>I like them with what nature gave to them. It tells a more complete
>story by the evidence of what is on the exterior of the animals
>life. There are plenty of cleaned shells in collections, few natural
>ones. The color of the aperture is even more glorious in contrast to
>the marine growth, if left on the shell.
>
>I have not always done this so: a solution of chlorine bleach works
>well at loosening barnacles so that manual removal is much easier.
>Coat (the interior) of the aperture with Vaseline before soaking it
>in bleach solution, to protect it from any possible chemical
>effects. Coat the shell with glycerin after cleaning, to preserve
>the periostracum. It will dry and flake off as the shell dries if
>untreated.

I too like to have au naturel as well as cleaned specimens.

Bleach (sodium hypochlorite solution) will remove the periostracum as
well as loosening some (not all!) species of balanomorph (acorn)
barnacles.

However it will not damage inductura (glaze) in apertures & Cypraea
dorsum, so no need to coat.

Note that glycerine will attract acids if the shell is kept in an oak
or particleboard (MDF etc) cabinet... I have gone back to using
liquid paraffin on organic parts, as I have had several specimens
coated with glycerine severely acid-damaged.
--
Andrew Grebneff
Dunedin
New Zealand
<[log in to unmask]>
Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut

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