About Us

Sonkai is a family business, owned by goldsmith Craig Snape and partner Sara Sweet.

The name comes from the Romany word for gold and the ‘target’ style logo is the symbol for gold in alchemy.

Craig was born and grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa, becoming an apprentice goldsmith after leaving school. He qualified after just two years into a four year course, winning the Apprentice of the Year award along the way.

Sonkai opened in April 2006 and has been making a growing number of customers happy ever since with the direct service provided – any alterations, repairs, restorations and handmade commissions are all carried out on the premises by Craig himself.

After five years in business the team has now grown to include three very lovely and knowledgeable ladies; Jane, Katie and Louise.

Sonkai Ethics

We strive to be open, honest and approachable. 

You will not walk in to find a wall of suits staring at you from behind Sonkai’s counter and we will do our utmost to make you feel welcome and relaxed.

We understand that choosing the right piece of jewellery to be cherished and loved for many years can be a daunting task and we are here to help.

We pride ourselves in the quality of our work and service to our customers.

As there are too few hours in the day to fill the shop with our own designs, we look to only offer genuine hand-finished jewellery from other designers who share the same passion for their work.

You will see that nearly all the other designers we stock also offer a bespoke service for their pieces, proving that these are genuine handmade pieces.