Aloha! Another Cebu fake. I saw a few of these a few weeks ago on Mactan. Add this up to the fossil Barycypraea caputviperae from limestone quarry pits in Java that some Ebayers try to sell as "deep-netted live fultoni from the Philippines", polished large Oliva annulata that they pass-off as WRS Oliva vicdani, or the ever popular semi-fossilized Cypraea carneola from harbor dredgings that they swear are a new live deep-water Volute species. They boil them in alcohol in rice pots slowly because the boiling temperature of alcohol is much lower than water. The reason? Less stress cracks caused by heating & a change of color. They also wrap thin lead strips with a soldering iron on them all night to create bands & mis-coloration. The end result is quite impressive only as a decorative piece. So who to trust? Most dealers are genuine collectors & shell fanciers and will take care of you. Others only care about making a fast buck then getting out by changing they're name or location. Most advanced dealers & collectors know who the bad ones are, which is unfortunate for the beginners. Our hobby is fragile & is slowly losing interest by wildlife restrictions & the occasional rip-off artist. If a honest dealer makes a mistake by listing a fake & it's pointed out to them most will take-off that listing. A bad reputation in our shell world travels fast! Our local HMS shell club meeting next week Wed will feature a prominent member who will give a lecture via Power Point on his computer on spotting faked doctored shells & how the process is done. Good job spotting this oddity Shea, I noticed it too. Mahalo! CHRIS:) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [log in to unmask] - a forum for informal discussions on molluscs To leave this list, click on the following web link: http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=conch-l&A=1 Type your email address and name in the appropriate box and click leave the list. ----------------------------------------------------------------------