FAQs

What if I get a message that says "Contact us for shipping rates." when I try to  check out?

There can be more than one reason for this message, usually it means that the on line calculator provided by the shipper cannot accurately calculate shipping, for example:

  • Oversized Items: Very large or heavy items like giant gongs and the biggest giant singing bowls require special packaging or crating and the on-line shipping calculator may not be able to supply an accurate cost of shipping. We have added extra information on these products treat additional shipping charges may apply. Please contact us for the shipping rates on these over sized items and we will provide you with an actual shipping quote. We will find the safest and least expensive method of shipping your item to you that we can.
  • Custom instruments: Shipping rates and requirements for custom instruments will be dealt with in a separate and individual quote and sales agreement.
What if I want to return my purchase?

We really want you to love your new sound instrument!
We are happy to answer all of your questions before you buy to be sure you are getting really what you want, so just contact us or call Toll Free: 844-SOUND-11 (844-768 6311).

Our return period lasts 30 business days after receipt of your order. Custom instruments, sale or reduced items and markdowns, instrument sets and international shipped items are not returnable. Please read our complete Return Policy for complete information.

What if the bowl or gong I want says "Sold Out"?

Each numbered bowl or gong is a unique instrument and is subject to prior sale. Once we have sold a bowl (or gong) it is gone. We may have one that is similar to the one you like in stock but we cannot promise this. We will make every effort to find a replacement that pleases you. Please contact us and we will notify you either should a sale not be completed and the instrument becomes available again or if we do have a similar instrument in stock.

How do I care for my new singing bowl or gong?

Tibetan singing bowls and Burma gongs are tough and fragile at the same time. Treated gently and never dropped they will last for generations. A sharp blow or drop, even if it does not break your instrument, can damage the sound and most likely change its (certified) healing frequency. Never place your bowl on a hard surface without a pad, cushion or ring to protect it and do not drop it. Depending on frequency of use, a bowl requires little care. Keep it clean with an oiled cloth followed with a rub with a soft cloth. Only wash it if extremely dirty, with a gentle soap, and be sure to oil it after. NEVER use a commercial brass or copper polish or other harsh chemical on your bowl or gong. To clean your singing bowl or gong we recommend our Heaven of Sound™ Bowl Cleaning Oil for best results. We have tried many oils in the past and found that they would react with the metals of the bowl and leave a gummy residue. After much research we have developed an oil that leaves a bowl clean with no stickiness, even after repeated use.  The darker etched bowls and the Bengali bowls will shed color for years so be sure to rub them thoroughly after oiling them to minimize soiling your hands. 

How do I care for my new custom instrument?

All of our custom made instruments are shipped with complete care instructions.
Please read this instructions carefully before you use your custom instrument!

Why does the finish of my bowl appear to be flawed?

Flaws: Our Original and genuine hand beaten Tibetan singing bowls and Burma nipple gongs are just that, hand beaten into their final shape from a flat disc of metal by very skilled and experienced manufacturers with hammers.
Each bowl making family has its own traditional formula and method of making singing bowls, each bowl may contain 7 different metals, and some of these metals are thrown on as powder during the heating and beating of the bowl. This process results in a varied finish with inclusions and bits of copper or other metal causing roughness and irregularities on the surface of the bowl or gong. These are not flaws; they are part of the natural process of creating the singing bowl (or gong) and contribute to its unique sound.
Machine made bowls and ZEN bowls, which we also carry, tend to be more perfect in form and finish, but they lack the complex overtones producing the typical "mystic" sound of the beaten bowls. They have a very pure tone which is especially effective for chakra bowls.

Do you offer ancient or antique bowls?

We do not guarantee the age of the bowls we sell unless we have the provenance to prove it. As there are many ways to easily alter a singing bowl’s appearance to make it look ancient there is no guaranty on a singing bowl's or gong's age without a scientific metallurgical analysis and certification. As such analysis and certification is prohibitively expensive, we do not give any guaranty on the age.
Consequently some of our special singing bowls are called “Optic Ancient” when they appear to be old and they may truly be old, but they have been selected for their healing frequencies and sonic quality, just as we select all of our bowls, and not for their possible age.

What is a certified singing bowl or gong?

Heaven of Sound™ does not only carefully select Tibetan singing bowls and Burma gongs of superior sound quality, we also analyze and certify each individual bowl and gong as to their Universal Healing Harmonics, a system of frequency identification outlined by Hans Cousto in his book "The Cosmic Octave".
In 1978 the Swiss mathematician and musicologist Hans Cousto discovered the natural law of the "Cosmic Octave" as the link between different kinds of periodically occurring natural phenomena, such as the orbit of the planets, the weather, colors, rhythms and tones and their healing effects on mind and body, heart and spirit.
Each instrument's sound is carefully measured to determine its vibratory frequencies. Each certified singing bowl or gong has our label with that instrument's unique ID number, weight in grams, frequency(ies), best placement and recommended uses. As these are overtone instruments, they may produce more than one Universal Harmonic frequency, and so may have more than one label. We label for the strongest overtone(s) and harmonic(s), but we may not label all overtones or list them in the product description. The certificate will list and describe all significant frequencies even if they aren't labeled. We also offer bowls with no Universal Harmonics, they may be tuned to a Chakra tone or swing to a note of the musical scale, or they may just have a pleasant tone, but these bowls will always be clearly identified and we do not certify them.

Does Heaven of Sound™ offer housing and meals for their seminars and workshops?

No, we do not provide accommodation or meals.  Nearby Sandpoint, Idaho, located on beautiful Lake Pend Oreille, is an amazing small town offering a large variety of food and lodging in all price ranges. If you love to camp, Springy Point and Round Lake campgrounds are just minutes away. Check out www.sandpoint.com or www.visitsandpoint.com for more information.

How do I register for a seminar or workshop?

You can directly register for any of our several seminars, classes, workshops or professional certification programs under the menu CLASSES. If you need further information on any of these programs, please contact us or call us Toll Free: 844-SOUND-11 (844-768-6311).

What is an overtone instrument?

Just about any sound maker or instrument produces a fundamental tone and higher overtones. It is the type of overtone produced that gives an instrument its "timbre" or "acoustic color", so that you can tell a clarinet from an oboe for instance. There are complex mathematical formulas to describe and define types of overtones. For our purpose, we define overtone instruments as those wherein the overtone is very noticeable, almost as strong as the fundamental.

A (modern) musical instrument usually is made to produce a clear and strong fundamental tone with little audible overtones just to give the instrument its unique timbre. This purity of tones allow these instruments to be played in groups as orchestras or bands without unpredictable overtones interfering with the music and to play perfect musical intervals. In contrast overtone instruments have obvious overtones that may or may not be harmonious (in harmonic intervals) to the fundamental. That is the reason why two different overtone instruments, like Tibetan singing bowls for example, even having the same fundamental note can sound quite different when they have different overtones.

For more information continue to read here.