So, you’re interested in investing in a crystal singing bowl (or maybe two…or more!) after attending a sound bath, or just having a general curiosity about the practice of sound healing…
Once you start searching for them, you realize how many options there are, and with SUCH a wide range of prices. So where do you start? How do you know the differences between them? And how do those differences impact their price? Don’t worry I’m here to clear all of this up for you and if you’re joining me here, it means you’re ready to make a big step in your journey with healing sounds and I am so excited to be a part of it!
It’s super important to be educated about what you’re getting because, not only is it a big investment, but it’s a big investment in a tool that you’ll go on to work with in a healing capacity, so you’ve got to know what you’re getting, and get it from a source with integrity!
So let’s jump right in and figure out together what kind of crystal bowl – or bowls – is right for you. We’ll start by taking a deep dive into the different types of crystal bowls you’ll likely encounter in your quest, starting from a more basic bowl option, and go up in quality.
FROSTED BOWLS
These are the classic opaque bowls you’ve probably seen most often. They are typically white, but can also be found in colors that correlate to our different chakras (more on that in a bit!). The colored frosted bowls are no different as far as quality, tone or size and weight, so don’t be fooled if they are priced higher than some of the other bowls.
Their inside is smooth, but their outside is rough, like really fine sand paper which can create an added sound when played with the suede mallets that usually come with the bowl. Most frosted bowls are fairly large and heavy, making them a little trickier to travel with and harder to work with in sessions (for example, playing them on or around the body of a client in a 1-1 session). However, because of their size, they are generally louder than other crystal bowls out there which makes them ideal for really large spaces and outdoor sound baths. For reference, this is an 8 inch frosted bowl, which in many frosted sets, is the smallest bowl that you’d get. When played, their frequency has a comparatively short sustain, which makes them a little harder to layer notes and keeps you busy during a sound bath!
Depending on their size, note and tuning (more on that in a bit too!), they will typically cost somewhere between $100 and $300 per bowl which makes them the most cost-efficient bowl out there.
Frosted bowls are perfect for you if you are looking for a quality sound healing companion but don’t want to break the bank, if you plan to do lots of outdoor events, or if you own a big studio and need something powerful to fill the space.
CLEAR BOWLS
Next up we have the clear bowls. These bowls are one of my favorites because they are relatively affordable (around $300-600 per bowl) and pack a punch. The clear bowls are perfectly clear quartz and are fairly lightweight. They have a really clean tone when played with any type of mallet and have the perk of a nice long sustain.
The only real drawback to the clear bowls is that they can easily get fingerprints on them so you have to wipe them down pretty consistently to keep them looking fresh. Also, when they’re made, their note can’t be controlled or manipulated, so it can sometimes be tricky to find the right note, size and tuning that you want!
Clear bowls are ideal for you if you want something a bit more delicate and unique, but are working with a beginner’s budget.
FEATHERLIGHT BOWLS
Up next, we’ve got Featherlight bowls which are another really great option at a similar price point to the clear bowls (around $300-$600 per bowl). The featherlight bowls are opaque but perfectly smooth making their tone really clean. As their name suggests, featherlight bowls are really lightweight and are ideal if you want to hold the bowl and move it around a client’s energy field. They also have really great, long sustain.
Featherlight bowls are for you if you’re looking for something cost-effective, and lightweight, especially for 1-1 sessions with clients.
ALCHEMY BOWLS
Alchemy Bowls from Crystal Tones® are my personal favorite, and what I use in my practice because they are infused with precious metals, like Platinum and Gold, gemstones like Smokey Quartz, Amethyst and Moldavite, and are all one of a kind: no two are the same.
Alchemy bowls are really easy and smooth to play, and have the cleanest tone out there whether you are singing or tapping them. One of the most amazing things about them is their incredible sustain: you can play one bowl, let it go, and it will keep resonating for 1-2 minutes before it stops. This makes them ideal for layering different notes and ultimately helps preserve your energy as the facilitator: you can spend less energy playing each bowl, because they sing so much on their own!
They are also lightweight and great for travel as you can nest many of them together in one case.
The price of alchemy bowls vary greatly depending on the note, tuning, alchemy, and number of alchemies included in the bowl and will likely cost anywhere between $700-2000 per bowl (they can go higher too!).
One other thing that I love about the Crystal Tones® alchemy bowls is they are manufactured in the US in Salt Lake City. That said, you might see some poser alchemy bowls out there on Amazon / Ebay / Etsy that are dyed different colors and look iridescent. These are not the real deal so if you see one out there and its price tag looks too good to be true, it probably is! These imitation alchemy bowls are another reason why it’s important to work directly with someone like me to help make sure you’re getting the real thing!
Alchemy bowls are the perfect fit for you if you want to travel with a bigger number of bowls and are ready to jump right in and invest in the highest quality bowls out there!
PRACTITIONER
You might see bowls that look like this with a handle. These are wonderful for 1-1 client sessions to play the bowl in someone’s energy field and can also be great to have for group sessions as well if you want to walk around and give someone a bowl moment.
This particular practitioner bowl is a clear bowl, and is pretty lightweight, but you can also get practitioner bowls from Crystal Tones® with different alchemies as well. The practitioner bowls are typically priced a little bit higher than their standard bowl counterparts (so a clear practitioner will be just a little more expensive than a clear bowl and same for alchemy). And their qualities and vibe are also equal to their bowl counterparts with great sustain.
A practitioner bowl is perfect for you if you want to be able to move around freely with your bowl and play it on and around your clients in 1-1 or group sessions.
FACTORS TO CONSIDER:
PRICE
Now, the biggest factor for most people is their budget. Especially if you think you might get a full 7-bowl chakra set, these numbers can add up quickly! If you are just starting out and don’t know how much you’ll ultimately use the bowls, it might be hard to justify spending thousands of dollars right off the bat, so consider how much you are able to spend on one bowl, and go from there.
What’s your budget? How much do you feel comfortable spending? What would be your max for one bowl? How about for a full set? Having a clear sense of whether you are open to something in the $2-300 range, $1k, or if the sky’s the limit and you want a magical set – will help us know where to begin!
NOTE
The note is another big factor as each note has a different chakra or endocrine system correlation. Now, I’m not going to get into details about the different chakras or the endocrine system associations, that’s something you’ll learn in my trainings. However, it’s good to know these connections exist to help guide your process. I always say that the exact frequency of a C bowl doesn’t necessarily resonate with every person’s root chakra, but it’s the intention behind these correlations that matter. That being said, you have a C note for the root chakra, D for the sacral, E for solar plexus, F for heart, G for throat, A for third eye and B for crown. Similarly for the endocrine system, we are working with the SHARP notes of each of these, so the C# note will be for the sexual, D# is adrenals, F# is thymus, G# is thyroid and A# is pineal. Also, it is worth noting that the higher the note, typically the smaller the bowl, whereas the bigger bowls are usually the lower notes in a set. The higher notes uplift, while the lower notes ground.
Is there a chakra or theme for healing (like grounding, expression, love) that you want to build your set around? Coming into a bowl purchase with an intention like that can be a great starting point!
SIZE
Another big thing to consider is whether or not you foresee yourself traveling with your bowls. I travel on planes with 8 bowls at once because I can pack 8 alchemy bowls into one case and put it in the overhead compartment! If traveling on planes with bowls is something you plan to do, you’ll want to explore clear, featherlight or alchemy bowls since flying with more than a couple frosted bowls won’t be easy since they’ll have to fit overhead. If you just plan on keeping your set in your studio or healing space, then that may not matter. I also want to mention here that the bigger the bowl, the higher the price. With frosted bowls, the smallest size you’re able to get in lower notes like C and D is 10+ inches.
SETS
You can purchase a full 7 note chakra set, or 5 note endocrine set. The biggest drawback of purchasing sets is that you can’t control the size of the notes (they typically run from 8-14 or 8-12 inches), so I tend to encourage people to build their own sets so they can do so more economically over time and also get smaller bowls. Purchasing a full set at once can sometimes save money, but if you end up creating a set with smaller bowls, you’ll actually end up spending less! You can also create your own unique set using a mix of all of the different types of bowls. So just because you start with a few frosted bowls, for example, that doesn’t mean you can’t add in an alchemy and a clear next!
TUNING
Finally, you might notice if you are bowl shopping that you see numbers next to the bowl, for example “C-20” or “G+10”. These numbers refer to the tuning of the bowl. There is a LOT to unpack with this subject and I do that more in my trainings and in my bowl consultation calls so I encourage you to do some research on different tunings if this is something you feel is important to you. But I’ll mention here that there are three most common tunings: 432, 440 and 528. All three of these tunings stay within a certain number range and one of the most important roles I have as a bowl seller is making sure that all of your bowls are in tune with each other. When they are not in tune, they can feel really uncomfortable to listen to and can end up doing more harm than healing. That’s why it’s super important to work with someone like me to purchase your bowl from a reputable source (like one of the manufacturers I work with), because I can ensure your bowls are in tune AND are of the highest quality. When you see bowls and sets of bowls on Etsy, Amazon or Ebay, more often than not, you aren’t able to control their tuning and even if you are, they may come with a bowl or two that aren’t a match. I see it over and over again, and it becomes a huge hassle to deal with. On top of that, getting your bowls from a reputable source also creates the energy of integrity as you work with these instruments to help heal yourself and others. If you already have a bowl or two, I can also work with you to be sure any replacement or new additions to your set will be in tune with each other.
NOW. I know that’s a lot to think about. But this is a big decision and a big investment so I’m seriously proud of you for taking the time to educate yourself!
Hopefully all of this information was more exciting and helpful than overwhelming. And as a thank you for joining me here, I want to offer you the opportunity to purchase bowls for an exclusive discount from one of my partners. If you feel like you already know what you want, please send me an email with your vision to get started on your order. And if you’d like to chat further about your needs or if you have any questions for me at all, you can book a bowl consultation call HERE. During this time we will discuss your intentions, answer questions and get clarity on what will be the best fit.
And if you’d like to learn bowl playing techniques, how to care for your bowl, how to work with certain combinations of notes, or just more about sound healing in general, please go HERE to learn about my upcoming trainings and 1-1 bowl lessons and we can continue on your journey with healing sounds together!