Book?

The most common question we get: "What's a good general shell book that can help me find good specimens online?" Here's one we can recommend:

Encyclopedia Of Marine Gastropods
by Robin, 2008 (French shell club AFC and Conchbooks Publishing)
A great book for beginners and advanced shell collectors alike; a comprehensive guide to worldwide Gastropod shells that includes over 12000 images with some general information on each species, such as scientific name, common name, average size and location. There is also a companion volume dedicated to Bivalves:

Encyclopedia Of Marine Bivalves - the companion volume lists non-Gastropods. Together they have now replaced the famous “Compendium Of Seashells" by Abbott & Dance as the most useful set of books on worldwide shells you can own.

Why are shell books so important? See here: Seashell Books & Shell Collecting.


Can you send me a Catalogue?

No printed catalogues, sorry! Our stock is constantly changing and expanding, so a website will always be more current than a printed list. Please print out our detailed online pricelists (over 7000 different categories!) as required, with all Specimen Shell Pricelists formatted for easy printing. Go to the Specimen Shells page and click on the links for seashell families. Highlight the section you want to print in any list - or just print the whole list.

The DECOSHELLS listings (decorative / craft / bulk shells and starfish, etc.) include detailed descriptions & images for each item.


Can you send me photos of individual Shells?

In short: No, we are unfortunately not set up for quick individual digital imaging! We supply many other dealers (who photograph every shell individually) but you can also order from us directly. Specimen Seashells are highly individual objects and we think there is still no better way to evaluate a shell than holding it in your hand and looking at it. So we offer a ‘Money Back Guarantee' for all our Specimen Seashell items, which means that you can return any specimen for a refund (or online shop credit if you prefer that) to the full value of the item(s) returned, excluding shipping cost.

In short, if you do not like the shells we selected (for any reason), you can send them back for a full refund or exchange if you wish.


Can you buy / value my shell collection?

Yes! We frequently buy (and sell) complete collections in Australia and around the world. Just email us if you have any shells for sale! We'd love to hear from you..

Regarding valuations, please by all means use our online pricelists to help you get some idea of the potential value of your collection. Note that individual condition of your shells (Grading) and accuracy of shell data (Labels) will also contribute value. You may want some professional advice, especially for large collections. We welcome all queries, so by all means please email us. If we can't assist you personally, we may be able to refer you to someone in your local area.

Do you sell Paper Nautilus?

Yes, we offer several species of Paper Nautilus (aka Argonauta) in our Specimen Seashells section online - see Cephalopoda/Nautilus pricelist for details.
If you are unsure which species you would like to order, just google the scientific name to find out what the species looks like! We usually have Paper Nautilus species available in many sizes. All our online prices include the careful and substantial packaging required for these very fragile items to travel safely and arrive intact - there's no additional handling charge!


How to clean Shells for Aquarium / Cooking use?

Shells intended for cooking or pets (fish, crabs, etc) should be clean before use. To ensure they are contaminant- and dust free, we recommend the following cleaning procedure:
Quick initial clean: Scrub shells with a soft brush, some warm water and soap, rinse well and dry.
Deep clean / Sterilisation: Place shells in a large pot of cold clean water and put this to boil for about 10 minutes. The gradual heating and boiling won't harm the shells, but it's important to allow them to heat up and cool down gradually. This deep-cleaning method helps to rid the layered seashell micro-structure of any residual animal tissue or possible traces of commercial cleaning agents (i. e. chlorine) along with any dust particles, etc. - all in one go!

Treat seashells like fine bone china: No microwave / dishwasher, no sudden heating / cooling / freezing!


How to cook with Seashells?

Other than eating shell meat for seafood, you can also creatively use the empty shells (i. e.  Scallops, Abalone, etc.) in food presentation to great effect! We've supplied shells to chefs around the world for decor and cooking uses, such as Scallops (baking or gratins). Some shells make enchanting small sauce dishes for seafood platters, or side dishes for various finger foods, tapas, etc. We can offer many shell options for food presentation, such as Deep Dish Scallop / White Scallop (similar to Coquilles St. Jacques) - just visit our Decoshells section for inspiration! When ordering, please advise if you would like to use the shells for cooking, so we can select robust shells and (if requested) carefully trim them to get them ready for your kitchen!


How to cut Seashells?

Any tool suitable for cutting metal will generally also work for shells; i.e. any saw / file / sandpaper that is suitable for use with metals will also cut or sand seashells. Please always wear adequate protection when using power tools. Slightly wet the area to keep dust to a minimum while you work, so choosing wet&dry (linen-backed) sandpaper to use with shells (i.e. to smooth any edges) is a good idea!


How to drill Seashells?

Not all shells need drilling - for small, thin shells, often a sharp needle / awl (i.e. attached to a cork or handle) may be used to simply poke a small hole (i.e. for beadwork or jewellery).
Larger shells can easily be drilled with the right tools and doing it yourself means you can place the hole exactly where you want it. A small hand-held power drill (i.e. for engraving, etc.) works best. Un-branded drills are widely available online. Use them with HSS steel drill bits ( ~ 0.8 or 1mm diameter). If the drill bit cuts metal, it will also work for seashells (no diamond drills required).

TIPS: Don't overheat the area. Drilling at low speed and pressure works best. Moisten the drill area to reduce dust (i.e. have shallow dish of water nearby) while you work and always wear adequate protection when using power tools.


How to paint Starfish?
 

If you would like your starfish any particular colour (i.e. to match a colour theme), just spray-paint them! A single can of paint will cover hundreds (or even thousands) of starfish easily. Doing this yourself is very quick - the whole process takes very little time as starfish dry almost instantly.

You can create exactly the right shade of colour and with painting sealing the surface, the starfish will also be easy to clean in future.
Use flat (non-gloss) spray enamel paint, for the most natural look (available at any hardware store). Do a trial run first! Spread newspaper in a wind-protected spot outside. Spread starfish on a few sheets, upside down initially. Paint starfish very lightly while moving the spray can at arm's length side-to-side. Repeat if necessary and keep paint layers very thin, as this looks most natural and will dry in just a few seconds. Turn starfish over, repeat the fine spray layers for top & sides until happy with the result.

How to polish Seashells?

Polishing shells involves a few steps: Use increasingly finer grain for initial sanding of rough surfaces (i.e. from 120 to approx. 600 grain). Following that, a rotating brush with a fine sanding paste and finally a wool buff with jeweller’s rouge can be used to further smooth and then polish your shell surface. Sandpaper suitable for metal can also be used for shells (available at hardware stores). Always wear protection when using power tools and rest shells frequently to keep them from overheating. However polishing is a messy process and if you have no prior experience, consider asking for help at your local jeweller's workshop instead. Jewellers may be able to polish your shells for you, as this falls in their traditional skill set (i.e. polishing mother-of-pearl for jewellery).


I want to sell my shell collection

If you have a shell collection you are thinking of selling, we would certainly be interested in hearing about it! We regularly buy complete collections from around Australia. Even if we're not interested, we may be able to refer you to someone local - so just send us an email for advice and options!


How to store and look after a shell collection?

STORAGE: Museums worldwide now exclusively use metal cabinets for Natural History item storage. As seashells consist of ~ 98% of calcium carbonate (vulnerable to acidic environments), we also recommend metal cabinets (not timber) as it avoids acidity issues. Shiny shells (i.e. Cowries) have ultra-thin nacre layers that are especially vulnerable, but many other seashells will also degrade over time if exposed to acidity (i.e. from timber cabinets). A controlled (low) humidity lowers the risk, but as seashells naturally contain traces of moisture in their molecular structure, it's not a good idea to dry them out too much. Best advice: Store seashells acid-free, meaning: Don't use timber cabinets!

SEPARATION: Seashells tend to roll, so keep them from moving to avoid them getting chipped or scratched! Most people use boxes inside drawers (acid-free paper/board, otherwise plastic) and / or plastic dividers for some sections on PU foam matting, which will accommodate a wide range of sizes.

MAINTENANCE: Take a critical look at your collection: Discard organic packaging or storage material (cotton wool, i. e. below opercs), old matchboxes, card, paper, etc. Any such materials are acidic to some degree - but can be replaced with acid-free alternatives! Print data labels on acid-free paper.

Give your shells a gentle warm wash with clear water occasionally. Let them dry completely before re-homing them. You can use a little paraffin oil (i.e. baby oil) to replace lost moisture on dull shells (brings back faded colour / pattern) - except for naturally shiny shells (i.e. Cypraeidae and Olividae).

How are seashells packed for shipping?

We box all shipments prior to shipping. Very fragile items (i.e. Nautilus) may be double-boxed, also depending on the other items they are shipped with. We always aim to use recycled / recyclable materials for shipping where possible (cardboard, paper, bio-degradeable foam beads, etc.).

Shells other than bulk items are individually wrapped and padded to protect potentially fragile areas; starfish are usually packed flat between finely shredded paper layers.

Handling seashells and starfish for packaging takes time and care (not unlike packing glass or china items). As we are including packaging cost in our item pricing, there is no additional handling surcharge when you order! All quoted shipping costs reflect delivery charges paid to 3rd party providers (i.e. Australia Post) - we don't charge additional fees.


What is a 'Decoshell'?

See here: Decoration
 

What's a 'Specimen Seashell' and a "Scientific Data Label'?

See here: Collecting
 

What is 'Specimen Seashell Grading'?

Selected Seashells for Collectors are individually graded for worldwide trading - see here: International Grading Terms

Why don't we photograph Specimen Seashells?

We are offering all Specimen Seashells in category listings online. Each category may contain many hundreds of individual shells, so unfortunately we can't possibly photograph every single item for you!

We are a primary source for many other dealers, who purchase from us in bulk by using our detailed and accurate category descriptions. We offer discounts based on order volume, and usually will include additional gifts if you order multiple items per species.

We aim to keep our prices low and affordable for everyone and also sell directly to the public. All you need to order Specimen Shells from us is the basic information to identify which species you would like to order. You can then simply order from our Specimen Shells listings by scientific name and description. You are welcome to add your comments or special requests. We will send you an offer incl. description / grading / price, incl. delivery cost. If you do not like the specimen we send you, you can return it - we offer a Money-back-Guarantee for all our Specimen Shells!

Are Cone Shells dangerous?

Yes and no - a dead Cone Shell won't hurt you - but some living Cone animals can! As seashell animals can retract and hide in the shell, it's often difficult to tell if it's still alive or not. Some Cones are predators hunting marine worms and small fish by shooting a hollow radula dart loaded with toxin at their prey. If they inject a human by mistake, it can cause a serious allergic reaction. Some of the prettiest living Cones have toxins that are potentially lethal to humans - see here: wikipedia.org/wiki/Cone_snail So, yes - some Cone Shells could potentially kill you! Better not pick up any Cone Shell from the beach or underwater; just leave them alone! See our Pinterest Board for 'Seashells & Science' for more info on Cone Shell Toxins and why they have scientists around the world so excited..

Can I order a Conch Horn / Seashell Musical Instrument?

We set aside suitable shells and supply them to musicians worldwide. If you wish to order a shell for a Conch Horn (seashell as musical instrument) please email us! You can easily find DIY info on YouTube for making and playing Conch Horns. Most people who can play i.e. a trumpet will also be able to play a Conch Horn (techniques are similar). Worldwide traditional Conch horns include: Queen Conch (Strombus gigas), Giant Helmet Shell (Cassis cornuta), Australian Trumpet (Syrinx aruanus), Giant Frog Shell (Bursa bufo) etc. Please email us with your preferences for info and availability!

Can I order a shell ‘To Hear The Ocean’?

Yes! Although it's not actually the ocean that you hear in a seashell.. Like many hollow shapes, Seashells resonate to ambient noise - see the Wiki page on "seashell resonance" to find out more. Some shapes do this much better than others: Your ears evolved to pick up noise really well and most musical instruments (i. e. violins, drums, etc.) are specifically shaped to amplify sound. Some Seashell internal structures resonate nicely and some even amplify sound slightly, particularly when large - or at least a bit larger than your hand. We found that i. e. many Red Helmet Shells (XL size) are quite resonant - they seem to pick up the slightest ambient noise and amplify it like a 'distant waves' sound. Red Helmets are gorgeous, robust and vibrantly coloured shells, just about the right size to handle comfortably. To order, please mention that you want a resonant shell, so we can select accordingly!
 

Can I order Chank Shells / sinistral Shells?

Chank Shells (Turbinella pyrum) are from India and Sri Lanka. We do not import them to Australia and have never found anyone who does. Our customers tell us that Chank (or Shankha) has two varieties, based on its direction of coiling. They are:
- Dakshinavarta ("right-turned", viewed with the aperture pointing up), aka sinistral Shankha, where the shell coils counterclockwise, viewed from the apex. This is very rare!
- Vamavarta ("left-turned", viewed with the aperture pointing up), aka dextral Shankha, where the shell coils clockwise when viewed from the apex. This is more common - the vast majority of all seashells around the world are left-turned or dextral.
According to Hindu faith, a Dakshinavarta (sinistral) Chank / Shankha Shell symbolises infinite space. It is associated with the god Vishnu, whose consort Lakshmi resides in a sinistral Shankha. It makes all sinistral shells very desirable for religious ceremonies.

No, we can’t offer you Chank Shells, but we may be able to offer the occasional beautiful, natural sinistral Lightning Whelk Shell (Busycon contrarium) instead. Please email us for more info!

What is CITES? Can I order protected (CITES Listed) species?

CITES (www.cites.org) is the 'Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora', an international Trade agreement between countries. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival by restricting International trade with listed species. All CITES listed species need protection and so we don't list any of these online - with one exception:
As of January 2017, Nautilus Shells have been listed in Appendix II of CITES, due to a concern of recent overfishing. We do still have some 30-year old stock of Nautilus Shells (Polished, Natural and Cut Shells) available in our DECOSHELLS and COLLECTOR departments. Once gone, we won't be offering any more (and that's how it should be). If you wish to order any Nautilus, please note that we can ship these anywhere in Australia, but we will not export or ship internationally.
 

Can I order Clam Shells?

No, sorry - If you are looking for a nice big white Clam Shell (Giant Clam / Tridacna) for decoration, please note these are all CITES-listed, protected species. If you google for more info, you'll see that you can legally buy some in Australia that have been collected with a license. If you are just looking for the big Clam shape, consider the realistic looking resin casts of real Clam Shells available for interior design / aquarium trade (i. e. on eBay). However please also consider beautiful natural seashell alternatives to Clam Shells. If a different shape would work for you, we can offer you several other abundantly available giant natural XL or XXL sized Seashells.. Just email us for options!


Can I order Coral?

No, sorry - we do not sell coral items. All marine environments are now under increased pressure from pollution and climate change, meaning that corals in general are under threat now, or will shortly be. We sometimes get coral items from old collections and usually give them away for free (educational purposes etc.).

Can I order Seashell Operculums?

Yes, we have many different types of operculum (aka Operc, Cat's Eye, Shell Door) in stock, usually unlisted online, as supplies are irregular. Most commonly traded opercs are shell doors of various Turban (Turbo) Shells, oval shaped, one side bone-like ivory coloured with an embedded dark spiral line - and glossy, colourful or intricately shaped reverse side (depending on the species). Shell doors are usually found loose on the seabed after the animal has died. Some may still have the original organic brown coating, which is removed easily by boiling or soaking overnight in chlorine bleach to reveal a pristine spiral surface beneath. Please email us with your required QTY and type / size, so we can send you an offer!

Can I order Seashells for Kids?

Yes! Seashells are supremely educational, beautifully tactile and exciting objects for Children to discover, explore and play with! We will always go all-out to find an exciting Kid's Seashell Mix!

Some seashell types are much better suited (robust, shiny, versatile and highly individual) than others. Safety Notice: There is no safety rating for natural objects like seashells!

We do not recommend that small toddlers play unsupervised with shells!

But we do encourage you to order shells for children aged 4 and up - please email us for options!

Shells for Cichlids - can I order shells for aquariums?

Yes - while we can’t supply Neothauma tanganyicense (Terrestrial Snail Shells from Tanganyika) that Cichlids use in the wild (no import of these to Australia, see CSIRO regulations) - we can offer you a range of similarly shaped extremely lightweight Terrestrial Snail Shells. We suggest to pre-select a suitable clean Mix of slightly variable shells in batches of 12 pcs. @ $ 30.00 per Mix, but you're welcome to order individually. What would you prefer? Just email us!


Can I order something unlisted online?
 

Yes! If you cannot find what you are looking for online, we may not have listed it yet. Just email us or send us an image, so we can stock-check and reply with an offer..


Can I Trade / Exchange Seashells?

Yes, we are always interested in trading for very good quality Cypraeidae, Conidae, Volutidae – or any rare or newly described species. We will exchange for those virtually anything we list online. Please contact us via email if you have a trade to offer.


Can I travel with Seashells?

Yes, seashells travel all the time. People take shells and starfish overseas as gifts, or travel with them to weddings and parties. There are no problems with taking the shells or starfish you purchase from us out of Australia and into any of the popular wedding & holiday destinations like Bali, Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomons, Tonga, Hawaii, etc. but please always declare shells in your luggage.
Exceptons: None of the seashells we list online are CITES-listed (protected), except for Nautilus (no international travel with Nautilus Shells, sorry!), so please check if your order contains any!

All our shells & starfish products have been treated to be dry and clean; they do not contain any viable organic tissue that could be a potential problem with quarantine inspections. However, we can't foresee all eventualities and it will be up to the local authorities to allow your shells entry to their country. If in doubt, please take your invoice with you when you travel and have it easily within reach to show if requested. If still uncertain about travelling with shells, consider letting us ship them for you instead!


Can I visit / meet you?

Why not meet us on the road? We annually present specimen shells for sale at trade events around the world. See our current schedule on the News / Info page. We're an online business without seashell display, showroom or retail store, but collectors can visit us in Perth by appointment.

...more queries? Please email us!