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Cypraea - Zoila

A truly amazing GENUS

 

Venusta roseopunctata - 79.7mm, $550

 

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.

Please note: specimens from this Genus are rarely in GEM condition, shells often have minor defects such as polish creases or dimples or other polish blemishes of varying degrees, color change spots or sand grains in the polish. Also, because of the very fine shell sculpture of some shells - around the anterior and posterior canals, these areas often have fine chips.

It has been said that approximately one shell in a thousand is Gem and consequently you pay for this perfection as well as the rarity of specimens.

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++, Esperance. A beautiful apricot/pink color with cream margins. $450

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++, Albany. Beaut apricot/pink with apricot/cream margins and very faint apricot/brown smudges. $500
Venusta roseopunctata - 79.4mm, Gem-, Albany. Stunning specimen for color and size. Lovely pink under color with brown blotches and mauve/gray/pink margins. Truly beautiful specimen. $550

Venusta roseopunctata - 79.7mm, F++, Esperance. Another big beauty, this side is spectacular - the underlying color pinker than the photo. $550

BIG, BIG, BIG!!!!!

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
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. $350
Venusta roseopunctata - 75.5mm, Gem-, Albany. Beautiful example of the cream color form with limited blotching and gray/mauve margins. Great little quality specimen. $580
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. $350

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. $400

 
Venusta roseopunctata - 73.2mm, F+++, Albany. $300
venusta episema - 57mm, F+++, Yallingup, Western Australia. $50
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. $280

BIG BEAUTY!!!!
jeaniana sherylae - 70.75mm, F++, Dirk Hartog Is.. $220
jeaniana sherylae - 74.5mm, F++, Shark Bay. $240
jeaniana sherylae - 67.5mm, F+++/Gem-, Shark Bay. Great large specimen with blurred blotches and cream margins. $300
jeaniana sherylae - 59.5mm, F+++/Gem-, Carnac Is. Beaut bright specimen with typical underlying blue gray color and nice apricot/cream margins. $280
friendii vercoi - 91.5mm, F+++, Albany. $150
friendii vercoi -87.7mm, F+++, Esperance. Nice dark specimen. $200

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. $250

friendii vercoi - 85mm, Gem, Garden Is. Beautiful specimen with the blue under color and striking orange spotted margin. Stunning shell. $250

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. $250
friendii friendii - 94.4mm, F+++, Freemantle. $190
friendii friendii (dwarf) - 47mm, F++, Bunbury. Cute little specimen. Rarely seen this size. Has 2 small growth scars. $100

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. $200

BIG BEAUTIES!!!
marginata albanyensis albanyensis - 49.7mm, Gem-, Albany. $200

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. $480

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.. $110
marginata consueta saturata - 61.25mm, F++, Freemantle. $130 SOLD

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

BIG!!!
marginata consueta - 60mm, F++, Rottnest Is. $110
marginata consueta - 66.75mm, F+++, Rottnest Is. $150
marginata consueta - 61.25mm, F+++, Warnbro Sound. $120

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. $110

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. $120

GREAT QUALITY FOR THIS SPECIES!!!

marginata consueta - 61.25mm, F++, Freemantle. $130

BEAUT COLOR AND QUALITY!!

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. Has a small polish blemish to the left of the light reflection in the photo. $85
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. $100

Cypraea thersites - 80.2mm, Gem-, South Australia, dived 25mts. Big beauty, dark and glossy, great specimen. $70

BIG,BIG!!!  
Cypraea thersites - 80.5mm, Gem-, South Australia. $60

Cypraea thersites - 74mm, F++(no scars), South Australia. $40

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. $45
decipiens - 52mm, Gem-, Broome. $35
decipiens - 47mm, F+++, Broome. $30

eludens

- 67mm, Gem-, West. Australia. Beautiful big near perfect specimen. $1950

VERY DARK!!! STUNNING SPECIMEN!!!!

- 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. $1800

STUNNING COLOR!!!!

eludens delicatura - 60.25mm, F+++, West. Australia. $1800

RARE!!!!

- 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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