The shell is ovate and ventricose. The body whorl is variously sculptured. The aperture is ovate, with a short mirrored truncated anterior canal. The extreme hardness and brittleness of the materials created it impossible to dress in, grind, and bore the shell by machinery by itself. Initially the thin portions https://history-of-beads32862.blogolize.com/art-nouveau-beadwork-fundamentals-explained-70352942