The nautilus is a curious mollusk that's been around for millions of years. They're still around today, but you won't find a living nautilus in Stardew Valley. However, you can come across both nautilus shells and nautilus fossils, which are different items you find in different areas.
The nautilus shell counts as a forage item, and unlike the nautilus fossil, you won't need to donate one to the museum. However, there are a few places where you can use nautilus shells in Stardew Valley, so it's a good idea to know where to find them.
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Where to Find Nautilus Shells
The simplest way to find nautilus shells is to search the beach region during winter. Nautilus shells appear on the beach exclusively during this time of year, aside from the days when the Night Market is in town.
Something else to keep in mind is that nautilus shells are a rare sight even when they do appear. Be sure to check the beach every day if you're looking to grab one.
There are also a few other ways to get a nautilus shell. They aren't as reliable as combing the beach, but you might get a shell faster using these methods depending on where you are in the game.
- Good friends of Demetrius will get random gifts from him in the mail. One such gift is a nautilus shell. Since the game decides what the gift is after the nightly save, you can reload over and over until you get a nautilus shell.
- The first 40 levels of the Dangerous Mines have a nautical theme, and this includes beach forage items like clam shells and nautilus shells. Unlike the regular beach, the Mines don't change based on the season, so you can hunt for nautilus shells anytime after you get access to the Shrine of Challenge.
- Fish ponds containing shellfish like mussels, oysters, or cockles will sometimes spawn beach forage items. This includes nautilus shells.
- Nautilus shells are one of the random gifts you can get from almost any villager during the Feast of the Winter Star gift-giving event.
- One perk of the beach farm is that you can find random beach forage items on any given day. This includes normally out-of-season items like rainbow shells and nautilus shells.
How to Use Nautilus Shells
Nautilus shells don't count as fish (or food in general), so their main purpose is to sell them for cash. A basic nautilus shell sells for 120g, and an iridium-quality shell has a value of 240g.
Aside from selling, there are a couple of places where Stardew Valley asks for a nautilus shell. The first is the Field Research Bundle, which is one of the Bulletin Board Bundles in the Community Center. The second is the last sturgeon fish pond quest that increases the population cap up to 10. Sturgeon are the only fish whose roe turns into caviar, so keeping your sturgeon pond happy is especially important.
One other way to use a nautilus shell is to add it to the sewing machine. A nautilus shell produces a Strapped Top, although you can also get this item by using the easier-to-find coral or sea urchin.
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Where to Find Nautilus Fossils
To be clear, nautilus shells and nautilus fossils are separate items. While they look and sound similar, the way you find them and the way you use them is completely different. Here's how to find a nautilus fossil:
- Find a dig spot on the beach and get lucky (any season works).
- Find one randomly in a fishing treasure chest.
- Find one in a bone node in the Dig Site area of Ginger Island.
There are several ways to use nautilus fossils:
- You can donate one to the museum.
- You can throw one into a bone mill to produce a random fertilizer.
- You can create the Excavator Shirt by using it in the sewing machine. You can also use other fossil items to create this shirt.
