The rose murex is a shell of contrasts: the silky smooth, delicate pink interior; and the rough, textural outside. Part of the large muricid family of gastropods, which were harvested by the Phoenicians to extract an expensive and vivid dye known as imperial purple.
The word gastropod comes from Greek and means ‘stomach foot’ - a name that doubtless owes its existence to the unusual anatomy of these creatures.
These typically measure from 6cm to 7cm long. Colours and sizes will vary; these are natural shells and the photograph is of a typical example, not the shell you will receive. If you have any particular requests in terms of colour or size, please pop them in the notes - we’ll do our best to find the shell that comes closest to what you want!
