Large Seashell Information

Frog Shell - Bursa Bulba

The Frog Shell or Bursa Bulba is a relative of the trumpet triton but thicker and heavier. Frog Shells live in warm waters beneath the coral where they happily feed on marine worms. You'd be lucky to see a 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 23 centimetere size the most popular for display purposes although we will happily quote you for larger sizes at info@dorsetgifts.com . These Bursa Bulba really are one of the ocean's most beautiful creations and will look stunning as a large shell ornament in any room of your home as part of your seashell collection or as a seashell for display.

23cms

£25.00 each
£40.00 for 2

Also available in the smaller size of 15 cms

£14.95 each
£28 for 2

Murex Ramosus Sea Shell

Murex Ramosus sea 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 these shells 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 murex 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. A wonderful shell for displays in your shell collection..

Murex Ramosus 20cms - £19.50
Murex Ramosus 15cms - £9.50

Pacific Frog Conch - DG8792

Our beautiful Pacific Frog conches are approximately 15 cms long with stunning colours. These are substantial and heavy mainly being sourced from Thailand and the Phillipines. So if you are looking for large conch shells for sale, this might fit the bill.

£9.95 each

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. The decorative shells 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 are quality seashells and certainly stand out in any shell collection or display and are one of our most popular lines with customers looking for seashell gift ideas.

24 cms

£24.95 each
£40 for 2

15 to 18 cms size

£5.99 each
£10 for 2

12 cms size

£3.99 each
£7.50 for 2

Voluta Nobilis minimum 13 cms - DG4354

These charming hand picked voluta nobilis shells have beautiful shades of brown, tan and cream. They have an exceptional feel to them and nice weight making great stand alone decor. This is a nice sized shell which warrants a pitch on the "large shell" page and one we hightly recommend for your seashell collection or as a shell for display.

£7.99 each
£12 for 2

Polished Mexican Trocha Shell 10 to 13 cms - DG4065

Beautifully polished and carefully selected Mexican Trocha shells. We like to add "carefully selected" as you will no doubt be aware that shell colours, shape and quality varies. We pick our own shells when they arrive here in the UK and we pick the best then leave the rest. The rest turn up on other websites at higher prices. If we see seashells as good as ours for sale elsewhere we do normally give our suppliers a hard time and can verify this by pictures we have on file of their countenance after we have visited them. But back to Mexican Trochas, which are also known as Astrea Undosa. They have a lightly polished finish and great texture and can be found in Mexican waters and along the Californian coast. Grab one if you are looking for shells for display in your collection!

Available in natural, pink and green.

£8.99 each
£15 for 2

Pen Shell approximately 20 cms - DG4077P

Just delivered  - lightly polished large pen shells and limited stock. These are approximately 20 cms in length and are from Indo Pacific waters. These are thin fan like shells which have lived in calm, warm seas. They  live vertically with their narrow ends buried in the sand with their byssus anchored to stable objects such as rocks. Great for many uses and always popular. The picture shows the outside of the seashell and the other side is the inner side which some of our customers  place smaller items in and use as a dish.

£4.95 each

Lambis Chiragra - minimum 7 inches

These Lambis Chiragra shells 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 Lambis Chiragra 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. This is great as a shell decoration in a coastal design home or as shop window display props. So if you are looking for a large shell ornament or a shell for display, this should be on your shortlist.

£8.99 each
£15 for 2

Green Turbo Borghese DG4067

These Green Turbo Borghese shells are also known as turban shells, because we are told they are the shape of turbans, and because the Latin genus is "turbo" which in Latin means "spinning top"!  There you have it, it's complicated is this shell naming process and always a good excuse for occasionally sending out the wrong items. Found in shallow and deep waters pretty much the world over but most common between the Polar and tropical regions. Green's a very popular colour this year, It will be next year too!

8 to 9 cms - £8.99 each
9 to 10 cms - £12.99 each

Gold Turbo Borghese DG4067G

It rained when we wanted to take this picture of our stunning gold turbo borghese seashell. A very unusual look and if you're interested, this one was kept dry by being placed inside the lip of a specimen trumpet triton. Fantastic seashells and we only have a limited quantity - not one for your average shell shop and they'll make a special present to be kept for life. The shiny colour of the Gold Turbo Borghese makes them very eye-catching and these make great shop window display props.

7 to 8 cms

£8.99 each
£15 for 2

Syrinx Auranus (Australian Trumpet Sea Shell) 45 - 50 cms

The Syrinx Auranus is found in Northern Australian shallow waters, these range in colour from pale to bright yellow. They are also known as the Australian Trumpet Shell and 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 giant 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 Syrinx Auranus shell, which once would have held a huge meaty gastropod could certainly hold a pint or two of drink. All that aside, these large seashells are beautiful for nautical shell decoration or coastal interior designand are one of our most popular lines with customers looking for seashell gift ideas.

£85 each

Also available in a smaller size, 35 cms and up.

Available at a special price.

£39 each
£75 for 2

Left Handed Whelk - DG 4182 - 18cms

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 left handed whelk 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. These shells 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. These shells make ideal window display shells or shell decoration.

£14.95 each
£28 for 2

Orange Melongena - DG8693

These beautiful lightly polished Orange Melongena shells are not orange but the brown pattern does try to trick the eye - beautiful unusual feature shell. These shells that we sell are approximately 4 inches long. These are wonderful shells as a focal point in a shell display.

£7.99 each

Bullmouth Helmet - Cameo Sea Shell

Our picture shows these beautifully thick large bulmouth helmet seashells lying "lip down" and also "lip facing". The jury's out with us as to how these shells 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. The Cameo shell is another Indo Pacific shell which is also referred to as a red helmet. If you are looking for a great shell decoration or display shell the Bullmouth Helmet fits the bill.

5 to 6 inches

£13.99 each
£22 for 2

Nautilus Shell - Natural

The Nautilus shell is 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 perfectly proportioned shell which has fascinated scientists for centuries and is found living in colonies in Indo-Pacific waters. You're unlikely to ever witness a Nautilus Shell 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 and these nautilus shells make perfect shell gifts. 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 shells please email us at info@dorsetgifts.com

17.5 to 20cms

£49

We currently have a limited supply of smaller natural nautilus shells.

Minimum 13.5 cms

Price £23.50 each

Natural Nautilus minimum 15 cms

Price £28.50 each OUT OF STOCK

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 pearlised nautilus shells are so perfectly proportioned that they have become symbols of symmetry. Popular as wedding table centrepieces.

15 to 17.5 cms

£49

We have a limited supply of smaller pearlized nautilus shells.

Minimum 13 cms

Price £26.50 each OUT OF STOCK

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 sShells 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 shells 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

Also available in a smaller size, 10 to 15 cms, 4 to 6 inches

£9.99 each
£18 for 2

Giant Spider Conch

The Giant Spider Conch is 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 shells 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 or collectible shell - this makes an unusal seashell gift!

25 to 30cms

£18.95 each
£30 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 Large Trumpet Tritons 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

Pearlized Troca - DGSH54

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

11cms

£20.00 each
£35.00 for 2

Abalone Shells 15cms and up - QT4070

These abalone shells are also known as ear shells and of oval shape with an iridescent inside surface. These strong abalone 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.

£7.99 each