ULTRA-DWARF! Cypraea Mauritiana #14 51.3mm GORGEOUS NEAR-GEM from New Caledonia

Description: Get free shipping for your entire order when you buy any 3 shells at the same time. (***The photo with the dear cowrie is for size comparison only, and is not included in the sale, sorry.***) ULTRA-DWARF! Cypraea Mauritiana #14 51.3mm, Linnaeus 1758, GORGEOUS NEAR-GEM from New Caledonia. I had several spots where I could find these big beauties, and all of them usually meant risking life and limb to collect them. The best time to get one was at low tide on a perfectly calm, flat day, which happened just about once a lifetime. The rest of the time, calm was a relative term, best redefined as---it wouldn't be fatal if you tried. I had one spot at Ko Olina on the island of Oahu where I used to go snorkeling for them in 18-36 inches of water. No sweat, right? I mean, I would look out at where I was going to be snorkeling, and all I would see would be tiny swells lapping around the boulders sticking out of the water. Problem was, those tiny swells would swing you back and forth anywhere from 2-5 feet at a time, which as you might imagine, tended to make things a little tough, collecting-wise. In fact, my main technique was rather simple---I would let the swells move me around while I kept an eye out for rocks sticking out of the water and the occasional mauritiana. When I finally spotted one, well, perhaps I should just tell you about one I did find.... I spotted it at the base of a boulder sticking out of the water on the ride out, and tried everything to stop, but to no avail---I was swept past. So, I made a plan to get it on the ride in, except I couldn't stop that time either, nor on the repeat ride back out. Rather frustrated, I decided simply to make a controlled crash into the boulder on the trip back, which I did, except I had neglected to take into consideration that the rock was covered with spiny sea urchins. Needless to say, the idea didn't work, plus now I was injured and frustrated, so on the next trip I timed it a little better. I managed to stop near the rock, hugged it, dove down and then yanked the shell off the rock just in time for the next trip into shore. At which point, dazed, injured and happy, I stood up in what amounted to about 12 inches of water! And as I stood there looking at my new beauty, the swells that had been throwing me around so violently among all of those boulders, now lapped harmlessly around my calves.. That's shell collecting.. And this shell? As the photos show, this is a slightly niger, dark, glossy, beautiful near-GEM super-dwarf, no bigger than a deer cowrie, which is rare all by itself. Found at low tide on rocks at an exotic place that I have just got to visit some day---Port Boise, New Caledonia, 2020. And this baby? It will look terrific sitting on your shelf as you tell everyone you know about the time you went snorkeling.... The ultra-perfect shell for a first-class collection. As for normal disclaimers, we do the best we can with photos, but color is tricky, especially since cell phone cameras automatically lean towards flesh-tone coloring, (that's why so many of the photos of shells on eBay show up with more orange than is really there, the camera changes the color, and damm if I can figure out how to stop that from happening, but I try, honest!As for feedback, as your know, sellers live and die by the feedback you leaved, (please leave fives!) so if you have a problem, just let me know! After all, I'm retired, and all messages go directly to my phone, so unless I'm out shell collecting I will get back to you pronto-like!Shell collecting! Now there's a phrase that brings smiles to your eyes, doesn't it!Anyhow, if you have read this far, you have my apologies and best wishes from those of us at IslandShells323. And don't forget, Home is where your collection is! ULTRA-DWARF! Cypraea Mauritiana #14 51.3mm, Linnaeus 1758, GORGEOUS NEAR-GEM from New Caledonia Buy 3 or more shells, get free shipping promotion---This promotion applies to any 3 shells bought at the same time, but unfortunately, this is a promotion we are doing, not eBay, so, we have to refund the shipping after you the buy 3 shells! If you have questions, we are here to answer them!Free shipping limitations---Please note, free shipping applies only to USA destinations.International sales---We use eBay's Global Shipping Program, eBay calculates the shipping and taxes, not us, and due to the pandemic, at this time eBay does not ship to everywhere, sorry. Please ask us if you have any questions.

Price: 63.74 USD

Location: Pearland, Texas

End Time: 2024-01-25T16:51:08.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 USD