Even the most perfect seashells are not as perfect as they may seem.
I thought I had found the most perfect seashell and I was going to collect it to give to my mother, who lives in West Tennessee and does not have immediate access to any beaches. Upon further inspection I found that this is NOT the most perfect seashell. Its color is uneven, the grooves were not identical, the ridges along the tips do not reach across the entire edge and the surface is covered in damage.
Without knowing how old the shell was, or how long it had sit in the sun, or how many times it had washed out to sea and back on various beaches I picked it up and put it in my Jeep to take home. When my mother makes her annual visit this fall I will give this to her and tell her, "Here Mom! I found the most perfect seashell on the beach!"
@superdavey