Dear Rosi,
 
may I have a few of this jewel boxes (as it is a common name, I
don't know the species - can you tell me the scientific name) and
some other shells if you find in donation from you for the
natural history department of the Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum
in Innsbruck / Austria. See also my homepage:
http: www.netwing.at/nisters/
 
Here is my address where you can send the shells.
 
Helmut Nisters
Franz-Fischer-Str. 46
A-6020 Innsbruck / Austria
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
 
Hope to hear from you as soon as possible. With many thanks in
advance and best shelling greetings.
 
yours sincerly Helmut Nisters
 
----------
> I've been enjoying Conch-L for several weeks now.  My filing cabinet is
> getting full of wonderful information about seashells - collecting,
> storing, naming, taxonomy, etc.  One particular evening there was quite
> a discussion on cleaning shells.  Recently I was able to collect
> approximately 200 leafy jewel boxes off an off-shore oil platform that
> is in the process of being refitted.  These shells are truly "jewels" in
> the "rough" and I do mean rough.  They are covered with barnacles and
> bryozoan.  Someone suggested that rosalic acid works well in removing
> encrustations.
>
> No one in Houston Texas (including U of H) has ever heard of rosalic
> acid.  There was also mention of orthophosphoric acid and natrium
> sulphite as an alternative.  No one in Houston Texas has ever heard of
> these products, either.
>
> Can someone help me?  Does anyone out there in mollusca land know of
> other names that these products may be called?  I'd sure love to know.
> Or, if anyone can give me any other suggestions on how to clean these
> jewel boxes, I'd be very appreciative.  It really would be a pity to
> waste them.
>
> Actually, would anyone out there like to have a few?  Some of them are
> pretty anyway.  I'd be more than happy to send them out to you if you
> e-mail me your address.
>
> RoseSea
> [log in to unmask]