The Essential Insider’s Guide to Buying a Singing Bowl Online

Introduction

Shopping for a singing bowl online can be challenging. Without the ability to see or touch the bowl in person, it’s natural to have concerns about its quality and authenticity. However, with the right information and key questions, you can confidently find the perfect bowl for your needs. This guide will provide you with the knowledge to make an informed purchase and order your singing bowl online with confidence.

Common Materials in Singing Bowls
Brass (Copper + Zinc): Often referred to as « Pittal » in Nepal, this alloy is commonly used for small, machine-made bowls. Zinc is more affordable than tin, which is why brass is often used. However, brass bowls tend to have a higher metallic pitch and shorter vibrations. For better sound quality and longer-lasting vibrations, choose bronze for small bowl sets.

Bronze (Copper + Tin): Bronze is the preferred material for high-quality singing bowls. However, not all bronze is of the same quality. Some artisans use recycled or impure copper and tin to reduce costs, which can negatively impact the bowl’s properties. To ensure the best sound and vibration, choose bowls made of pure bronze.

The ratio of copper to tin in bronze significantly affects the bowl’s properties

Experienced artisans adjust this ratio depending on the type of bowl they are making. Therapy bowls, which focus on vibrations and frequency, may have a different ratio compared to healing chakra bowls, where sound quality is more important. Choosing an experienced artisan is crucial, as they have perfected this ratio through years of practice to achieve the best properties for their bowls.

1. Seven Metals Bowls: These are bronze bowls with traces of five additional metals (gold, silver, mercury, iron, lead). The small quantities of these metals do not affect the bowl’s properties. You can confidently choose either pure bronze or seven metals based on your needs, knowing that the quality will remain optimal.
2. Selecting the Right Place to Buy: To increase your chances of selecting a reputable place to buy your singing bowl online, follow these steps:
3. Look for Shops with Genuine Reviews: Check trusted review platforms like Etsy, where only actual buyers can leave reviews. This will give you an honest assessment of the seller’s reliability and product quality.
4. Prefer Buying Directly Through Artisans: Whenever possible, purchase your singing bowl directly from artisans rather than resellers who buy wholesale and resell. While both can offer quality bowls, dealing directly with an artisan provides several advantages:
5. Better Value for Money: Direct sourcing means no middleman, ensuring you get the best price and the artisan receives fair compensation.
6. Easier Sourcing and Traceability: Buying from an artisan makes it easier to guarantee the bowl’s origin and ensures ethical sourcing practices.
7. Customization Options Available: Artisans often offer the possibility to customize your bowl to meet your specific preferences, creating a more personalized experience.
8. Always Contact the Seller Before Buying: Reach out to the seller with specific questions about the bowl or set you’re interested in. This interaction will help you assess their responsiveness and willingness to provide detailed information. A checklist with questions to ask will be provided at the end of this guide to help you make the best assessment of a potential seller.
9. Request Videos of the Exact Bowl(s) You Will Receive: Requesting a video of the exact bowl that will be sent to you is essential. It not only provides a clearer picture of the bowl’s properties but also ensures your bowl will be played and quality-checked before being packed and sent to you, guaranteeing quality inspection rather than simply picking it from a shelf. Ideally, ask your seller to both hit and rub the bowl, as both techniques reveal different aspects of its sound quality.
10. Sound Quality: Ensure You Like the Sound: It might seem obvious, but make sure the tone of the bowl appeals to you. Each bowl has unique sound properties due to its handmade nature. Don’t hesitate to request to listen to multiple bowls and choose the one that resonates with you.
11. Make Sure You Get the Right Note: Some unscrupulous sellers might provide a bowl with a flat or sharp note instead of a natural (accurate) note. Ask the seller to confirm you will get an accurate natural note. You can also ask the seller to play the bowl and use a tuner in the video. The tuner should display only the letter of the note. If it shows a # or b next to the letter, the note is flat or sharp. (Add pictures here for clarity)

• Why It’s Important: Chakra therapy requires specific natural notes. Sharp and flat notes have frequencies close to the natural note but are less effective for therapy. Accurate notes ensure the best therapeutic outcome.
• Check for Pitch Consistency: Consistent pitch means low frequency variation, indicating that the bowl maintains a steady frequency when played. This is important for specific therapies and makes the bowl more pleasant to listen to.

Note: Each handmade bowl has different sound properties. Even bowls from the same batch can vary. Some bowls will have low pitch variation, while others will have inconsistent pitch. This variability is part of the handmade process. Bowls with accurate notes and low pitch variations are usually more expensive due to their higher quality.

Look for Long and Durable Sound/Vibrations: Ensure you receive long videos of the bowl being played, not just short extracts. Long sound and vibration durations are strong indicators of quality materials. As a reference, a high-quality C3 bowl (about 1.8 kg and 22 cm) can easily vibrate for more than a minute.

Visual Inspection

Aesthetic Appeal: Make sure you like the overall look of your bowl. Artisans offer different finishes, so choose one that speaks to you.
Check for Major Flaws: While it’s unlikely that a seller would send a video of a bowl with major flaws, it’s good to crosscheck. Look for significant defects like cracks or dents that can affect the bowl’s sound quality and longevity.

Note: Very often, you will find minor scratches and irregularities on handmade bowls. These are perfectly normal and nothing to worry about. They are actually the result of handmade craftsmanship and contribute to the unique beauty and character of the bowl.