Cypraea - Zoila

A truly amazing GENUS

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 indentations 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 (marginata and friendi especially) - 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 roseomaculata - 73mm, F++, Esperance. A beautiful apricot/pink color with cream margins. Looks spectacular from this side but has a 20mm slight depression crease on other side.The depression is perfectly glossed over so just looks like an indentation in the polish. $650
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 - 68.5mm, F++, Albany. Beaut apricot/pink with apricot/cream margins and very faint apricot/brown smudges. Has a slightly unsmoothe surface from growth stages and dimpling. $600

Venusta roseopunctata - 80mm, F+++, Albany. Stunning specimen for color and size. Lovely pink under color with brown blotches and mauve/gray/pink margins. Has a tiny almost unnoticeable crease at front of dorsum. Truly beautiful specimen. $650

BIG & BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

Venusta roseopunctata - 79.7mm, F++, Esperance. Another big beauty with uncommon coloring. Has a 40mm glossed over scar on the columellar side. $600

BIG BEAUTY, STUNNING COLOR!!!!
Venusta roseopunctata - 79mm, F++, Esperance. Another stunner with beautiful brown blotching all over. Has 5 small polish blemishes, 3 on this side, difficult to see. 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. Has normal dimpling around spire. Fantastic specimen. $750 SOLD
Venusta roseopunctata - 73.6mm, F++, Albany. This specimen is different with very blurred blotching rather than clear spots. Nice gray/mauve margins and pinky/mauve nose and rear canal. Has a number of very minor faults only hence the F++ grading. None of these specimens have major faults just a number of very minor faults to give the shells this grading. $350
Venusta roseopunctata - 70mm, Gem-, Albany. Another fantastic specimen with the beaut pink under color and brown blotching and smoky mauve/cream/gray margins. Some normal dimpling. Lovely example of the roseopunctata form. $600 SOLD

Venusta roseopunctata - 68.25mm, F++, Albany. Lovely candy pink under color with limited blotching and tigris like spotted gray/mauve margins.Has 2 pinhead sized polish marks and a small almost unnoticeable scar at front of dorsum. Another great specimen with brighter than usual pink coloring. $450

STUNNING CANDY PINK SPECIMEN!!!!

Venusta roseopunctata - 75.5mm, F++, Albany. Beautiful example of the pink/cream color form with limited blotching and gray/mauve margins. Small polish indentation on the dorsum. Nice specimen. $450

GREAT BLOTCHING!!!!!

Venusta roseopunctata - 75mm, Gem-, Albany. Again a beauty, more elongated than normal, cream/pink color form with joined blotching instead of individual blotches with smoky gray margins. $480

Venusta roseopunctata - 72.5mm, F++, Esperance. Very light pink/cream under color with sparse blotching and cream /smoky gray margins and gray nose and tail. Has 2 small polish indentations near the nose. Beautiful specimen. $450

SPARCE BLOTCHING, UNUSUAL!!!!!!

 

venusta sorrentensis - 59.7mm, Gem, Carnac Is. Beautiful specimen - darker in natural light and almost looks like a stercoraria with the dark spotted mauve margins. Great specimen. $50

UNUSUAL COLOR!!!!
venusta sorrentensis - 60mm, Gem-, Yallingup, Western Australia. Nice dark blotching and great quality. $45

eludens

- 67mm, Gem-, West. Australia. Beautiful big near perfect specimen. $1800

VERY DARK!!! STUNNING SPECIMEN!!!!
COLUMELLAR VIEW

- 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. $1600

STUNNING COLOR & SPOTTING!!!!
COLUMELLAR VIEW

- 60.25mm, F+++, West. Australia. This specimen is different to the others with more open spotting and multi colored margins with a brown base. This could be classed as Gem- as the imperfection is not noticeable - a slightly raised 10mm ridge on the dorsum only noticed when you feel because the dorsum is perfectly polished. $1200

GOOD PRICE - LOOKS PERFECT!!!
COLUMELLAR VIEW

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

STUNNING ALSO!!!

MY CHOICE!!!!

 

friendii

jeaniana aurata - 80.8mm, Gem-, NW Australia. Fantastic specimen of this very rare species. Nice large size with typical coloring - looks great. $850 SOLD

jeaniana aurata - 77mm, Gem-, NW. Australia. Slightly smaller specimen but still a nice large shell. Has a small polished over sand spot on the base. $800

RARE SPECIES

FANTASTIC QUALITY!!!!
jeaniana sherylae - 72.2mm, F++, Carnarvon. Nice big specimen - lovely dark color (darker than photo), has a slight crease across rear columellar corner (almost unnoticeable) and single polished sand inclusion near nose. $300
jeaniana sherylae - 74.5mm, F++, Shark Bay. Beautiful dark spotted specimen, nice big size. Has a slight polish dent on dorsum. $250
jeaniana sherylae - 70.75mm, F++, Dirk Hartog Island. Has a slight growth crease over the dorsum. $250
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. $200
friendii vercoi - 87.7mm, F++, Esperance. Very dark specimen with very minor growth lines. $200
friendii vercoi - 84.5mm, F+, Albany. Nice dark specimen. Has a scar just above the labral margin and a small scar on the columellar side of the dorsum. $100
friendii vercoi - 87mm, Gem-, Albany. Great example of this species. Unusual coloring with the brown band around the margin. A couple of almost unnoticeable polish indentations. $250 SOLD

friendii vercoi - 85mm, F+++, Garden Is. Beautiful specimen with the blue under color and striking orange spotted margin. Stunning shell. $200

UNUSUAL COLOR!!!!

 
friendii vercoi - 78mm, F++, Esperance. Has a slight polish blemish on dorsum. $150
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 - 86.9mm, F++, Rottnest Is. Beautiful dark specimen. $80

friendii friendii - 94.4mm, F++, Freemantle. Very dark specimen (darker than photo), big size with only minor problems. $200

MELANISTIC!!!!!
friendii friendii - 87.5mm, F++, Esperance. Another very dark specimen. $180
friendii friendii - 87.7mm, F+++, Esperance. Nice dark specimen with merging blotches. Minor growth scar and a sand in gloss spot. $200
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 (dwarf) - 49.7mm, F+++, Albany. Another beauty. $200

THIS SIZE, VERY RARE!!!

marginata albanyensis albanyensis - 64mm, Gem-, Albany. Another beauty. $200

BIG BEAUTY!!!!!

marginata orientalis - 56mm, F++, Kangaroo Is. Relatively new discovery - marginata from South Australia. A nice little humped version with dark spotting. Has a small growth scar on the other side which is almost unnoticeable. $400

RARE SPECIES!!!

marginata orientalis - 54.5mm, F+++, Port Lincoln. Smaller version and another cute specimen. $450

RARE SPECIES!!!

marginata albanyensis nimbosa - 59mm, F++, Albany. Very unusual color form with very light color patches against the white background. Has very fine growth lines. $180

UNUSUAL COLOR FORM!!!

marginata consueta (form saturata) - 63mm, F++, Carnac Is. Stunning specimen of very dark color - other side totally rich chestnut brown, good size also. Has fine growth lines typical of marginata. A beauty. $180

GREAT DARK COLOR!!!

marginata consueta - 62.25mm, F++, Carnac Is. Another beaut shell with lovely rich brown coloring. Again has fine growth lines and rough surface typical of the marginatas. $100

FANTASTIC COLOR ALSO!!!
marginata consueta saturata - 60.4mm, F+++, Carnac Is. Lovely dark specimen (again darker than the photo) of good quality. $150.
marginata consueta - 60mm, F++, Rottnest Is. $100
marginata consueta - 61.25mm, F++, Fremantle. Very dark brown on columellar side. $130.

marginata consueta - 61.5mm, F+++, Carnac Is. Another lovely shell with a very good surface finish - very slight growth lines on other side but this really is a Gem shell for this species. $150

GREAT QUALITY FOR THIS SPECIES!!!

marginat consueta - 61.25mm, F++, Freemantle. Another color example with almost all over tan. Has a slight indentation on the other side of dorsum but almost unnoticeable. $130

BEAUT COFFEE COLOR AND GREAT QUALITY!!

marginata consueta - 56.75mm, Gem-, Carnac Is. Almost impossible to find this quality as most specimens have healed breaks or growth lines. $120

NEAR PERFECT - A RARITY!!!!!
marginata consueta - 58.75mm, F++, Carnac Is. This is a great specimen also. $150
marginata consueta - 62.25mm, F++, Carnac Is.

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 repaired polish chip to the left of the light reflection in the photo which is almost impossible to see. $90

FANTASTIC PRICE FOR THIS DARK

BEAUTY!!!!!!
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

VERY DARK SPECIMEN!!!!!!

Cypraea thersites - 77mm, F+++, South Australia. Beautiful dark specimen (darker than photo) of good size. $120

NICE DARK SPECIMEN!!!

Cypraea thersites - 80.5mm, F+++, South Australia. Beaut big specimen. $80

Cypraea thersites - 80mm, Gem-, South Australia, dived 25mts. Big beauty, dark and glossy, great specimen. $70

GREAT PRICE!!!!

Cypraea thersites - 77mm, F++, South Australia. Has very slight crease on labral side and some very minor polish blemishes. $30

GREAT PRICE!!!

Cypraea thersites - 80mm, F++, South Australia. Perfect specimen except polish is dimpled. $35

GREAT PRICE!!!

decipiens

decipiens - 49mm, Gem, West. Australia. Beautiful dark perfect specimen. $70

BEAUTIFUL!!!

THESE 2 ARE STUNNING!!!!!

decipiens - 49.6mm, Gem-, West. Australia. Another fantastic dark specimen with unusual growth color line. Color change only with no growth flaw. $70

THIS ONE ALSO!!!
decipiens - 47mm, Gem-, West. Australia. Another little beauty with high black margin. $45 SOLD
decipiens - 52mm, F+++, Broome, West. Australia. Beautiful dark specimen of good size and quality. Only has a very minor sand inclusion columellar side near nose. $40
decipiens - 48mm, F++, Broome, West. Australia. Beautiful dark little specimen. Has a small crease on columellar side of dorsum (almost unnoticeable) $30

 

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