Forums SEASHELL-COLLECTOR

Help please with this one.

The shell is 19mm.  Labial teeth are white and columella is v pale orangey brown.Labial margin lightly callused, sides are orange brown fading to irregular orange brown spots with white backgrouns on dorsu. anterior and posterior tips are white

<a href="http://www.badongo.com/pic/5326026" target="_blank"><!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.badongo.com/pic/5326026">http://www.badongo.com/pic/5326026</a><!-- m --></a>

It looks like a subfossil or very faded honey cowry, Cypraea helvola. Shells often change colours as they slowly become fosilised even though they look perfect, a similar colour change can be made artificially by baking the shell in the oven. Some unscrupulous dealers have done this in the past and tried to sell them as 'new species' or 'colour forms'.
Dave

Thank you very much - that's very helpful