Ramon and Sonam Sachdev on the timeless beauty of jewellery

Ramon: My family has been in the jewellery business since the 1980s, and I have grown up in an environment surrounded by jewellery. I spent my years watching jewellery being produced, processed, and packed. I joined the business in 2012 and slowly worked my way through all the manufacturing obstacles that are part of a business that is so detail-oriented.

Sonam: I was a kindergarten art teacher. As an art teacher, you are constantly expressing various forms of creativity through different media, sometimes paper, sometimes paint, sometimes clay, and passing on that knowledge to children.

Ramon: After we had our children, Sonam decided she wanted to work in the jewellery business as well, but to have an idea that was entirely our own. This is where the idea of curating ENVIE Jewellery came from. We formed a team where I manufacture the products for her, and she does the selling on a business-to-consumer level. For me, this was the natural continuation of the family business. At ENVIE, we bring an artist’s creativity and a manufacturer’s precision to create affordable, daily wear jewellery in 14K–18K gold with natural diamonds and gemstones.

Sonam: It didn’t feel like work! It was the perfect example of having fun while working. We got good feedback, made some new clients, and showcased our products. We had a lot of people who had come by our booth who did not know we even existed. They had seen our video on Masala’s Instagram page which we felt was good exposure. The entire weekend was busy and full of creative energy!

Sonam: I wanted to produce really beautiful jewellery. I always had a bit of a creative streak. I would love to sketch, experiment with colours and textures. What began as a love for art and design soon led me to jewellery. The idea that a single piece of jewellery could tell stories, hold memories, or express unspoken longings was magical. It felt only natural to expand and integrate into the family business.

Ramon: Over the years, a lot of people have started to come to me and ask, ‘Can I get something from you as a gift?’ ‘Can you make something for me?’ After all these requests, it made sense to create a brand that catered to all age groups. At ENVIE, we have some really cute pieces for little girls and pieces that are elegant and understated, suited for someone in their golden years.

Ramon: Creating jewellery can actually be quite an arduous process to get to the end product. We start at the very bottom. This is where we create initial sketches and designs of jewellery pieces; then, we will make a prototype, bringing the design to life. If the design successfully moves onto a prototype that we think looks good, we will select the stones that are suited to each design. Then, we produce the final piece. Still, the process isn’t complete. We still tweak the final piece if we don’t like it before putting it on the market. I would say the entire process takes about a month and a half, approximately four to six weeks. If anyone wants a custom design, this is often the timeframe we would quote to them.

Sonam: I spend most of the day at our newly opened, brick-and-mortar store at the Marriott Executive Apartments (Sukhumvit 24). My main role is to work on expanding and growing the brand. Therefore, I am in charge of all the marketing and planning.

Ramon: I’m in my factory, usually the entire day. From morning until evening, I do everything, ranging from talking to clients to inspecting designs, to checking on raw materials, and addressing obstacles in production.

Ramon: Natural diamonds have their own sparkle and value. For example, a pair of earrings with five pieces of lab-grown diamonds differs greatly from a pair of earrings with five pieces of natural diamonds. The former’s diamonds are “grown” in a factory under the exact same conditions. This results in every diamond looking exactly the same when worn. The latter, natural diamonds, are compressed under the surface of the earth for thousands of years. Not a single piece on that earring would look exactly the same. Even to the naked eye, one diamond might have a little more shine than another. These small discrepancies add personality to jewellery. Additionally, the price of lab-grown diamonds is now decreasing by the day. The value of natural diamonds remains steadfast, but as always, the consumer has the final say. Both these styles of diamonds have the same purpose, but one spells out precision and the other spells out mass production.

We take a lot of pleasure in working together. We often, after work, go out for a drink or a meal, and we discuss how the day went. Once we are home with the kids, we try our best to avoid that topic of conversation and try not to bring work to family occasions. In the evenings, we take the kids out to a café, sometimes for ice cream. Life with children can be quite rehearsed and so, most of our plans are spontaneous and made on the spot. In such moments, we are swept up in the togetherness of family and keep work far from our minds.

We wanted something that did not involve our names or our children’s names. “ENVIE” pronounced on-vee, means “to desire” in French. That is the message we want to send to our customers: jewellery that is always desired!

Sonam: There are a lot, actually. I like my engagement ring best. It was the first piece of diamond jewellery that Ramon produced. In a way, it was the spiritual start of ENVIE jewellery. Our favourites are the huggies: the small hoops and plain hoops with diamonds.

Always earrings. There are earrings for every occasion. You can give a solitaire to someone hosting their 50th anniversary or a small pair of huggies to someone on their birthday. You can gift a designer ear stud to someone for their graduation. Earrings are the most appreciated as gifts by women from all walks of life. Of course, I’m a little biased because we produce earrings more than anything else. [Chuckles]

Sonam: A lot of people are veering towards a chunkier look. Cocktail rings glittering with gemstones; more diamonds for a brighter sparkle.

Ramon: I am very focused on fine jewellery and small jewellery. I’m hoping for that trend to catch on with all demographics.

Plenty. We want to grow bigger. We want to become better and cater to a wider range of consumers within the larger Bangkok community.

Ramon: Jewellery is a very detailed product. If you ever want to get into this industry or create your brand, be sure to start from the bottom up. You cannot jump into any venture with your eyes closed; always hammer out the details down to the fine print first.