SEEKING FOR THE MOST UNCOMMUN BEAUTIFULL SHELL

[jkazan]

Hi everyone, I hope you can help me. Im a screenwriter and Im looking to find a shell for my screenplay. It needs to be a shell thats really hard to find or get. Nothing commun.
Im mexican, the story takes place in mexico so It is better if the shell could be found in mexican water but it is also ok if it is not mexican. I really  need to have  a shell that is really hard to find. Or an incredibly beautifull shell.

Any ideas or suggestions will be helpfull.
Thanks on advance

[paul monfils]

In my opinion this is probably the most beautiful Mexican shell.  It is uncommon but not extremely rare, though large specimens are rare:

<a href="http://members.cox.net/natura/Oporphyria.jpg" target="_blank"><!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://members.cox.net/natura/Oporphyria.jpg">http://members.cox.net/natura/Oporphyria.jpg</a><!-- m --></a>

It is called a Tent Olive Shell - Olive Shell because it belongs to a family of shells known by that name, and Tent for the pattern on the shell.

If you go worldwide there are many beautiful and rare shells, and I'm sure some folks here can give you a number of suggestions.  There are also shells that are very beautiful but very common, and shells that are very rare but not very beautiful.  

Is your play set in modern times?  I ask because there are some shells that were considered great rarities a couple of hundred years ago, though they are relatively common now.  <span class="petit">--Last edited by Paul Monfils on 2009-03-16 06:00:36 --</span>

[jkazan]

Thank you Paul, Its really kind of you!!! I just would like to know how big this shell can be and in  wich mexican waters can be found?.  Also I would like to know if you can suggest me a rare shell even if it is not that beautifull or if there are some shells that are now extint! Thanks a lot on advance!!! You will be proud when you ll see this story on cinema! And you would  have been part of it!

[jkazan]

Hi, I ve read about this shell and I found something amazing! Is it suposed to be a left handed shell? Is this olive tent shell always left handed? Can all shell be sometimes left handed? Can somebody  explain me this fact of left handed shells?  Also if you dont mind I would like to know other specifities that make shells more desirable, uncommun or valuable... Thanks a LOT!

[paul monfils]

Hello,
The tent olive is the largest species of olive shell, and can reach about 6 inches in length.  Such large specimens are often seen in old collections, but are seldom collected today.  The specimen in the picture I posted is 4 inches.  This species lives on the west coast, from the Gulf of California to Panama, usually in fairly deep water.  The tent olive is not normally left handed, in fact I never heard of a left handed specimen of this species, though there could be one.  Just about any species can theoretically occur left handed, but such specimens are usually extremely rare, and often sell for a high premium.  A left handed (sinistral) shell looks like a mirror image of a normal right handed (dextral) specimen.  Here is an example of a sinistral and dextral specimen.  (In this species however, both forms are common):

<a href="http://members.cox.net/natura/Amphidromus.jpg" target="_blank"><!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://members.cox.net/natura/Amphidromus.jpg">http://members.cox.net/natura/Amphidromus.jpg</a><!-- m --></a>

There are a few species of shells that are normally sinistral, and in some of these an occasional rare dextral specimen may be found.  <span class="petit">--Last edited by Paul Monfils on 2009-03-18 05:38:10 --</span>