Bulk Shells

Bulk Shells

Bulk shells are a popular decor item, often used in votives, vases, for display and in crafts. There are many uses and types of bulk shells, and in some cases, it's possible to get beautiful and colourful dyed shells.

Though, often, bulk shells are found in a mixture of shell types, it's also possible to find bulk shells grouped by shell type. These include cowrie shells, nautilus shells, litteratus shells, clam shells, ark shells, auger shells, baby's ear, scotch bonnet shells, button shells, cockle shells, cerith shells, conch shells, coquina shells, dove shells, drill shells and cone shells.

In many cases, bulk shells will include a few sea-related but non-shell objects. These can be dried starfish, sand dollars or sand dollar fragments, sea glass, sea fossils, or even fragments of coquina—a hard, dense rocklike material made of compacted shell fragments. For those wanting only shells, these items can easily be identified and picked out of bulk shells.

As bulk shells are often used in decor or crafts, one may want bulk shells in a specific colour range. Luckily, this is easy to find. The majority of bulk shells can be grouped in whites, taupes, yellows, oranges and reds. However, it's also possible to find natural shells in greys, blues and even purples. You can also dye any shells not in the appropriate colour range, if necessary.

For those wanting bulk shells to decorate aquariums, additional care should be used to ensure the shells are clean, as they can introduce pathogens to an otherwise clean tank. All shells should be carefully washed, bleached, washed again and then thoroughly dried before introduction into any tank. Care should be taken to remove any bleach or soap residue as well, as the smallest amount of bleach or soap can be harmful to an aquarium environment.