We had the good fortune of connecting with Payal, Kajal Vitha and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Payal, Kajal, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
We really wanted to simplify the process. When couples decide they’re ready for the next step in their relationship, it usually starts with an engagement ring. For many folks, this is the largest purchase they’ve ever invested in but don’t have a lot of knowledge about diamonds or jewelry! The idea for Sonu Company started with many of our friends reaching out for advice and it quickly pivoted to an engagement ring journey.

We both decided to become GIA certified diamond experts to offer the best guidance to our couples. Plus, we LOVED being apart of their story. Each couple is unique and we want to showcase that in their engagement ring/wedding rings.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Sonu Company wants to help every couple design a ring that is unique to them without breaking the bank. From selecting your main center stone to designing your ring, we offer a fully guided process to make these decisions. Our goal is to find the best fit for you and your partner and incorporate what is important to you. On top of the custom design feature, we want to do good for our planet! We encourage all of our couples to consider lab grown diamonds(which are real diamonds simply grown in a lab – think ice! Ice formed naturally and ice formed in your freezer are both real ice)

What sets us apart is definitely how hands on the two of us are. As the first step in our process: we take the time to get to know our clients but also educate them on how diamonds are graded and how that effects the cost of the stone, the difference between lab grown diamonds and mined diamonds, and the list goes on! To ensure you are receiving the best quality, each stone that we recommend is hand selected by one of us.

I wouldn’t say it was easy starting our own business but we are incredibly thankful for the support of our family/friends and our network! We quickly learned starting a business has many more components than just creating beautiful engagement rings and that was the most challenging part.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We are such foodies and growing up in Southern California, we are surrounded by some of the most diverse food options! If our bestie was coming to visit, here is what our time together would look like:

We’d have to start our week at beach with a quick morning stroll in Newport Beach followed by an açaí bowl from Banzai Bowls or Blue Bowl – both our favorites. Followed by some shopping at South Coast Plaza! South Coast Plaza has everything from designer stores to classic retail chains. Din Tai Fung for lunch is a MUST. They let you get on the waitlist while you shop so definitely plan to do that first!

You can’t visit us without a trip to Disneyland & California Adventure! This is a whole day affair, sometimes even two days – here is our list of Disney musts: Cars land, Indiana Jones, Churro of course, Dole whip, Guardians of the Galaxy and lastly a quick workshop at Animation Academy.

Next stop would be Little India! Little India in Artesia is also where our family showroom is located along with different cuisines from all over India. Our personal favorites would India Restaurant for lunch – they have the best lunch buffet! We recommend the Butter Chicken, Garlic Naan and Veggie Pakoras. For dinner, we highly recommend Julios Pizza, a pizza restaurant with some Indian influence. Indian Masala Chicken Wings (or Indian Masala Stuffed Mushrooms for my veggies!) with a thin crust pizza and tall Mango Cart.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Our shoutout has to go to our parents! My dad, for one, has been in the jewelry industry for over 30 years – he opened Vitha Jewelers- Los Angeles location in 1991 at 26. Fun fact: our parents actually met through the store, our mom was one of his first employees! Together, they built the Vitha brand and now are widely recognized in the South Asian community. Our family store is a part of our story – we both grew up working part time at the showroom from a young age. As we entered our mid-20’s, many of our friends came to us looking for advice on everything engagement rings and that’s how Sonu Company was born!

Website: sonucompany.com

Instagram: instagram.com/sonu.company

Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/sonu.company

Image Credits
Wu-Studios.com – Stanley Wu Photography White Sparrow Weddings Shefali Parekh Photography Maelani Garcia

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