13/08/2026
“Are these bowls painted?”
I hear this question quite often when people see vividly coloured crystal bowls. And honestly, I understand why.
If a bowl is made from crystal, shouldn’t the colour naturally come from the crystal?
Here’s the surprising part:
natural crystal colour doesn’t survive the temperature during the making process.
Some of the colours we see in natural quartz are created by trace elements, inclusions or changes in its crystal structure. But intense heat can alter these colour.
So what happens when you want a bowl with a beautiful, vibrant colour?
You can introduce colour again.
Depending on the manufacturing process, this may involve colourants, mineral materials or other additives.
In other words, the colour you see is a colour deliberately created during the making of the instrument.
And honestly, I love this part.
Because once I understood this, I stopped thinking about colour as something that had to be “natural” to be meaningful. It became a design decision.
Blue can evoke calm and spaciousness. Green can bring associations with nature and grounding. Amber reminds me of gentle sunlight — warmth, vitality and energy.
These aren’t claims about what a colour does to you. They’re choices about what a colour invites you to feel or notice. As a designer, this gives me another dimension to work with.
Before you hear a bowl, you see it.
Colour is part of that first encounter.
It can create mood, rhythm, contrast and identity before the first sound is even played. I find that much more interesting than asking whether the color is “natural” or “not natural.”
To me, the interesting part is what we intentionally create. This is why I enjoy looking beyond the usual stories around crystal bowls.
The more I investigate, the more I discover.
And the more I discover, the more space there is for creativity, clarity and choice.
My mantra is: “Understand more. Assume less.”
Part 3 is coming soon.
And if you’d like to explore crystal bowls beyond the usual stories, join us for an in-person introductory session and experience the sound for yourself.
