Giancarlo, Paul -

It's a tricky point, and I agree that the only really satisfactory way
of describing the shell is to have no grading but note that the lip has
been filed.

Let's remember that lip filing (especially on cones) used to be
considered much more acceptable - so beware shells from old collections.
Now, even the most subtle filing makes a specimen unacceptable to most
collectors.

Another related problem: how do you grade dead-taken Cypraea?  Sometimes
I get an uncommon/rare Cypraea that appears perfect, but when you HANDLE
the shell you realise that it has lost some gloss and was dead
collected.  In this case, I'd also favour giving no grading at all, but
describing the shell in detail.


-----Original Message-----
From: Conchologists of America List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Giancarlo Paganelli
Sent: 13 December 2002 17:20
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: filed lip

Question

Is a filed lip coneshell of F+ grade?

When I started my collection I was very  ignorant about shells and all
my
cones seem to be very atractive.
After some time I realized that at least 30 % of them had the outer lip
filed.
At the exhibitions you can use a good lens or an exercised eye, but
buying
from a list you can have unpleasant surprises.
Now I hope that the use to fil the lips will end.
I think that the dealers should refuse to buy from divers cones so
mended;
in this way perhaps this use could stop.
In the meantime every dealer should declare if a cone has the lip filed.
In
this case I think the grade is at most F.

I should very happy to have the opinion of collectors and dealers on
that
point.

Ciao

Giancarlo

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