Creating this pen was an exercise in patience. Four types of seashells including Natural Cornball, Pearl Turbo's, White Tusk Shells & Cerithium Sulcata - (sea snails) were used. They are placed in pearlized liquid resin, colored with bright swirling shades of blue. Once the resin hardens I can turn it on my lathe as I do wood or other materials. The outcome is truly spectacular. You are looking at actual cross sections of seashells. You can not only see the shells, you can see inside them. Some of the inner areas were filled with colored resin, & some were filled with crystal clear resin to allow viewing. This pen can only truly be appreciated in person. Turning the pen was a challenge as well. The shells are extremely hard & normal high speed steel tools cannot keep an edge long enough to be useful. Special carbide tipped tool were used to slowly bring the material close to finished shape. More shells were then placed by hand to accentuate every inch. Returning to the lathe I finally brought the pen to it's final precision dimensions. Finally the material is sanded, buffed, & polished for hours, bringing out every shimmering detail. Not to be outdone by the breathtaking seashell material, the overall design of this pen is is as timeless as it is elegant. The metal used for the components are beautifully antiqued pewter & brass. The authentic patina & natural darkening provides a perfect contrast to show off the subtle details. Hand cast carvings in are found from top to bottom. Even the pen tip itself is contoured in line with the overall design. Continuing with top of the line components, the pen ships with a Schmidt rhodium plated pen nib with a steel cartridge with a ceramic point. The premium rollerball ink is a true compliment to an already magnificent pen. As this is a made to order item with custom materials, the final version may differ slightly in color. All domestic items are shipped Priority Mail & normally arrive in 2-3 days. All of my items can be made to satisfy specific requests. Exotic woods & alternative materials can be matched with your favorite style pen. I can also create custom tailored engraved cases by hand. Feel free to contact me directly thru Etsy regarding custom work or questions. Handmade Seashell Pen - Antiqued Pewter, Nautical Executive Gift