A Restoration Story: Tea for Two
One of my favorite parts of what we do is that we get to bring sentimental objects back to their original life, to be used for future generations with the same care and love that brought these items to us for restoration. For a particularly wonderful client, we recently polished up two fabulous family tea sets which turned out a-m-a-z-i-n-g. Read on to see what a difference some time behind our polishing wheel can make!
First, I have to share that the client in reference is a particularly dear customer who has graced our little shop for many years. He is an avid silver fan and deeply appreciates our work, but more than that he’s a lovely, generous person who clearly cares about the important people in his life. Just, a treasure. So, I was thrilled when he walked into our shop carrying a large cardboard box. He mentioned he had another few in his car, so I ventured into the light rain to help him carry them in. They were cumbersome, but not amazingly heavy. What could be inside?
Our client sat down and sheepishly explained that he had brought us two tea sets that were in rather poor shape due to them being boxed away for too many years. He had decided to give one set to an extended family member and keep the other for himself, but he needed them to be brought back to their appropriate luster. Once silver gets this tarnished, it’s very difficult to hand-polish them back to a proper sheen. While our client actually loves hand-polishing his own collection, he knew this was out of his league. So, we got to work.
It took us just a few weeks to polish up both tea sets and as you can see, the results are amazing. I couldn’t believe my eyes when our polisher Stevie first brought them out to be wrapped up. Were these really the same tea sets?! I knew our client would be thrilled with the result, and so relieved that his gift for his dear family member had turned out so well.
We have gotten to know many of our clients quite well over the years by carefully restoring treasured family heirlooms that otherwise would have been tossed for scrap. It’s a wonderful feeling to know that we helped put together a truly meaningful, one-of-a-kind gift that the recipient will treasure for a lifetime. We’re always happy to walk you through the process so that you feel comfortable along the way. Set up an appointment or stop by to see what we can do for you!
- About the company
Alexandria & Company is an Old Town-based workshop and design studio specializing in creating and restoring fine jewelry and silver hollowware. They are the in-the-know jewelers of Alexandria and have been serving clients out of their small workshop for decades. Tucked in their historic building on South Royal Street, the team at Alx&Co. brings a personalized, modern approach to their craft – this is not your average stodgy jeweler or antique shop. Visit them during their walk-in hours or online to view their collection of handmade fine jewelry or to drop off a repair project; or, if you’re feeling creative, make an appointment to talk about that custom design project you’ve been imagining.
inquiries@alxandcompany.com | alxandcompany.com
121-B South Royal Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
703.548.0659
Design Studio Walk-In Hours (all jewelry services): Wednesday – Saturday 12-6pm
Silver Workshop Walk-In Hours (all silver repair and restoration services): Wednesday or Friday 12-6pm, or by appointment
Appointments encouraged for custom design.
