When you think about diamonds, you probably think about something unattainable and unsustainable. Don’t you? Payal and Kajal Vitha, two sisters from India, took the opposite direction with the creation of their own brand. Sonu Company creates the perfect ring for every occasion, it takes care of customer needs, empathizes with them and brings to life unique pieces that will accompany every important step in a couple's life. We have chatted with them to find out the importance of selecting the right center stone and how the perfect engagement ring is designed. Their secret? Continue to read to learn it.

Jewelry industry is built around legacies. Why did you start your own Jewelry company? How was perceived by your audience?

For most couples, the engagement ring is the first big purchase they invest in, but they don't have much knowledge about diamonds or fine jewelry. The idea for Sonu Company came about because of our community: having a family in the jewelry business, many of our friends/family members would come to us (and our family business, Vitha Jewelers & Fashions) for advice on how to buy a diamond, what lab-grown diamonds are versus mined diamonds, how the 4Cs affect the cost etc. We started working with our parents, but quickly realized we were truly in love with helping our couples create something unique for their story. We decided to take the leap and offer a service that emphasized education, sustainability, and transparency. At Sonu Company, we want to help our clients create jewelry tailored to each chapter of their lives. Our audience appreciates that when they turn to Sonu they are talking to a real person. We (Payal and Kajal) are both involved in the process, from the initial discovery phone call to the final delivery of the ring.  To ensure that our couples receive the best quality, each stone we recommend is hand-selected by one of us. We get to know our clients on a personal level and establish a relationship of trust with them, and we wouldn't have it any other way.

How did you come to start a jewelry brand together? What is your story?

As you know, we’re sisters but we also come from a long line of jewelers! Our grandpa opened his first jewelry store in Chicago back in the early 70’s and the tradition carried on with my dad and his brothers. Vitha Jewelers is a household name across the United States for 22kt Gold and Diamond Indian Jewelry. Growing up in a family business, you quickly learn how hands-on each day is. We spent many summers and Diwali seasons working in our parents' store! While Vitha Jewelers caters primarily to a South Asian clients, we wanted Sonu Company to bring our knowledge and love of custom jewelry to a much wider audience. Custom engagement rings remain our main process, but now we have expanded our offerings to include custom jewelry (wedding jewelry, anniversary gifts or something beautiful to keep for a lifetime) and a ready-to-wear collection. As GIA-certified diamond experts, our goal is to bring a high level of expertise and experience to the process of creating custom jewelry.

Can you explain to our community how the design process work and what does it mean to create a personalized engagement ring?  

This is the funniest part! Whether you are based in Los Angeles or working with our team virtually, we ask you to try out all the different stone styles and shapes or create a Pinterest board (or a saved album on Instagram, or anywhere else you find inspiration) to share with us before our ring design call. When we visit the inspiration images, we try to highlight 3-4 key features that drew the couple to each model. Once we have a good idea of the vision, we work with our team to create a realistic CAD image of your design. Our couples love it! They are able to see their ring design from multiple angles before production and can make changes directly to the design, with no surprises for the client!

The brand emphasize sustainability a lot; what does it mean to be sustainable in the world of luxury jewelry today?

Sustainability is such an important factor in the world of luxury jewelry, especially diamonds. While at Sonu Company, we primarily work with lab grown diamonds for their ethical and sustainable backgrounds, we are very selective when it comes to our mined diamond selection. We do not support unethical mining practices or blood diamonds and all stones are vetted through the Kimberley process.

Which advice do you feel like giving to the younger generation who are trying to pursue their dreams? In your opinion, is it still possible to create something of your own that is successful in this industry?

Absolutely! Taking the first step is always scary but if you have a vision and you’re willing to give 100% while continuing to learn and improve yourself as an entrepreneur, I totally think it’s possible. Something we both remind ourselves daily is ‘You get 0% of the things you don’t ask/work for’. Believe in yourself, keep going, and don’t be afraid to network and ask for advice!