indopacificseashells.com

 

Cypraea - Zoila

A truly amazing GENUS

 

Venusta roseopunctata - 79.6mm, $450 sold

World Record Size and Rare Color Form???

 

Cowries from this Genus are now some of the most sort after by collectors. All species are found off the Australian Southern and Western coasts at depths from 5 - 150 metres. Most are taken by scuba and some of the rarer species are being trawled in deep water. The following photos will detail the beauty in color and form of this spectacular group.

venusta

venusta roseopunctata - this name was apparently introduced to divide the southern population of venusta from the north western forms but in Australia, roseopunctata tends to refer to southern venusta which are pink in color. In this context all the southern shells are named roseopunctata with a color description included.

venusta roseomaculata - has been introduced to describe the spotless forms of roseopunctata. This form is rare and absolute Gem shells are almost impossible to find. The shells surface is often dimpled and can have varying degrees of creases and depressions. A dimpled shell is the norm.

venusta

 Venusta roseomaculata - 73mm, F++ (no scars, polish depression on columellar side), Esperance. This is a stunning shell with no pattern whatsoever - beautiful apricot/pink color with cream margins. $450 sold

Venusta roseomaculata - 73mm, Gem-, Albany. Cream with one faint light brown spot as shown this side under the light reflection. Faint spotting on margins and a few smudges of light brown on other side. Has some slight dimpling. This is a Gem shell for this species. $850 sold
Venusta roseomaculata - 68.75mm, F+++ (no scars, near perfect), Albany. Beaut apricot/pink with apricot/cream margins and very faint apricot smudges. $450 sold

Venusta roseopunctata - 79.9mm, Gem-, Albany. Stunning specimen for color and size. Lovely pink under color with brown blotches and mauve/gray/pink margins. Truly beautiful specimen. $550 sold

79mm+, RECORD SIZES!!!

 

Venusta roseopunctata - 79.9mm, F++, Esperance. Another big beauty, this side is spectacular - the underlying color pinker than the photo. $450 sold

BIG, BIG, BIG!!!!!

RARE COLOR!!!

Venusta roseopunctata - 79mm, F++, Esperance. Another stunner with beautiful brown blotching all over. Great specimen. $650 sold

 

Venusta roseopunctata - 71.4mm, Gem-, Albany. Great smaller specimen, one of the rare (Gem) specimens. Nice pink under color with the typical brown blotches and mauve/cream margins. Fantastic specimen. $750 sold

 
Venusta roseopunctata - 70mm, Gem-, Albany. Another fantastic specimen with the beaut pink under color and brown blotching and smoky mauve/cream/gray margins. Lovely example of the roseopunctata form. $550 sold

Venusta roseopunctata - 68.25mm, F+++, Albany. Lovely candy pink under color with limited blotching and tigris like spotted gray/mauve margins. Another great specimen with brighter than usual pink coloring. $420 sold

STUNNING PINK!!!
Venusta roseopunctata - 75.5mm, Gem-, Albany. Beautiful example of the cream color form with limited blotching and gray/mauve margins. Great little quality specimen. $280 sold
Venusta roseopunctata - 74.75mm, Gem-, Albany. Again a beauty, more elongated than normal, cream color form with joined blotching instead of individual blotches with smoky gray margins. $280 sold

Venusta roseopunctata - 72.25mm, F+++, Esperance. Very light pink/cream under color with sparse blotching and cream /smoky gray margins and gray nose and tail. Nice specimen. $270

 
Venusta roseopunctata - 73.2mm, F+++, Albany. $270
venusta episema - 57mm, F+++, Yallingup, Western Australia. $50 sold
venusta sorrentensis - 59.7mm, Gem, Carnac Is. Beautiful specimen - darker in natural light and almost looks like a stercoraria with the dark spotted margins. Great specimen of this species. $150 sold

friendii

jeaniana aurata - 80.8mm, Gem-, NW Australia. Fantastic specimen of this very rare species. Nice large size with typical coloring - looks great. sold

 
jeaniana aurata - 77mm, Gem-, NW. Australia. Slightly smaller specimen but still a nice large shell.$1200 sold

jeaniana sherylae - 72mm, F+++, Carnarvon. $210 sold

BIG BEAUTY!!!!
jeaniana sherylae - 70.75mm, F+++, Dirk Hartog Is.. $180

jeaniana sherylae - 74.5mm, F+++, Shark Bay. $210

BIG!!!!
jeaniana sherylae - 67.5mm, Gem-, Shark Bay. Great large specimen with blurred blotches and cream margins. $220

jeaniana sherylae - 59.5mm, Gem-, Carnac Is. Beaut bright specimen with typical underlying blue gray color and nice apricot/cream margins. $250

BEAUTIFUL DWARF!!!
friendii vercoi - 91.5mm, F+++, Albany. $110 sold

friendii vercoi - 87.7mm, F+++, Esperance. Nice dark specimen.Big size.$160

MELANISTIC SPECIMEN!!!

friendii vercoi - 87.75mm, F+++, Albany. Great example of this species. Unusual coloring with the brown band around the margin. A couple of almost unnoticeable polish indentations. $100 sold

 

friendii vercoi - 85mm, Gem, Garden Is. Beautiful specimen with the blue under color and striking orange spotted margin. Stunning shell. $130 sold

VERY UNUSUAL COLOR!!!

 

friendii vercoi - 84.5mm, F++, Albany. $100 sold

VERY DARK!!!
friendii vercoi - 78mm, F++/F+++, Esperance. $100
friendii vercoi - 82.7mm, F++, Esperance. $90

friendii friendii - 84mm, F++, Bunbury. $90

DARK BEAUTY!!!

friendii friendii - 86.9mm, F++, Rottnest Is. $80

DARK & BIG SIZE!!!

friendii friendii - 98mm, F+++, Sorrento Beach. Great large specimen of good quality for this size. Dark spotting and margins - big beauty. $150 sold

 

friendii friendii - 87.7mm, F+++/Gem-, Esperance. Nice dark specimen with merging blotches. $140

DARK BEAUTY!!!
friendii friendii - 94.4mm, F+++, Freemantle. $120 sold
friendii friendii (dwarf) - 64mm, F++ (no scars), Bunbury. $30
friendii friendii (dwarf) - 47mm, F++, Bunbury. Cute little specimen. Rarely seen this size. $40

marginata

marginata albanyensis albanyensis (white form) - 64.75mm, Gem-, Albany. Nice big specimen with very minor polish imperfections typical of marginata. $200 sold

BEAUTIFUL SPECIMENS!!!

marginata albanyensis albanyensis - 64.2mm, Gem-, Albany. Another beauty. $180

BIG BEAUTY!!!
marginata albanyensis albanyensis - 49.7mm, Gem-, Albany. $160

marginata orientalis - 56mm, F++, Kangaroo Is. Relatively new discovery - marginata from South Australia. A nice little humped version with dark spotting. $450 sold

RARE SPECIES!!!

marginata orientalis - 54.5mm, F+++, Port Lincoln. Smaller version and another cute specimen. $380

RARE SPECIES!!!

marginata albanyensis nimbosa - 59mm, F++, Albany. Very unusual color form with very light color patches against the white background. $130 sold

UNUSUAL COLOR FORM!!!
marginata consueta saturata - 60.4mm, F+++, Carnac Is.. $120
marginata consueta saturata - 61.25mm, F++, Freemantle. $130 sold

marginata consueta saturata - 66.2mm, F++, Carnac Is.. $160 sold

BIG!!!
marginata consueta - 60mm, F++/F+++, Rottnest Is. $110
marginata consueta - 66.75mm, F+++, Rottnest Is. $150 sold

marginata consueta - 61.25mm, F+++, Warnbro Sound. $110

BEAUTIFUL SPECIMEN!!!

marginata consueta (form saturata) - 63mm, F++, Carnac Is. Stunning specimen of very dark color - other side totally rich chestnut brown, good size also. A beauty. $140 sold

GREAT DARK COLOR!!!

marginata consueta - 62.25mm, F++, Carnac Is. Another beaut shell with lovely rich brown coloring. $115sold

FANTASTIC COLOR ALSO!!!

marginata consueta - 61.5mm, F+++, Carnac Is. Another lovely shell with a very good surface finish - this is a Gem shell for this species. $110sold

GREAT QUALITY FOR THIS SPECIES!!!

marginata consueta - 61.25mm, F++, Freemantle. $98sold

BEAUT COLOR AND QUALITY!!
marginata consueta - 58.5mm, F++, Freemantle. $95
marginata consueta - 59mm, F++, Carnac Is. $90
marginata consueta - 56.7mm, F+++, Carnac Is. $100

thersites

 thersites (melanistic) - 74.75mm, F+++, Edithburgh. The darkest specimen I have seen - almost black. Has a very slight color blemish on the dorsum - looks like light color spotting (pin head sized spots) against the black. Beauty. $125 sold
thersites (melanistic) - 75mm, F+++, South Australia. Another special shell - very dark. $90
thersites (melanistic) - 67.5mm, Gem-, Edithburgh. Smaller specimen but very dark and of good quality. Very difficult to obtain perfect polish in these melanistic shells. $150 sold
thersites (melanistic) - 62mm, F+++, South Australia. Small shell, very dark with an almost unnoticeable scar between spire and dorsum. $70

Cypraea thersites - 80.2mm, Gem-, South Australia, dived 25mts. Big beauty, dark and glossy, great specimen. $60 sold

BIG,BIG!!!  
Cypraea thersites - 80.5mm, Gem-, South Australia. $50 sold

Cypraea thersites - 72.5mm, F++ (no scars), South Australia. $60

DARK SPECIMEN!!!
Cypraea thersites - 75mm, F+++, South Australia. $60
Cypraea thersites - 68mm, Gem-, South Australia. $50 sold

Cypraea thersites - 74mm, F++(no scars), South Australia. $30

CHEAP!!!

decipiens

decipiens - 49mm, Gem, West. Australia. Beautiful dark perfect specimen. $60 sold

VERY DARK!!!

decipiens - 49.6mm, Gem-, West. Australia. Another fantastic dark specimen with unusual dorsum line. $70

DARK BEAUTY!!!
decipiens - 47mm, Gem-, West. Australia. Another little beauty with high black margin. $55
decipiens - 52mm, Gem-, Broome. $35
decipiens - 47mm, F+++, Broome. $30

decipiens - 49mm, F+++, Broome. $80

BEAUT HIGH BLACK MARGIN!!!

rosselli

 

 rosselli satiata - 47.8mm, F++ (minor faults), West. Australia. Beautiful dark specimen. $350

eludens

- 67mm, Gem-, West. Australia. Beautiful big near perfect specimen. $1500

VERY DARK!!! STUNNING SPECIMEN!!!!

SPECIAL PRICE!!!

- 65mm, Gem-, West. Australia. Another fantastic specimen with humped dorsum and beautiful apricot colored margins and base. $1800 sold

AMAZING COLOR AND HUMPED BACK!!!

FANTASTIC QUALITY!!!

- 64.25mm, Gem-, West. Australia. Another amazing dark specimen withbeautiful apricot/cream margins and darker apricot colored base. $1350

STUNNING COLOR!!!!

SPECIAL PRICE!!!

eludens delicatura - 60.25mm, F+++, West. Australia. $1200

RARE!!!!

VERY SPECIAL PRICE ALREADY!!!

Please Note: This specimen does not receive a further 30% off

- 59mm, Gem, West. Australia. Fantastic little beauty with high cream, blue/gray margins and big black smudged spots. Very dark chocolate colored dorsum. $1600 sold

STUNNING ALSO!!!

MY CHOICE!!!!

 

 

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