Someone sent me this message and picture. Whew!!!

June 28, 2008

My collection of right hand opening shankhs, not same like what you offer BUT they have right hand openings and I have few of them, when round 1 mukhi rudraksha are rare same goes with Laxmi Shanks so such collection which I have CAN be used as they are real and natural obtained from the sea, have a look. Thanks and warm regardsSend instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.

July 2, 2008

Respefted Shri. Richard ji,

Thank you very much for displaying interesting pictures of so called 'Right Handed Shells' offered to you by somebody. All these shells are dextral, and none of them is sinistral. All these shells are all commonly available. Total market cost of these shells together is not more than Rs. 700/- to Rs. 1000/-.

All the brown shells (12 Nos.) are of the species Tibia insulaechorab Roding. This species is commonly known as 'Arabian Tibia' and is mainly available in the North Indian Ocean. Other beautiful species of Tibia are : Tibia delicatula Nevill; Tibia fuscus Linnaeus; Tibia martini Marrat and Tibia powisi Petit.

Many people knowingly or unknowingly treat similar type of elongated and others shells shown in the picture as sinistral shells (Right Handed Shells) or 'Lakshmi Shells' which is not correct.

It is necessary to learn basics of shell morphology. Shell head is scientifically known as 'Shell Spire'. Sutures or whrols is a part of shell spire or head. Sutures are never in the tail region.. All shells are mainly devided in two parts, shell spire and body whrol. Shell apperture or shell opening is always present in the region of body whrol. People make mistake considering tapering portion as shell tail and then treating such shell as sinistral. In fact, it is dextral or 'Left Handed' and not sinistral or 'Right Handed'. Cost of each shell of the present species of Tibia insulaechorab is not more than Rs. 40/- i.e. only one US dollar approx.

The other three turban shaped (two green and one brownish) shells on the top are of the species Turbo brunneus Roding, commonly known as 'Pearly Turbo'. This shell is commonly found on the west coasts India from Okha to Cochin. It costs Rs. 25 each.

The fourth little smaller shell is a Bursa species. All the above shells are available in shell shops of Madras and Trivendrum in the price range mentioned above.

Thanking you and with best wishes,

Chandrashekhar Phadke

--- On Sun, 29/6/08, Richard Shaw Brown <rsbj66 wrote:

Richard Shaw Brown <rsbj66 Someone sent me this message and picture. Whew!!!"Planetary Group Group" <planetary-gemology >, "Sacred Group Group" <sacred-objects >Sunday, 29 June, 2008, 1:03 AM

My collection of right hand opening shankhs, not same like what you offer BUT they have right hand openings and I have few of them, when round 1 mukhi rudraksha are rare same goes with Laxmi Shanks so such collection which I have CAN be used as they are real and natural obtained from the sea, have a look. Thanks and warm regardsSend instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger .

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