An interesting way to hang a most beautiful label on a shell might be to
have someone look at the shells who DOESN'T know the values.  I
guarantee  that if you lay down a row of pecten shells with a
Gloriapallium pallium, a Volachlamys tranquebaria, a Gloriapallium
speciosum, a Chlamys australis, and maybe a Decadopecten superbus --
there would be know way of telling which shell would win.  These are all
pretty shells and vary from the very inexpensive G. pallium to the
pricier D. superbus.  On the other hand, a shell collector might let
rarity influence his or her choice.  Notice how I stayed away from
Cypraea or Conus.
 
My problem is at this moment I could say which shell I think is tops in
most every family, but then tomorrow I would see a great image on Bret
Raines web page, or Guido Poppe's page, or the Jacksonville Shell Club
page, or any of the many pages with great shell images and my
convictions might just waver.
 
Tom Eichhorst in New Mexico, USA (just passing the time)