Rainbow Shell
| Rainbow Shell | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Forage |
| Location | Foraging; Rainbow Trout Fish Pond; Turtle |
| Season | All (Beach Farm; Dangerous Mines); Summer (The Beach) |
| Sell Price | 300g |
The Rainbow Shell is a shimmering seashell that washes up on the Beach in Summer. It is the most valuable item found on the regular Beach, and one of the best gifts a farmer can pick up for free. Almost every villager likes it. It is also a key item in The Mysterious Qi quest, which leads toward the Casino. In tailoring, it is a special dye that can turn clothing any colour at all.
The in-game description reads: It's a very beautiful shell.
Location
On the regular Beach, Rainbow Shells appear only in Summer. They spawn among the other beach forage, so a walk along the sand each morning gives the best chance.
Several sources work outside Summer. On the Beach Farm, beach forage spawns on the farm itself, and Rainbow Shells can appear there all year. Once the Shrine of Challenge is active, or during the Danger in the Deep quest, they can also turn up as forage in The Mines.
Gifts bring a few more. Demetrius sometimes mails one. At the Feast of the Winter Star, Jas, Vincent or Leo may hand one over as their present. A pet turtle with maximum friendship may bring one too. The Traveling Cart also sells them now and then, though at a high price.
A Rainbow Trout Fish Pond offers a slow, steady supply. Once the pond holds nine fish, it has a small daily chance to produce a Rainbow Shell.
Prices
A Rainbow Shell sells for more than any other forage on the regular Beach. The highest quality doubles that price, and the Botanist profession picks every shell at that quality. Even so, many farmers keep them as gifts instead.
Uses
The Mysterious Qi quest begins when a Battery Pack goes into a box on the wall of the tunnel past the bus. The next step asks for a Rainbow Shell. It has to be placed in a box on the train station platform at the Railroad. Keeping a spare shell means this step does not have to wait for the next Summer. Later steps of the quest end with the Club Card, which opens the Casino behind the Oasis.
A Blobfish Fish Pond may ask for a Rainbow Shell before its last size increase.
In tailoring, a Rainbow Shell in the Sewing Machine with Cloth makes the dyeable Bikini Top. Used as a dye in the Sewing Machine, it opens a colour picker. Any colour can then be chosen with sliders, so it gives full control over the result.
The shell can also be placed in a Fish Tank as decoration.
Gifts
Abigail, Alex, Caroline, Clint, Demetrius, the Dwarf, Emily, Evelyn, George, Gus, Haley, Jas, Jodi, Kent, Krobus, Leah, Leo, Lewis, Linus, Marnie, Maru, Pam, Penny, Pierre, Robin, Sam, Sandy, Sebastian, Shane, Vincent, Willy and the Wizard like Rainbow Shells.
Elliott is neutral about them.
Harvey hates them.
A liked gift that suits almost the whole town is rare. A stack of Rainbow Shells from Summer covers birthdays and weekly gifts for many villagers well into Fall.
Hold back one shell for The Mysterious Qi quest before selling or gifting the rest. The quest can come up long after Summer has passed.
All Foraging
Every entry in this group, with its key details.
| Name | Image | Season | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackberry | 
|
Fall | - |
| Cave Carrot | 
|
All | 25g |
| Chanterelle | 
|
Fall | 160g |
| Coconut | 
|
All | 100g |
| Common Mushroom | 
|
Spring (Secret Woods); Summer (Forest Farm); Fall (Stardew Valley; Secret Woods; Forest Farm); All (Dangerous Mines; Ginger Island mushroom cave) | 40g |
| Coral | 
|
All | 80g |
| Crocus | 
|
Winter | - |
| Crystal Fruit | 
|
Winter | 150g |
| Daffodil | 
|
Spring | 30g |
| Dandelion | 
|
Spring | 40g |
| Fiddlehead Fern | 
|
Summer; All on Ginger Island Jungle, Skull Cavern and Dangerous Mines | - |
| Ginger | 
|
All | 60g |
| Grass | 
|
Spring; Summer; Fall | - |
| Hazelnut | 
|
Fall | 90g |
| Holly | 
|
Winter | 80g |
| Leek | 
|
Spring | 60g |
| Magma Cap | 
|
- | 400g |
| Morel | 
|
Spring | 150g |
| Nautilus Shell | 
|
All (Beach Farm; Dangerous Mines); Winter (The Beach) | 120g |
| Purple Mushroom | 
|
All | 250g |
| Rainbow Shell | 
|
All (Beach Farm; Dangerous Mines); Summer (The Beach) | 300g |
| Red Mushroom | 
|
Summer (Secret Woods); Fall (Secret Woods; Forest Farm); All (other) | 75g |
| Salmonberry | 
|
15-18 Spring (bushes); All (the Farm Cave) | - |
| Sap | 
|
- | 2g |
| Sea Urchin | 
|
All | 160g |
| Seaweed | 
|
All | 20g |
| Snow Yam | 
|
Winter | 100g |
| Spice Berry | 
|
Summer; All (The Farm Cave) | 80g |
| Spring Onion | 
|
Spring | - |
| Sweet Pea | 
|
Summer | - |
| Truffle | 
|
Spring; Summer; Fall | 625g |
| Weeds | 
|
Spring; Summer; Fall | - |
| Wild Horseradish | 
|
Spring | 50g |
| Wild Plum | 
|
Fall | 80g |
| Winter Root | 
|
Winter | 70g |