FAQ

To Place an Order Online
Start from our homepage by going directly to http://www.cosanti.com (sometimes links from other websites and search engines do not give full functionality of our website.) Click a category from the column to the left to browse our catalog. Click on the item pictured or the "More info" button for a detailed description and larger picture. To select an item for purchase, click the corresponding ''Add to cart'' button. Continue adding items and updating them until you are done. You can get back to the shopping cart by clicking on the link at the bottom of the screen labeled "CHECK CART" at any time.

Is it safe to use my credit card?
Absolutely. We have taken every precaution to make your transactions secure. Our internet site is built on the MerchandiZer (tm) system which utilizes industry-standard security measures, including SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption. All account information submitted to us is safely isolated from unauthorized internet access.

Alternatively, if you prefer, we also offer you the option of printing your order so that you can either mail, fax, or call-in your order. Just follow through with the order process online using our website, but when you select a payment option, instead of choosing a credit card, select "Check by Mail" to print the order page using your printer -- then you can mail, fax, or call-in your order.

How can I pay for my order?
We accept Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. We also accept checks and money orders for purchases submitted by mail (see above). Purchases paid by check will usually not be processed until the funds have been verified. If you are sending a check, please make the check payable to: Cosanti Originals, Inc.

Do I have to pay sales tax?
Sales tax will apply to residents of Arizona or packages that will ship to Arizona. (If either the billing or shipping address is in Arizona, then Arizona sales tax applies.) All other US states and the rest of the world are exempt.

How much will my shipping charges be?
During the order process, you will be given a list of different shipping methods from which you can pick the one that suits you. The shipping charges (freight & handling/packing charges) will then be quoted on the next screen; you can use your browser's BACK button to reselect a different shipping service option. If you chose a UPS shipping method, then your shipping charges (freight & handling/packing charges) will be shown (otherwise you will be contacted prior to shipping as to what these additional applied charges will be). Shipping charges will apply to all orders even when such charges do not appear on your order form since the website does not calculate shipping charges for accessories. Except when ordering accessories, the shipping charges are estimated based on the estimated shipping weight(s) of the item(s) and the shipping zip code. In addition, shipping cost for ceramic items may be greater due to dimensional freight charges that are not automatically computed by UPS online. Your actual shipping charges will rarely exceed the price you have been quoted, but if they substantially exceed the estimate, you will be contacted before we proceed with your order.

Orders with international destinations may be shipped via one of several possible carriers depending on your needs and our preferences. Shipping charges will not be automatically computed on your order; however, you will be contacted as to the amount of those additionally applied charges prior to shipping.

How do I track my order?
Click on the link at the bottom of the screen labeled "Your Orders & Pending Shipments" and you will be able to view all your previous orders and track your pending shipments.

Can I have my order left at the recipient's doorstep without a signature?
No. To request that of the freight company (UPS) will waive their liability. They will often leave packages without signatures at doorsteps at their own discretion, and that is fine because that does not waive their liability if it is at their own doing. If this is a concern, we suggest you ship to an address where you know someone can sign for the package.

What if I need to return my order?
You may return an item in its original condition for a refund or credit within 30 days of receiving. Shipping charges can only be refunded if the return is due to our error. All returns must be accompanied by the cash register receipt. After a return has been received, it will take 1-2 weeks to process. If using a credit card, refunds will be credited to your account. If paying by check or money order, a refund check will be mailed to you. We suggest using UPS or insured Parcel Post for your protection.

What if you don't have all of the items in stock?
If an item you ordered is out of stock, it will be back-ordered automatically if item comes into stock within a week; otherwise, you will be contacted. For international orders, we will contact you to confirm the balance of your order.

Have questions we didn't answer?
If you have additional questions, please call our Customer Service Department at 1-800-752-3187, 9AM-5PM Monday-Friday Arizona time (if calling locally: 480-948-6145).
Here is the Clock in Arizona:
Also, we want to hear your thoughts and suggestions on how we can make our site more helpful for you. You can email us at email@cosanti.com.

Map of Cosanti Yes, you can visit both locations, Cosanti and Arcosanti, where the famous Soleri Windbells are made and sold. Both galleries offer spectacular displays of wind-bells and original Soleri sculptures, graphics and sketches, as well as the line of Cause Bells.

Cosanti is open for visitors 7 days a week: Mon.-Sat. 9AM-5PM & Sun. 11AM-5PM. (Closed major holidays.) Free admission.

Cosanti, Soleri Studios
6433 E. Doubletree Ranch Rd.
Paradise Valley, AZ 85253-1826
Telephone: 1-800-752-3187 (if calling locally: 480-948-6145) 9AM-5PM Monday-Friday Arizona time.

Located one mile west of Scottsdale Road on the south side of the street. Look for rustic sign that reads "Soleri, Visitors Welcome."
(Click here for a photo of the street and our sign at Cosanti.)

Click here to get directions to Cosanti using Google Maps.

Cosanti is a designated Arizona historic site, designed by world-renowned architectural innovator Paolo Soleri, featuring terraced landscaping with experimental earth-formed concrete structures. Hear the tones of bronze and ceramic wind-bells strikingly suspended amidst courtyards and visitor paths. View the dramatic bronze casting process weekday mornings here at Cosanti’s foundry.

Cosanti, located in Paradise Valley, AZ, is where world-renowned architectural innovator, Paolo Soleri established the Cosanti Foundation. Since 1956, Cosanti has been the headquarters for this nonprofit educational organization dedicated to architectural research. Cosanti is where Paolo Soleri also established his diverse line of bronze and ceramic Soleri Windbells which are famous around the world. Cosanti is the headquarters, foundry, studio, & gallery for Paolo Soleri Bronze & Ceramic Windbells & Sculptures.

Yes. Arcosanti is open to visitors 7 days a week: 9AM to 5PM. (Closed major holidays.) Tours from 10 to 4 ($10.00 donation per person suggested.)

Arcosanti
Interstate-17 to Exit 262 at Cordes Junction
Follow dirt road three miles north and east from junction.

Click here to get directions to Arcosanti using Google Maps.

For further information concerning tours, seminars, workshops, overnight accommodations, and music events, contact Arcosanti: 928-632-7135. Visit their website: www.arcosanti.org

Arcosanti is a project of the Cosanti foundation started in 1970 and is still under construction. Located 65 miles north of Phoenix near Cordes Junction, Arcosanti is a prototype arcology that when completed, will house 5,000 people by combining compact urban structures with large-scale solar greenhouses on 25 acres of a 4,000 acre preserve. Arcology is a term coined by Paolo Soleri to describe the concept of architecture and ecology working as one integral process to produce new urban habitats.

Arcosanti is a prototype urban design & community, featuring a visitor center, cafe, bakery, foundry, music amphitheatre, and gallery for Soleri windbells and sculptures.

Arcosanti is designed as a hyperdense city designed to maximize human interaction; maximize access to shared, cost-effective infrastructural services like water and sewage; minimize the use of energy, raw materials and land; reduce waste and environmental pollution; and allow interaction with the surrounding natural environment.

Since 1970, over 6000 students and professionals have come to Arcosanti to participate in seminars, conferences, and workshops conducted by Soleri and his staff. The Colly Soleri Music Centers offers a program of performing artists. Arcosanti, open daily, hosts 50,000 visitors annually.

Paolo Soleri, born in Torino, Italy, where he received his Doctorate in Architecture in 1946, has lived and worked in Arizona since 1956. He visited the United States in 1947 and spent a year and a half in fellowship with Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin West in Arizona, and at Taliesin in Spring Green, Wisconsin. During this time, he gained international recognition for a bridge design displayed at the Museum of Modern Art. Soleri returned to Italy in 1950 where he was commissioned to build a large ceramics factory, "Ceramica Artistica Solimene." The processes he became familiar with in the ceramics industry led to his award-winning designs of ceramic and bronze windbells and siltcast architectural structures. Soleri is known for architectural and structural originality, conceptual urban planning, authorship of many books, University lectures, and the workshops at Arcosanti: an Urban Laboratory in Arizona.

Arcosanti and its development is financially supported from revenues generated form the sales of bronze and ceramic Soleri Windbells, and signed Soleri sculptures, available at both locations, Cosanti and Arcosanti.

Thank you for your inquiry regarding your Soleri Windbell that is unfortunately not ringing to your expectations. There are a number of possible reasons for this:

First, I’ll suggest you inspect your bell for any potential mechanical deficiencies such as the bell possibly hanging askew to the point of where the clapper (internal bell component that strikes the bell) rides the inner side of the bell thus dampening the ring upon striking the bell. This could be caused by the copper wire loop (if applicable) directly on top of the bell component being bent to one side and thus not centered. The clapper should be able to hang and move freely within the bell. Also, check to see if the clapper was pushed inside the bell, possibly during transit, and thus leaving the clapper-supporting copper wire (if applicable) bent and thus resulting in the clapper hanging askew and too high within the bell. The fin or the wind-catching component that hangs from the clapper usually has three folds in it with two bent in one direction and the third fold in the opposite direction. Sometimes these folds are not angled enough, or in other words, the fin is too flat. If the folds are too exaggerated and thus the fin is too curled, the fin may need to be flattened slightly. The fin’s folds can be bent or manipulated by hand to increase or decrease their angle and thus improving its interaction with the wind. Please be advised that the fin’s points are very sharp and thus we recommend wearing gloves when handling or adjusting a fin. Additional chain links should not be added between the fin and the clapper as this will reduce the leverage the fin has to move the clapper.

If the bell checks out to be mechanically sound, then monitor its clapper/fin movement within its location during moments of wind. Around a home structure, the wind can be diverted in different directions, leaving dead or active spots of air turbulence. To find the optimum location for bell ring-ability can be a trial and error process as each location should be allowed at least a couple of weeks to prove itself. Except for certain sheltered locations, extending the bell down from its supporting hook is not conducive to improving the bell’s chances of ringing. Too long of an extension will cause the bell to swing like a pendulum, impeding the clapper’s ability to move independently, and thus resulting in a silent bell during adequate winds.

It is important to remember that the Soleri Windbell is not a wind chime. Wind chimes are purely mechanical and are often comprised of multiple sounding devices that are struck by a centrally located ultra light weight clapper that strikes typically one or more of six tubes with the slightest movement. The Soleri Windbell is typically comprised of one bronze bell, that is often irregularly and uniquely shaped, and one bronze clapper that is relatively heavy. This means Soleri Windbells do not ring easily. Soleri Windbells are works of art to be appreciated aesthetically as well as audibly. It is normal for a Soleri bell to not ring for weeks at a time and yet have moments when it rings like crazy! Some bell collector’s have stated they view their Soleri Windbell as a weather instrument that lets them know, due to winds substantial enough to ring their bell, a weather front is approaching.

Frequently Asked Questions