Re your sentence below:

> For example, if an epoxy compound was used, it can be
> very difficult to dissolve - actually, impossible with any solvent you are
> likely to have at home.

Wouldn't acetone dissolve almost anything, or not?  We all (females at
least) have fingernail polish remover around the house.  Is acetone harmful
to the shell?

I have a particularly good specimen that has been coated with something like
lacquer.  Would a soak in acetone remove the paint?  Or would something else
be better?

Sylvia S. Edwards
Huntsville, Alabama
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----- Original Message -----
From: Monfils, Paul <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, October 29, 1999 12:27 PM
Subject: Re: [CONCH-L] artificial coatings on Cypraea


> Fortunately, most organic solvents, like those which have been mentioned
as
> diluents and vehicles for mineral oil, are harmless to shells.  However,
> such solvents are highly destructive to most of the materials that might
be
> used to coat a shell, including oils, waxes, plastics, varnishes,
shellacs,
> lacquers, acrylics, etc.  Five minutes in a good general solvent like
> mineral spirits or ordinary paint thinner will usually tell you if the
shell
> was coated.  When  you remove the shell from the solvent, wipe it with a
> towel or similar cloth.  If it feels sticky or slimy as you dry it, that's
> one indication of a coating in the process of dissolving.  Once the shell
is
> thoroughly air-dried, see if it looks any different than it did before
> soaking.  If it is less glossy, or different in color, then it was
probably
> coated with something.  However this method is not foolproof, since not
all
> solvents will dissolve all coatings.  Some coatings are more difficult to
> remove than others.  For example, if an epoxy compound was used, it can be
> very difficult to dissolve - actually, impossible with any solvent you are
> likely to have at home.
>         As for Cypraea teulerei, the color and markings are quite
variable.
> I have some specimens like you described Nancy, whitish with reduced
> markings.  They are not dead collected, but they do look somewhat
> "abnormal".  I suspect they either formed abnormally from environmental
> causes, or they are old "geriatric" individuals.  But I'm not certain.
>         Regards,
>         Paul M.
>