The most popular among the popular. Cowries are the most collected family traditionally in most shell collections but particularly the Zoila, endemic cowries to Australia are the most popular sub-genus and command the highest prices.
They are unique, beautiful and most are rare. They do not have veligers therefore, very localized forms exist like volutes. A headache for collectors and scientist alike but this also means that one can have an endless collection just of Zoilas. Probably the most expensive shell in the world world be the legendary Zoila rosselli f. edingeri, said to be extinct and only few known to exist; with a single specimen if they were ever in the market to be worth in excess of 30,000 euros!