Shell Information

Syrinx Auranus (Australian Trumpet Sea Shell) 40 to 45 cms

Found in Northern Australian shallow waters, these range in colour from pale to bright yellow. They are one of the largest shells you can find. My friend and shell guru, who has many a tale to tell about the use of seashells, tells me that the Aborigines used these shells for carrying water. He does a very good impersonation, and holds the thin end of the shell with its spiral body resting on his shoulder and walks around the warehouse shouting "drink, drink!" The huge lip of the shell, which once would have held a huge meaty gastropod could certainly hold a pint or two of drink. All that aside, these are beautiful for nautical interior design.

£32.50 each
£60 for 2

Left Handed Whelk - DG 4182 - 23 to 25 cms

Worldwide shells. The question is who would you fear most, an Aborigine with a heavy Australian trumpet shell on his shoulder or an Indian using a left handed whelk as his primary weapon? These shells are rare in India and considered sacred so he probably wouldn’t throw it at you. Not one of ours anyway, as they’re far too good quality. Left handed whelks have been around for 60 million years. They can grow up to a foot in length and had many other uses in the Indian subcontinent, where they’d be eaten and used as lamps too. A nice shell to look at and an interesting one to talk about too. Can be displayed sideways or standing up.

£27.50 each

Lambis Chiragra - minimum 7 inches

These are popular with collectors and make great decorations around the home. They are shallow water nautical shells which feed off coral reefs in Indo Pacific waters and the flesh from the snail is edible and used for food. They're aso known as spider conchs and interestingly the female has two shoulder "fingers" which are larger than the others while all the male "fingers" are about the same size. We don't take orders for male or females but we do take orders for one or two.

£8.99 each
£15 for 2

Bullmouth Helmet - Cameo Sea Shell

Our picture shows these beautifully thick large seashells lying "lip down" and also "lip facing". The jury's out with us as to how these display best - we probably prefer the large broad lip showing as you get the contrast of the rustic reddish brown around the lip against the more subtle chestnut browns and lighter colours on the main body of the shell. Another Indo Pacific shell which is also referred to as a red helmet.

5 to 6 inches

£9.99 each
£18 for 2

Nautilus Shell - Natural

From the Nautilidae family and a distant relative of the Octopus, you're looking at one of the Ocean's most fascinating shells which hasn't changed very much in 450 million years. The Nautilus Shell is a smooth prefectly proportioned shell which has fascinated scientists for centuries and is found living in colonies in Indo-Pacific waters. You're unlikely to ever witness one on a "swim through" as they inhabit depths of between 100 and 300 metres, usually feeding off shrimp and small fish on the deep slopes of coral reefs. The nautilus shell is a symbol of beauty and certainly the most majestic of shells which are considered "living fossils". A nautilus can live up to 20 years. A large shell you will keep forever. We hold several of these in stock at any one time and will always hand pick the best from our collection. If you require prior images or larger Nautilus Natural please email us at info@dorsetgifts.com

18 to 20cm, 7 to 8 inches

£28.00 each
£50.00 for 2

We currently have a limited supply of smaller natural nautiluses.

Natural Nautilus 2 to 3 inches.

Price £11.99 each

Nautilus Shell - Pearlized

Our wonderful Nautilus shells are described in detail above and these pearlized Nautilus shells have had their outer layer removed to show the "mother of pearl" inner layer. Nautilus is from the Greek word for "sailor" and these pearlized nautilus shells are so perfectly proportioned that they have become symbols of symmetry.

18 to 20 centimetres, 7 to 8 inches

£29.95 each
£50 for 2

We currently have a limited supply of smaller pearlized nautiluses.

Pearlized Nautilus 3 to 4 inches.

Price £13.99 each

Queen Helmet

Our large Queen Helmet shells (or more technically Cassis Cornuta) measure 9 to 10 inches in height or length depending which way you wish to display them. We're beginning to see these placed "lip down" as this really shows the beautiful colours on the back of the shell although as a feature shell we think they're at their best standing at full height, as photographed in our main image. The Queen Helmet shell you purchase will be picked by hand as the best one in its' size from our current collection. If you require pictures before purchasing we can forward these to you but rest assured it will be handpicked as the best on the shelf! We do have larger Queen Helmets in stock so please email us at info@dorsetgifts.com if you require an even bigger feauture shell. Our price, as always, will be market leading!

9 to 10 inches high

£29 each
£50 for 2

Giant Spider Conch

More infamously known as Lambis Truncata and sometimes referred to as the 7 finger shell, although they don't always have seven fingers, but always more than two fingers, to make it a sea themed decoration you can feel comfortable displaying! These are a whopping 25 to 30 centimetres and larger ones always available on request at info@dorsetgifts.com . You can create a great feature with one this size though and these large sea snail shells have always been a top selling line in our shop. They look good with a few of the smaller lambis chiraga scattered around them and these can be seen on our other shell page. A wonderful feature shell!

25 to 30cms

£25 each
£45 for 2

Large Trumpet Triton

Tritons - named after the Greek God Triton who was the son of Poseidon, the God of the Sea. Trumpet Tritons can grow as large as 20 inches although a 12 to 14 inch specimen is a very impressive size for these shells, to be found in temperate and tropical waters worldwide. Adult trumpet tritons are predators and will feed off molluscs as well as starfish, including the "crown of thorns starfish" which is poisonous and known to proliferate and destroy coral reef. We feel we have provided enough information for you to buy one of these for use as a dinner party conversation piece and then present it to the most beautiful or interesting woman (or man) at the table! Suffice to say, these probably are the most spectacular and sought after large shells you can buy and you can email us for a best price on even larger Trumpet Tritons at info@dorsetgifts.com . We can also supply images of the exact Trumpet Triton we will send, if you so wish. We believe these tritons could also become restricted over the next few years in which case the price is likely to go up. Go on!...buy one of the world's most beautiful shells.

30 to 35 cms long

£69 each
£120 for 2

Also available as size 27cms plus

£49 each

Frog Shell - Bursa Bulba

A relative of the trumpet triton above but thicker and heavier and Frog Shells live in warm waters beneath the coral where they happily feed on marine worms. You'd be lucky to see one though as they blend in to their surroundings to become virtually invisible to the naked or marine worm eye! Why frogshell? Well, the chestnut and mid brown patterns on the shells do resemble the skin of some frogs. We find the 9 to 10 inch or 23 to 26 centimetere frogshell size the most popular for display purposes although we will happily quote you for larger sizes at info@dorsetgifts.com . These really are one of the ocean's most beautiful creations and will look stunning in any room of your home.

23 to 26 centimetres

£25.00 each
£40.00 for 2

Murex Ramosus Sea Shell

Murex Ramosus shells are abundant in Indo Pacific Seas and are the "whitest" shells we sell and hence popular as features on wedding tables. The large size makes them certainly big enough to hold a tea light in the middle of the pink lip. This is also probably the shell we all remember most from seaside shell shops we would browse in as children. These are not completely white and have a pink colouring around the lip. Most murex are predatory tropical sea snails living amongst rocks and corals. In ancient times a purple dye was extracted from the snail's glands and used to colour royal robes. There are hundreds of species of murex but our ramosus shells remain the most sought after and we are offering these in two large sizes as well as a smaller version on our "shells" page.

Murex Ramosus 20 to 25 cms £19.50
Murex Ramosus 15 to 20 cms £9.50

Pearlized Troca - DGSH54

These are stunning larger specimens of our pearlized trocas and really are the most beautiful shells. A stand alone feature shell but will create an amazing display with smaller pearlized trocas (on our shells page) or with sputnik urchins.

11cms

£20.00 each
£35.00 for 2

Polished River Mussel Shell - DGSH58

These paired and polished river shells are stunning bathroom features - light, smooth and perfect for any colour theme at home as they quite simply have a silvery shine to them and are a great size to display on their own or with smaller mussel shells or pearlised trochas. Another of our best sellers.

16 to 18cms

£6.99 each
£10 for 2

Melon Shell or Indian Volute - DGSH61

Melon Shells or Indian Volutes are mostly from South East Asia and are often collected for food by local fishermen, although these shells do also produce pearls. The fishermen will use these large shells for bailing water from their boats too. They can be very large shells and the colourings are striking ranging from pale orange to a light yellow in parts, with the contrasting brown markings. These certainly stand out in any shell collection or display.

24 cms

£24.95 each
£40 for 2

These shells are also available at 15 to 18 cms size

£5.99 each
£10 for 2

Abalone Shells 15cms and up - QT4070

Also known as ear shells and of oval shape with an iridescent inside surface. These strong shells are mainly found in the cold waters of the Southern Hemisphere and will enliven your bathroom, making a superb soap dish or "stand alone" decoration.

£6.99 each
£12 for 2
Please e-mail for bulk discounts