Key West Publishing : Seashells

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August 05, 2006

Seashells

You should be sure to know all about seashells before buying them, or you are likely to be taken advantage of because of your ignorance of the subject. I have spent hours and hours combing the beech and, take it from me, people pay ridiculous amounts of money for absolute junk all of the time. Why, I can tell you, for example, that those same sand dollars that I find in droves on the sea shores of the San Francisco bay area, people are buying for 5, 10, or even more dollars. I mean, perhaps its worth a few bucks to find them, clean them up, and make them convenient by selling them at the store, but if you know anything about seashells or other marine products, you will make wise purchases, unless you live so far away that there is no alternative but to buy them for exhorbinant rates.

Those who know about seashells will tell you that a good conch shell is worth buying. Even though they sell them for upwards of thirty dollars to naïve tourists in Jamaica, which is absolutely ridiculous as a price, these shells really are treasures of the sea. They have a substantial size, a beautiful, intricate design, and the best part is that you can actually hear the sea in them if you hold them to your ear. And of course, there is that ever popular trait of conch shells made famous by Lord of the Flies: conch shells can be blown into at the end resulting in a clear, beautiful, and brilliant tone. There's not much about seashells more interesting than a musical one.

Of course, seashells can be bought, ordered, or found for all kinds of purposes. They can be used for decorations, making excellent tools in collage. They can be used as ornamental soap trays, as wall hangings, to adorn jewlery and clothing. They can be even hung as wind chimes which make a delightful noise when the breeze blows through them.

There is not much about seashells not to like, honestly. They begin their life as the homes of crabs, clams, mussels, and the like, but end them as fine works of art, each individually tailored by the master crafter, mother nature, fit for admiration by young and old alike. I've been fascinating by seashells since I was ten years old and first took a journey to the water. Gazing into that deep blue sea, who could help being fascinated by the intricate and amazing existences of the creatures that live inside it.