Please bypass all the old, one-star reviews. This store was recently acquired by one (possibly more) new owner(s), who are courteous, helpful, and extremely competent. Please bring your items here for repair. Please visit this place for jewelry purchases. I've already had several experiences, all of them five-star. read more

I've been holding onto a cartouche I got in Turkey while serving in the U.S. Air Force during Desert Storm. It's a deeply meaningful piece, but the round part that holds the chain broke, leaving just a half-moon, sometime around 2015 or 2016. For years, I was hesitant to take it to a big-name jewelry store where I felt like they'd just try to sell me something new rather than actually repair what I had. One day, while walking back from Framebridge on King Street in Old Town, I happened to pass by Gold Works and saw a sign that said "Jewelry Repair." I stopped in, and David Martin greeted me with warmth and pride, he mentioned his shop had been there for 37 years. That alone gave me confidence. I showed him the piece and, even though I had no idea what was needed, he walked me through the options and quickly identified the best part for the repair. About a week later, I came back, and I was genuinely surprised by the result. The repair was flawless. You'd never know the piece was ever broken. It looks whole again, and I'll never take it off. Best of all, there was no surprise up charge, just excellent craftsmanship and honest service. his was the value I had hoped for. Mr. Martin truly works miracles. If you have something special you want restored with care and skill, this is the place. read more

I had a very disappointing experience at The Gold Works in Old Town. The first time we went, everything was fine, but this time the service was terrible. We explained clearly that we needed our ring done within two weeks since we are leaving town. At first, he told us it couldn't be done in that time frame, which was fine -- we said we'd probably go elsewhere. Then suddenly he changed his mind and insisted he could do it, but immediately after, he started saying he wasn't sure because it was a "very short timeframe." The way he handled it was extremely pushy and unprofessional. He actually raised his voice at us, saying he would have it done, and then kept pressuring us to just leave the ring with him so he could mail it back later. This is a very expensive and sentimental ring, and mailing it was way too much of a risk for us. Instead of listening to our concerns, he kept insisting: that we should leave it with him and he will mail it back. That behavior completely destroyed our trust. We ended up taking our business elsewhere because the service felt aggressive and dismissive. Very poor customer service -- we will not be returning, and I do not recommend this jeweler. read more

Unfortunately I have had a terrible experience. I brought two watches in to have batteries replaced - thinking I would just wait for them but they asked me to come back the following weekend. When I returned they could not find the watches. after several weeks they still can't locate my watches. I asked to be compensated for the replacement value and David agreed but he still has not paid me. He said he is in financial difficulty and is in the process of selling his home. Now he won't return my calls or emails. I don't believe I will ever be compensated for them losing my merchandise. Additionally, I also dropped off a necklace to be restrung. They did say this would take longer - but it's been over a month. I don't think I'll ever see that again either. DO NOT go to this jewelry if you care about your jewelry. you'll never see it again. read more

I live around the corner and was looking for a place to repair my emerald bracelet that had broken. I have seen GoldWorks 100 times walking by but never popped in. I checked it out on Yelp and the jewelry looked a little old for me so I wasn't sure. But I am so glad that I followed the excellent Yelp reviews because I won't Go anywhere else now!!! The jeweler is veryyyyy good and very fair. I had a gold bracelet from my deceased father that Boone and Sons had ruined/tarnished so badly and I never thought it would look good again but alas David made her better than new!! I now have my emerald bracelet and my bracelet from my father that I get to wear and enjoy everyday!! Lastly, David is great but the true stars of the show were Amy and her daughter!!!! They were soooo welcoming and friendly each time. Amy helped me pick a chain for my bracelet based on my needs and budget. They were incredible!!! Thank you!!! read more

Gold Works - Jewelry Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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My husband and I live just a few blocks from David's shop. This year, I was celebrating a milestone birthday and my husband wanted to create a new custom engagement ring for me. After having a negative experience at a Cartier...You know, THAT CARTIER... in Paris no less (I remain shocked to this day), my husband and I took our business to David. In the past, David had done some jewelry repairs for us. He was always prompt, always gave a fair price, and the work was always very high quality, but this was a custom commission of a whole different level. From a just a few drawings and pictures as reference, David was able to design and create a stunning custom setting for me. He was even able to deliver my ring by my birthday on a tight deadline! I am so grateful to David and his office staff. Amy and her daughter are just so warm and wonderful! The ring itself is truly stunning, the pictures just cannot do it justice. David took so much time and care, not only to make the ring that I wanted, but also to make the most aesthetically beautiful ring possible. He carefully balanced the proportions of the shank to the side diamonds and the center stone. That extreme attention to detail is so evident in the finished product. I simply will not go to any other jeweler. read more

Gold Works - Jewelry Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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David is a gifted artist; he took a bar-napkin sketch and created my wife's engagement ring: Infinity's Eye 6 years ago. We love the design and the quality of old-world workmanship. read more

Gold Works - Infinity's Eye - Jewelry Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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My second time using David, the first was not positive but I wanted to give it a second chance as his work is beautiful. First experience, he shouted at his assistant for taking my watch in for repair, saying "I'm a jeweller, I don't do f*cking watches". The watch he repaired was further damaged during the repair process. I went back to get my wife's necklace repaired, a simple break. I asked him to look at it and what the options were. David explained the options and said he could repair it or get a new chain. I asked which he would recommend and he said, "well I've given you the options, just decide already", he them slammed an order pad on the counter and told me to fill it in. I told him I didn't appreciate his attitude and would take my business elsewhere, he responded with "you know what, I don't give a sh*t." This store is not worth your time, numerous residents of Alexandria have similar stories and worse regarding him losing other customers engagement rings. read more

TLDR: Do not use this shop, owner was months late on the order, dishonest about the price when I came to pick it up (even with my receipt), and horribly rude to both me and his staff. I would have been completely gouged without my receipt! My first experience here was great. David fixed a ring that I had broken the stone on which had a lot of sentimental value. The price was the same as the quote and it was done within two weeks, as estimated, and looked great. He was a little rude to his staff members when I came to pick it up (you could tell they were embarrassed by his behavior), but I shrugged it off. I came back a second time to get a family heirloom reset for a family member as a birthday gift because I trusted David. He gave me an estimate of $200 and a timeframe of 3 weeks written down on a receipt. I called after 3 weeks because I hadn't heard anything and they said it wasn't ready yet and some orders were backlogged; they would call me when it was ready. Several MONTHS later I get a call it's ready for pick up. I popped in the next day to pick it up. David pulled out the receipt and had clearly written a different estimate on his version of the carbon copy for several hundred dollars more. He tried to charge me over double what I was quoted. When I questioned the price and noted the "est. $200" written in the corner of the original, he became irate and tried to tell me it really said "$300" and then told me, "It's an estimate! Estimate means it could be above or below that!" When I said that was much more than the original estimate, he then threw his hands up and said, "Well you figure it out then! Tell me what you want to pay!" I had to negotiate the price to get my family heirloom back, still much more than I was quoted ON MY RECEIPT. Really not sure if he was trying to be dishonest with me, or is just completely disorganized (the whole shop is run on paper and catalogs, no computer system), however this is NOT the way to run a business. I am all for shopping local and supporting small businesses, however I'm sure I can find other jewelers in Old Town who are a little more honest/organized and a lot less rude with their customers (and a little more respectful of their staff). If you still chose to use this business you MUST hold on to your receipt, make sure the estimate is written down, otherwise you could be way overcharged! read more

Yes, as other reviewers have indicated, this is a ratty hole-in-the-wall kind of place, unkempt, with only one misplaced chair for waiting customers. I saw one or two other spots where they could have placed an additional chair, but, no bother for the proprietor, it's not him doing the standing, waiting interminably for service. And yes, as others have commented, the proprietor is condescending and obnoxious. Manners that probably originated in Brooklyn, I speculate. I came in to conduct a respectable transaction, and was not treated with respect. In fact, I was treated like I was some kind of scammer. There was no reason to have any suspicions about the transaction, yet in the interactions I encountered sarcasm and smart talk from the proprietor. I went to a similar business nearby, and experienced none of this. It was the difference between night and day. Shun this dump. read more

I feel bad writing this, but I feel compelled to. The owner was sizing my fiance's emerald ring and broke one of the many emerald stones in it. Although he did replace the broken stone, he made us pay for it, which shouldn't have been our responsibility given it was his fault. He simply said, emeralds are soft stones and sometimes break. I know that if I'm responsible for breaking something, I'm also responsible for paying for it or replacing it, without charging anyone for my mistakes. Also, he reacted very defensively when we tried to address it. read more

Disappointed as I really wanted to get behind this local small business however they don't stand by their product. My husband had a family diamond turned into a pendant necklace and they put a clasp on it that was so small and delicate that it was utterly unusable. I brought it in upon receipt (within a few days of it being made there) and asked for a slightly larger clasp to be swapped in so that I could wear the piece and they charged me an additional price for the clasp and kept the old clasp. So essentially charged twice with no acknowledgement that it was their fault for presenting us with an unusable product the first time around. Man who works there is very rude too, unfortunately. Update: when I got the updated chain and clasp home and went to out the put the pendant back on it (lady at the store had insisted on separating them so they wouldn't be responsible for the diamond) I found out that the hook had been changed out and now you can't fit the pendant through because it's too big! So we paid twice and still have an unusable chain!! Giving up and going to order another one from Etsy. Total bust! read more

I had a wonderful experience at Gold Works, where David made a custom engagement ring for me using gold from a famiy ring. This was my first time having custom jewelry made, and David and his team were extremely friendly and willing to patiently explain the process to me. I felt from the beginning like David was very invested in trying to produce exactly the piece I wanted without trying to upsell me. The turnaround was quick, the price was fair, and the final product was beautiful - David is clearly very talented. I feel lucky I ended up here, and would highly recommend! read more

I bought a pair of earrings online from this shop and picked them up in the store since I live nearby. The earrings were gorgeous and more beautiful in person. Even more impressive was the customer service. This was my first purchase from this business, and they were very welcoming and helpful. They gave me some tips for how to care for the jewelry, and the owner also showed me some of the jewelry that he designed from the same stone type as my earrings. There's a genuine sense of care and pride in craftsmanship when coming to this store (and talking with the jewelers) that you definitely miss out on when shopping for things online. I look forward to purchasing more beautiful jewelry from them in the future. read more

My fiancé and I approached David to create custom wedding bands. After looking all over for a band that would complement my hexagonal engagement ring, we decided to do something custom. Our initial few meetings with him made us realize we really had no idea what we wanted. David patiently asked us questions which would lead us to designs that fit our personalities and styles. He was detail oriented and even created wax rings for us to try on and CAD images so I could see exactly how my ring would look 360*. After our approval, David ordered gems and gold and got to work! We love our rings! Thanks David and the Gold Works team! read more

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David is so knowledgeable about his craft, we were very happy with the resizing of my engagement & wedding ring. It was a complex job & it was completed beautifully & flawlessly. I also needed a new appraisal (after 17 yrs) & David put together a thorough & descriptive appraisal. I highly recommend David to anyone. I've seen the negative reviews here & just don't agree at all. We came here looking for an experienced Jeweler and we couldn't be happier with David's work. He is excellent. read more

What an excellent experience. The watch took about four weeks to repair, but came came out awesome. The lady who assisted me was just incredible. I enjoyed my visit to the shop, the price for repair was $116.00 which was very reasonable. The atmosphere was pleasant. I would encourage anyone who needs their timepiece repaired, come to this shop. And the nice lady who assisted me, A+++++++. Thank you very much! The owner David, ehhh. Not as pleasant on the phone. Strange for a store owner to treat his customers like that. If he was a bit more pleasant and customer service friendly, he might gather more business. But the accountant/retail lady was very nice. read more

I went in there the other day with a designer ring made by Paloma Picasso for Tiffany's. I was interested in possibly selling it and just had some questions about it. The owner and his employee were incredibly rude. I was told the was nothing special about the ring and said if he where to purchase it from me it would basically be nothing more than scrap and he would just throw away the stone and use the gold for something else. First of all I wasn't asking him to buy it, I was just looking for some advice and secondly it is actually a collector's item. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. It was small, dingy and smelled musty and the people working there were extremely rude and condescending. Overall I left there feeling upset and belittled. It was a terrible experience. read more

I had the worst retail and service experience of my entire life. I'm glad to read some equally negative reviews by customers who had similar experiences; at least I know that it "isn't me." When I visited this store, I had little doubt that the owner suffers from Borderline Personality Disorder or some other psychiatric problem. I had called in advance, to make an appointment, and the woman who answered the phone told me that appointments aren't necessary; just stop by. When I arrived, David Martin scolded me for showing up without an appointment. Then, he proceeded to treat me in a nasty, patronizing, and condescending manner. At one point, I told him that he's rude; one of his staff members made eye contact with me, nodded, and mouthed the words, "I know." It's really amazing that this disgruntled jerk gets a combination of 5-star reviews, from people who found him wonderful, and 1-star reviews, from people who had experiences just like my own. Bi-polar disorder? Who knows...I certainly don't, and I can't explain this bizarre behavior. All I know is that I will never set foot in that place again. read more

My wife and I have been using Gold Works for the last 4 years and love the place. David is very nice and very good at what he does. He designed a wonderful ring for my wife and we are more than happy with the results. The only thing I will tell people is David is very talented and some of the reviews on here are very incorrect. read more

My husband and I have used Goldworks twice. First, took my husband's wedding band to the store to be engraved before our wedding. It was an easy job, but they did it perfectly well and in time for the big day. More recently, my husband took my engagement ring in to the shop for repair. It is a family ring - very old - and I was worried about taking it in somewhere, but David did an absolutely fantastic job on the ring. I'd lost a stone, and while he replaced that one, he also made everything else secure and the ring looks better than it ever has. Because I didn't pick it up in person, I called the store to ask some questions I had, and I spoke to David himself. He was very helpful and courteous. This is a great local business that I am more than happy to support. read more

We got our engagement ring here in September 2018 and I'm sorry for just now putting up a review. Everyone at Gold Works is fantastic and really helpful in helping us find a ring that fit our budget and style. We will definitely be back for our bands! read more

Great Customer Service! Outstanding!!!! I walked in, a few doors down from my employer on King Street, inquired about fixing a gold baby link necklace. Not only did he not charge me, he fixed it while I waited. I will be back should I require ANY jewelry repair, simply for the welcoming atmosphere, customer service, great eye and quality work. There are still a few business' that delight in customer service, which goes a long way. Highly recommend. read more

David Martin has consistently made wonderful jewelry for us and always given us a fair deal. He is really a "hidden gem" in the Alexandria community and a trusted and talented jewelry maker. read more

Great service. Fair cost. Very patient with us as we had a complex request for wedding bands and engagement ring. Honest and trustworthy!! We recommend Gold Works to all our friends. read more

I guess it's my fault for not reading the other posts. What an obnoxious jerk. He was rude and unprofessional. He calls me three times to pick up my jewelry and when I get there tells me I should have called him first so he'd be ready. He waited on other people after I arrived, and told me I'd have to wait. When I said, I would come back, he replied, "well I hope I'm not busy then." I do not have a problem with his work, but surely there are better people to do business with than him. The rude manner in which he spoke with the woman that does his accounting should have been a tip-off. I should have run out of there. I had a ring resized - which was done fine - and some gold lever-backs put on a pair of earrings - again the work was fine - though I believe it is way overpriced. I also brought in gold jewelry that I no longer wear. He LOST or MISPLACED the gold. When it was time to weigh it, he brought out someone's gold but not mine LOL. The entire process was frustrating and time wasting. I picked this shop because it has a nice quaint appearance in Old Town. His window dressings were well done. DO NOT BE FOOLED. Keep walking to another jeweler. read more

I wrote this on Google but wanted the people of Yelp to know as well. The experience I had at Gold Works Inc. was one of the poorest customer experiences I have had in a long time. While I found the staff to be quite knowledgable (they do seem to know a great deal about jewelry), I also found them to be condescending to the point of contention. It was difficult to get even simple points across, their demeanor was so curt. To those younger customers who are looking for help, I recommend you go elsewhere. read more

Thank you David for recreating my long lost ring. From the start, I know I presented a difficult task as I had only but a memory of a non-traditional older ring and they worked with me from the beginning. It just so happened that at the last moment, I found the only picture with the ring and with a few changes, came out wonderfully. read more

I had bought a loose diamond from Zales and brought it in to David for a custom setting. David was able to provide be with a significantly larger diamond of higher quality and a cheaper price. My fiance and I have gone back to him to get our wedding bands done as well as some other pieces of jewelry. I prefer having the man who is creating my piece talking to me instead of a friendly yet know-nothing sales person. You get the expert's blunt opinion at Gold Works, and I for one appreciate that. Great for a young couple on a budget. The owner knows that the little fish become big fish later and is willing to work with you. read more

The skin under my wife's ring was irritated so we took the ring in to see about getting it iridium plated (which we heard was the solution). The owner of the store spent 30 minutes polishing the ring and when he was done, not only did the ring look beautiful, but it no longer irritated the skin. I would absolutely recommend going to the jeweler! read more

I love Goldworks. I have purchased multiple items from them and have always been extremely pleased.

Just picked up my custom made ring by David Martin at Goldworks. The ring is beautiful & unique, working with David has been an absolute pleasure he will be my jeweler for life. If you haven't picked up a mothers day gift this is the perfect place got mine some custom pearl earrings with Diamond accent that I know she is going to love! read more

Gold Works - Jewelry Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

I brought my Mom's emerald ring into Gold Works to be cleaned. Mr. Martin inspected the ring and determined that the emerald had become loose from the platinum setting. He did an expert repair job. Now, the ring looks brand new; exactly the same way it did when my Mom received the ring as a Christmas present from my Dad many years ago. read more

If I could give this zero stars, I would. I have NEVER been treated so badly in my life. When I walked in, David, the owner, was belittling the other jeweler, and did this repeatedly. It made me really uncomfortable and he seemed like a huge jerk. However, I really needed to get my jewelry seen about, so I waited until he was through demeaning his co-worker, hoping he would be nice to an actual customer. Then, he starts to "help" me, but in a very patronizing tone and just had the attitude that he was doing me a favor. He was patronizing, demeaning, and rude. I have never remained so calm and tried so hard to give someone my business! Finally, as I grew more and more uncomfortable about leaving my jewelry there because of his attitude, I said "you know what? i'm just going to get my stuff and maybe come back later." Then he gets all indignant, saying there's no need to do that, otherwise I just "wasted his time." Well, excuse me! For what? Spending 5 minutes to look at a potential customer's jewelry was a waste of time? I said, "yep, I'm just going to take my stuff now." At this point, he had put my jewels in one of those little plastic bags- and says, "this was a waste of time" and tosses (throws) the bag at me on the counter. Really, I have NEVER seen a "professional" businessman act like that. I don't know what his problem was. Rage-o-holic? Arrogant sociopath? I don't know, but no thanks, and STEER CLEAR, people. OMG!!!!!! read more

I did not have a good experience with Goldworks. I will try to give an unbiased review. I went to David with an idea for a custom ladies engagement ring. I had some drawings, which I sent him first. We talked, and I paid a deposit. He was a little disorganized, and I never got an invoice or anything but was told he was making a file for me and I'd get one (never did). But, I was comfortable enough to get started. A couple weeks later he showed me the stones he had ordered and started on the computer design. After a few weeks he sent me a 3D rendering. It did not look like what I wanted at all. Scale was way off - too thick and busy. We talked some more and agreed to simplify it and make it look feminine. He told me he was having one of his other designers do the computer work but understood . I gave him some allowance far as simplifying from the original. Several days went by and the next render was still way off. I told him it did not look like the design I came to him with. He told me he had taken my sketches and put them on the computer so that should be just what I wanted and the ring had to be so thick, etc. I said I really need him to lighten it up. He said ok, he could do some filigree and I was pressured to move forward with it. I told him if we were that far off from the original idea it probably wasn't going to work. I could not wait any longer because we were past the deadline I'd asked for. At this point I asked that he stop work on it and just settle up as needed. I was told that if he could ship back the stones he ordered, we could probably take my deposit to cover the rest. Later he sent me an email saying he returned the stones and gave the shipping charges, and that with the other work billed I still owed hundreds of dollars _on top_ of the deposit. I called to clarify since his this did not agree with his previous email. I was told that really I was lucky to not be charged more for the work - I was making a big mistake and he did not know how much time he had invested personally and his other designer had also put in $$$ of work. In the end I paid because I was pressured to do so. In retrospect I think it was not fair to ask for more than the deposit. I recognize I was not the easiest job that walked in the door, but the fact is that he did not provide a service to meet my needs. This review is not just about his charging practices. To me, the worst part is that he lost a customer that could have been given a nice introduction to custom jewelry, and who would have come back for wedding rings and other projects. Yet what we talked about and what I was shown never matched. I felt like my project was treated like an annoyance that I had to pay a penalty for. Maybe others will have better experiences. I can not go back there after mine. read more

Do NOT go to gold works in Alexandria. I brought him a beautiful opal I had purchased while traveling and he later claimed I never brought it in. When I showed him the claim ticket for the mounting where it listed the gem, he wrote a check. I would have rather had the gem, it had sentimental value due to the memory of the trip. read more

Brought a sapphire and tennis bracelet and matching cocktail ring in - I've had these for 20 years and never worn them - to see if David Martin would sell them in his case (70-30% split he explained). A month later, he still hadn't priced them, even though I went back in 3 times. Each time, Martin is patronizing, condescending, and rude. Agree with others here, this guy is just obnoxious. I will never go in that store again. read more

They did a great job resizing my ring. Gold works was the second jewelry store I stopped by that day. The first one told me it would take two to three weeks to resize my ring, as it'd likely have to be cut and have gold added to it. At Gold Works David, the man who owns the place, was very friendly and said they could get it done within a business day, even if they had to cut it and add gold. They did a great job and even polished it so it looks like new! Great customer service! read more

My perfect wedding ring!!! David is a true expert and artist. My engagement ring is an antique with which no prefabricated ring would fit. We worked with David designing a ring that would not just physically fit, but aesthetically fit with a ring nearing a century old. They look like they were made with each other! read more

As a small business owner myself, I always like to support other local small businesses. My experience with Gold Works was far from professional, and thus, I felt inclined to let other folks know. I took an old pair of diamond studs here to have reset for my 2 year old daughter. The woman quoted me $225, which I felt was high and others confirmed sounded high, but I had already left the earrings and committed to having them reset at Gold Works. The woman working there was very friendly, pleasant and helpful. Before picking up the earrings a diamond in one of my eternity bands snagged on a shelf in my kitchen and popped out. I JUST traded in my wedding band for this upgraded eternity band two months ago so it's quite new. I took the loose diamond and band in a plastic bag to be reset by Gold Works when I went to pick up the earrings I was having reset for my daughter. And older gentleman who seemed to be the main guy there, just dumped my plastic bag upside down while sitting at his desk and the diamond dropped out onto the floor, which then caused about a 15 minute session searching for it on the floor. Strike one. Why on earth would he not carefully take the loose diamond and band out of the bag over a velvet tray?! This seemed extremely unprofessional to me. He then proceeded to tell me the prongs on my 2 month old ring were worn and this is why the diamond fell out. Hm ok. At first he said he couldn't fix it because he couldn't guarantee it wouldn't happen again since the prongs on my ring were worn. But in a short period of time he changed his tune and said that they could reset the diamond, but just couldn't guarantee it would stay in. I agreed because I just wanted my ring fixed. He handed my ring to a gentleman behind him who began work on my ring, and then suddenly I heard a drilling noise. When I looked alarms, the woman asked why he was "working on my ring" and the guys resetting the diamond said the diamond was too big and didn't fit. So obviously now I'm concerned he's wearing down the gold in my ring. Another strike. Finally the diamond is fitted after about 5 minutes. This whole process felt like a nerve-wrecking unprofessional handling and sadly I will not be returning. read more