Polished Green Turban Shell in Iridescent Mother of Pearl

Turn this shell in the light and it shifts from blush pink to pale gold to silvery green, like the inside of an oyster that has been left out in the sun. It is a polished green turban shell, the outer layer carefully worked away to reveal the deep, glossy mother of pearl beneath.

Green turban shells come from the warm waters of the Indo Pacific and have been prized for their nacre for centuries, inlaid into Victorian papier mache boxes and fans, carved into buttons, and displayed whole in cabinets of curiosities. Polished specimens like this one became popular decorative pieces in the twentieth century, and it is easy to see why.

This example has been left with a band of its original green shell running around the shoulder of the spiral, speckled with darker flecks, which makes a lovely contrast with the shimmering pearl. The wide, flaring opening glows pink and gold inside, and the neat whorled spire at the back is finished in bright white and silver.

It measures 12cm long, 11cm wide and 7cm high, and weighs 210g, a satisfying weight in the hand. The polish is bright all over, with only the natural ridges and growth lines of the shell to show its age.

We would set it on a bathroom shelf beside a stack of white towels, on a mantelpiece with a piece of coral and a few dried hydrangeas, or on a desk as a paperweight that catches the light every time you look up. It would make a lovely present for anyone who loves the sea, and it sits beautifully with our other shells and natural finds.