Murex shells (Muricidae) are large predatory sea snails, often referred to as murex snails or rock snails. They are famous for their fantastic variety of ornamentation and sculpture.
About 50,000 conches remain worldwide. Most conch shells have a high, coiled spire, the twisted point at the end. They have a prominent siphonal canal.
Cowrie shell jewelry and coins date back centuries. Women in various African communities use cowrie shell jewelry as symbols of motherhood, fertility, birth, and riches.
"Architectonicidae" shells that look like stairs or sundials can be found all over the world in warm to tropical seas. They like to live in small sand areas and are most often seen at night. You will not often find them on the shore.
Most volute species have solid heavy shells but vary greatly in size and look. They typically have colorful shells, with an elongated aperture in the first whorl of the shell and all species have deep folds on the inner lip.
Abalones come from frigid seas and are noted for their beautiful shells. Despite their dull appearance, abalones' core layer is comprised of nacre, or mother-of-pearl, a calcium carbonate used in jewelry and other ornamental arts.
Most miter shells are found in tropical Indo-Pacific. Named from its similarity to a bishop's mitre, their thick shell is bullet-shaped and features five to eight whorls and a high, pointed spire.