How much is a cowrie shell worth?

While some of these cowries can be purchased for as low as $40 they can fetch up to $12,000. Edinger has even hauled in cowries worth as much as $50,000, including an orange-coloured rosselli cowrie with a reddish base.

What is the most expensive cowrie shell?

Indeed, it is said that the most expensive cowrie ever privately sold made more than $50,000. The hundred-eyed cowrie shell (Cypraea argus) is known as one of the rarest and most beautiful types of seashell in the world.

What is the rarest cowrie shell?

One of the rarest shells is the world is spotted Leucodon cowrie. Only three of them are known to exist in the world. Some shells are worth tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Where are cypraea found?

Distribution and habitat Along the Australian Coast it is found from northern New South Wales to northern Western Australia, as well as Lord Howe Island, and along the east coast of Africa including Madagascar.

Is Golden cowrie rare?

The Golden Cowrie (Lyncina aurantium) is one of these; an exotic and rare shell that instantly enchanted Europeans three hundred years ago when the first specimens were brought from the tropical Pacific Ocean with Captain Cook in July 1775.

Are tiger cowries rare?

Tiger cowries were once very common, but their populations have been declining in recent decades due to habitat loss caused by dynamite fishing and reef die-offs. However, for now, the tiger cowrie remains a common fixture in reefs across the Indo-Pacific and is important to many people and marine ecosystems.

Can I sell my shells?

Selling shells is illegal, unless you’re licensed Only licensed shell collectors can sell their shells, and bag limits also apply to beachcombers looking to add to their collections. Fisheries officers also want beachcombers to consider leaving behind shells, coral and stones.

What is the rarest shell ever?

Glory of the Sea Cone
The Conus Gloriamaris or ‘Glory of the Sea Cone’ as it is more commonly known, is one of the most expensive and rarest seashells in the world.

Are cowries valuable?

A cowrie, or any natural object, can be valued in a number of ways. There’s the obvious metric, price, which for cowries is inextricably tied to their beauty. The most magnificent cowries are “like works of art” Meyer said. It’s rumored that the most expensive cowrie ever sold for more than $50,000.

How rare are tiger cowrie shells?

Where can I find cowrie shells?

It is most abundant in the Indian Ocean, and was collected in the Maldive Islands, in Sri Lanka, along the Indian Malabar coast, in Borneo and on other East Indian islands, in Maluku in the Pacific, and in various parts of the African coast from Ras Hafun to Mozambique.

Are cowries killed for their shells?

The one I found is 4 inches long, big for a Hawaii cowry these days since these snails have been killed extensively for their shells. Because of collecting, cowries are smaller than they once were and are now rare in most places. Some species are considered extinct. Humans have always considered seashells treasures.

What lives inside a cowrie shell?

Cowrie or cowry ( pl. cowries) is the common name for a group of small to large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

What shells are worth money?

The Conus Gloriamaris or ‘Glory of the Sea Cone’ as it is more commonly known, is one of the most expensive and rarest seashells in the world. This absolutely beautiful seashell comes from the Conidae or cone snail family, and originates from the Indo-Pacific region.

Can you make money from shells?

Seashells. Large conch shells sell for $10 or more on eBay, but there is a market for just about any pretty shell you find. My wife used to glue small mermaid figurines to the shells we gathered, and we sold these at flea markets and craft shows.

Are seashells alive?

You can think of a seashell kind of like your own hair. Your hair grows and is part of you, but it isn’t alive on its own. A living mollusk produces a shell with its body, but the shell itself isn’t alive.

Why people stop using cowrie shells?

In parts of Africa, people used cowrie shells. But when traders arrived from India, they would not sell their goods for cowrie shells because such shells were abundant in India. To Indians, cowrie shells were worthless.

What is the most rare shell?

Conus Gloriamaris
The Conus Gloriamaris or ‘Glory of the Sea Cone’ as it is more commonly known, is one of the most expensive and rarest seashells in the world. This absolutely beautiful seashell comes from the Conidae or cone snail family, and originates from the Indo-Pacific region.

How do you keep a cowrie alive?

The recommended water temperature is 72-78º F / 22-25.5º C, the specific gravity should be in the 1.023-1.025 range, an the pH-value at 8.1-8.4. Keep the calcium levels between 350-450 ppm to ensure proper shell growth and strength. The Tiger cowrie is sensitive to copper and nitrates.

How do you clean a cowrie?

For natural shining shells (cowries, Marginellidae, Olividae,…), just put the shell in 90% at least, alcohol (ethanol). Then, if the smell persists, you can carefully put a very small quantity of pure bleach, the most concentrated possible that you can find (32°, 48° at least), in the shell’s aperture.