The sound is really beautiful. It's very soothing. I've had it on display for a long time, so there aren't any noticeable scratches or stains. I thought there might be some dust, so I tried polishing it, but I didn't see much of a change, so the color is as shown in the photos. It's handmade, and as a bonus, I'll include the lace-knitted bell coaster in the fifth photo.