Etsy Seller Interview with Sonja of SonneSieben

How SonneSieben got started

Introduce your Etsy shop and tell us your story. How did you begin and decide on what to sell on Etsy, and how do you create your products?

My name is Sonja Benedix, and I am the founder of the Etsy shop SONNE SIEBEN. I design gold and silver jewellery and make it by hand in my home workshop. I would like to offer my customers the opportunity to purchase very unique, personal jewellery tailored to their needs with individualization.

Jewellery has been my passion for as long as I can remember. Even as a child, I saved my pocket money to buy jewellery at the flea market. I also love handicrafts of all kinds and began designing and making my first pieces of jewellery myself at an early age with my initially limited resources. My godmother still has jewellery that I made for her as a child. It fills me with great joy and satisfaction when I can create something beautiful with my own hands.

I initially started selling on online platforms in 2013 because I had two small children and was looking for a way to do my job and still have enough time for my children. By working from home and because I can organise my working hours quite flexibly, I was able to balance work and children. I am very happy that this is possible through selling online on Etsy, where I have been since 2018. This is an opportunity that hasn't existed for long for self-employed mothers.

It was clear to me from the start that I wanted to offer handmade, real gold and silver jewellery that stood out from the mass of industrially produced welry. I love clear, delicate designs that are as timeless as possible and delicately underline the personality of the person wearing them. My heart's desire is also to create pieces of jewellery that can be more than jewellery through personalisations such as initials or small dedications. They are mementos, tokens of love, or special gifts to people we care about and can mean something different to each customer.

When making them, I attach great importance to making as much as possible by hand and from scratch. There is a lot of pure handwork in every piece of jewellery—many individual steps that turn a piece of gold sheet or wire into a pendant, ring, or pair of earrings. It is important to me to use high-quality material that comes from responsible sources.

Last but not least, it is very important to me to offer good service with reliable communication. I think it's very important to be polite and courteous to one another, and I'm very happy that the tone on Etsy is so friendly.

Favorite items

What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?

My favourite pieces are the delicate ring with a dot, onto which a letter can be stamped, and the matching pendant. Both represent what I want to achieve with my shop: delicate design with a personal touch in real gold, handmade at affordable prices. When customising, I work with metal stamps, which I individually hammer into the gold by hand. I chose this instead of the classic engraving because I find it modern and playful, and it looks particularly handmade to me. I am very pleased that these articles are well received by my customers, as it confirms that there are many other people who feel the same way as I do. I am often surprised at how many different occasions are immortalised with my jewellery, and I find it exciting how creative my customers get.

In addition, both the ring and the pendant can be combined wonderfully, and you can put together your own individual set.

I think rose gold is particularly beautiful. Unfortunately, there is still a fairly small selection of jewellery in this gold tone, and I try to offer as many items as possible in rose gold. An example of this is the square ring.

Getting sales on Etsy

How long did it take for you to earn your first sale and how do you currently attract customers to your Etsy shop?

It didn't take me very long to sell my first pieces of jewelry. I now also have a large base of lovely regular customers who always find something in my shop. I use Etsy ads so that new customers can also find my items.

Managing SonneSieben

How do you manage your shop? Are you running solo or do you have any team members? What tools or services do you use to run your shop and how do you handle fulfillment?

I work alone at the workbench. Every piece of jewelry that leaves my workshop has been personally made by me. My husband supports me with accounting and IT issues, and he also set up my own homepage.

The future of SonneSieben 

What goals do you have for your shop in the future?

When my children are older, I would like to revamp my shop a bit. It would be particularly important to me that I attend a photography course and finally take the photos that I imagine. I also have many ideas for new designs that I would like to gradually realise.

Advice for new sellers

What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?

If you want to start a shop on Etsy, I advise you to ensure that your products are of reliable quality and to communicate politely and courteously with your customers.