OOPS, sorry folks.  I don't know how that last message got out of my
computer??  It sure surprised me when it arrived!

Hello Christine,

Glass jars are fine, subject to the considerations Jordan mentioned.  Even
then, the shells will probably not fade if they are kept away from direct
sunlight.  Also, ordinary glass filters out a lot of the harmful UV that
causes fading.  Glass jars will do as long as you are only interested in
using the shells as decorative items - which is fine if that's what you want
to do.  But if you venture much further into the hobby, you will want to
start identifying your shells and organizing them in some way, and you will
need a system that allows you to keep the name and other information with
each shell.  At that point you will probably find bulk storage in jars
unsuitable, and will have to switch to some sort of cabinet, or at least
compartmentalized boxes.

Bleach is the usual means of cleaning most shells.  It can be harmful though
to some thin, poorly calcified shells.  As for shells you find on the beach,
if they look clean and don't smell, you don't need bleach.  Just wash them
as you would dishes (by hand, not in the dish washer).  But if they smell,
or have algae or other adherent material on the outside, then bleach is the
most effective thing to use.

If a formerly glossy shell has been dulled by rolling around in the sand,
there is really no way to make it look like it did.  But mineral oil or baby
oil, with or without some solvent to dilute it, often improves the
appearance somewhat.  Apply it, rub it in a bit, then wipe off all the
excess.  You don't want the shells to appear or feel oily.

Regards,
Paul M.