If you're in the DC area and have a book in need of repair, or a paperback notebook that's falling…read moreapart but you want to preserve, Gruver Company is the place you want to go! Jeff does incredible work, and is wonderful to work with!

I had a book rebound, in leather, as a gift for a friend. The work was terrific. While good work is…read moreexpensive, I would go back here if I needed other binding work

I brought a much loved and much worn copy of The Wizard of Oz to Potomac Bookbinding and am amazed…read moreat the quality of work and the care that Rudy put into the restoration. Pages were loose and had to be completely re-sewn. Front and back covers had to be replaced; he was able to salvage the cover illustrations and apply them to new covers. The spine had to be replaced, and the new spine harmonizes beautifully with the cover illustratons. Lettering on the front was damaged by tape, and he redid the lettering so perfectly you can't tell where he original leaves off and the new lettering begins. Outstanding craftsmanship. I can't wait for my grandchildren to enjoy this book as I did as a child and when my children were young. Many thanks.

I met with the bookbinder a few weeks ago, he was kind and seemed knowledgeable. I needed an old…read morebible resorted and he did a find job. I strongly recommend Rudy and his team.

A truly divine shopping experience…read more Michael and Beverly are truly some of the kindest, most genuine people I've ever encountered anywhere and I'm so grateful that I found them and their lovely jewelry store. I'm not a big fan of commercial jewelers. I prefer the personal touch that comes with having a family jeweler... a small business that takes the time to get to know you, get to know your preferences, and tailors recommendations to your specific wants and needs. People who stand behind their work, care about their craftsmanship, and do what it takes to get and keep your business. About 2 months ago my favorite strand of pearls broke unexpectedly. For those same 2 months I had been debating if I wanted to go back to my previous jeweler to get them fixed, even though it would be a considerable drive to get to his shop... and given some recent concerns about the quality of his work. Instead, I chose to look up jewelers in other areas that were a considerably shorter drive for me. I found Golden Scripts and was delighted to see how highly rated they were on both Google and Yelp, so I gave them a call and asked if they restrung pearls. Michael was very polite as he informed me that they did, and I told him I would be by later that afternoon. I went straight from work to the jewelry store and made it before they closed. Beverly greeted me at the door and somehow she knew I was the person that called earlier that day. She said she that they were waiting for me and were hoping I would make it in time. As Beverly collected my broken strand of pearls, Michael noticed my sorority letters and showed me some of the custom pieces he created for members of my organization. He also informed me that the store was having an end-of-summer sale and that many of the pieces in the store (including gold, diamonds and other precious stones) were being sold at deep discounts to make way for new fall and winter pieces. I didn't even know people had seasonal jewelry, so they definitely put me on to something. Lol! I took a look around the shop and noticed piece after gorgeous piece.... Many of which were crafted by Michael himself. What really got my attention were the rubies he sold in THE richest shade of red I have ever seen. I shared with him that although ruby is my birthstone, I've never purchased one for myself because all of the rubies I've ever seen are different shades of dark pink, fruit punch, magenta, or colors of that nature but that I had never seen rubies of such a high quality and pure color red. He showed me a few more of the ruby pieces he created, but I found a particularly stunning ruby bracelet hidden in one of the cases. From the moment I put it on, I knew I had to have it. I purchased the bracelet, but noticed a small defect in one of the stones. I mentioned to Michael that I wanted to wear it to an upcoming sorority event that weekend. He took the bracelet, identified which stone had the flaw, and guaranteed me that he would have it back to me in time for my event. As I continued to shop, I noticed a diamond tennis bracelet with containing a set of some of the clearest diamonds I've ever seen assembled on a piece of jewelry. The design was simplistic but elegant and (bonus!) the stones were set in a way that kept the prongs from snagging the wearer's clothing. I tried on a few other bracelets that had more complex and interesting designs and noticed that they too were crafted to not snag the wearers clothes. I really appreciate that level of detail because there's nothing worse than having a beloved piece of jewelry that is an ever-present detriment to your wardrobe. Beautifully and skillfully crafted jewelry aside, it was really the shopping environment that made this such a great experience for me. I was allowed to shop freely, not followed or watched suspiciously, and I didn't feel pressured to buy anything. I learned later that in addition to owning this shop, the two shop owners also co-pastor a church together and you can really feel their witness by the kindness and courtesy that they display to their customers. This store in a gem (no pun intended) in the community and I'm so grateful that small businesses like this one still exist.

I'm so pleased with everything. My jewelry look brand new!!! The experience was absolutely…read morewonderful from the point of entry to exit.... My new jeweler for sure!!! Thanks a million!

Disappointed yesterday. My concerns about my heirloom ring repair gone wrong were met with…read moregaslighting, arrogance, defensiveness and condescension from the owner and more than a tinge of hostility from the jeweler repair man. The implication that they did me big favor in repairing my heirloom ring when in fact they got the sizing completely wrong having measured and sized me at a 9 and 1/4 at drop off and the jewelry repair man ignored everything and gave me a size 10 ring at pick up!!. I was gracious despite the error and waited patiently (time is money ) while it was resized again not knowing the smoothe new shank being resized would leave me with CLEARLY visible bumps and bruises. Instead of helpful and remorseful the jewelry repair man was immediately argumentative and despite efforts to quell the tension I was continually met with claims by the owner she couldn't even see the OBVIOUS DIVOTS and lack of smootheness with her magnifying glass. (TOTAL GASLIGHT My clever college age daughter aptly summarized in the car on the way home.) Dripping with condescension the owner reminded me that it was a 100 year old ring (70 years actually and what does that have to do with clear visible marks on a BRAND NEW shank?) Why did your guy not size the ring correctly the first time? I said none of this by the way. I was polite and merely tried to show them the imperfections that resulted from the (SECOND) repair caused by their sizing error! The owner also reminded me she mixed in the old gold from the original ring with the new gold ( umm so? We discussed this in advance ??) and.she reminded that 14 karat gold had been added to the lesser quality 10k Gold of the original Ring .Uhhhh again Sooooo? Again, these are all the details we discussed for the contract to resize and repair the original ring. So how does this address my issue of holes and lack of smootheness in the ring after Brandt's employee got my ring size completely wrong, dand then the REPAIR TO THE REPAIR caused lasting damage? I didn't come in there angry. I came in there just to discuss the matter and show them the issues hoping they would say " oh we are SORRY and lets just smoothe them out for you. " I lost out on a brand new shiny shank (and some gold). So exactly how is this my fault? No we're so sorry let's take a look and see what we can do? Nope. ZERO ACCOUNTABILITY. !!! This is the part where I contact my credit card company to reverse the charge. BUT NO I wont. Just maybe me not reversing the charge will save the next customer the trouble and the condescending owner will make jewelry repairman read the directions and do his job. I wont.let them blame me for seeking a freebie instead. Nope I won't give them that to fall back on. The owner's arrogance and condenscion are not going to change. I know her type so I defintely can't make it about the money. It won't penetrate. I can afford it. I concluded the debacle like a school teacher to a child who did something naughty. I had to articulate it for her to get the owner to admit the imperfections (divots and rough edges) happened as a part of the 2nd resize. "It wont compromise the ring I said, will it?" No she said and off she departed to the back office. How embarrassing. I didn't leave tail between my legs. She did. It was pathetic. She didn't even know I played her to get her to admit. My Ivy league Masters degree in mental health helped me manage her bad behavior in the face of which my daughter witnessed me conduct myself with decorum, and respect despite not receiving the same in return. Look at the ring in the pic. What would you do? I am out 200 dollars . Also, I am out time (which is money) waiting for resize when it wasn't done correctly. ZERO ACCOUNTABILITY CF.Brandt. ! Suffice it to say I won't be revisiting CF Brandt Jewelers again. I suggest you stay away as well.

They had a 14kt YG Figaro chain listed on ebay when I called in to inquire size wt specifications…read moreIt wasnt the accurate size.. when I ask if it was real gold? I get a text message back saying It's real gold. If you don't want to purchase that's fine. It'll sell here in my store for over $2000. When I tried calling in she picked up and left it unanswered when I called again some one else answered and I left a message. I never got a call back Michelle is or was her name my next question is it wrong for me to ask questions? She later changed the size on ebay 9.5mm to 9.0mm

The best jeweler I have been to in quite sometime. I visited M&S after my grandmother passed this…read moreJuly. She left some jewelry to me & my sisters & my uncle felt it should belong to him. For this reason I visited M&S to see if; one, they could make a duplicate & two, if it would be cost effective. I met Nasir & asked him if he would clean the pieces for me. Nasir was so informative, inviting & entertaining that I knew this would not be my last visit. After he cleaned my jewelry we spoke in detail about it how replicating the jewelry would be cost effective for both of us. Seeing that the pieces were heavily detailed. Nasir was so accommodating I decided he would be my jeweler going forward. Fast forward to yesterday evening. I pulled up to M&S at the very last minute in need of a birthday gift for very dear friend & Mohamed was pulling down the gate to close. I told him in my kindest voice that rushed over to pick out a very important gift. Being the sweet older gentleman he is. He unlocked the doors & let me in. He pulled out 6 different trays of gold chains understanding that I was looking for the perfect one. I kept Mohamed there for 30mins after closing time tryna to decide between two beautiful gold chains. Mohamed gave his opinion when asked & I am so grateful I had the opportunity to work with him. Me & my friend agreed that it was the absolute perfect gift for his birthday. And I wouldn't have gotten 20.8 grams of 10kt Gold without Mohamed's amazing guidance. Mohamed is seasoned in the jewelry business & working with someone like him makes you feel safe & never taken advantage of. Thank you, again Gentlemen so much!!! I will be seeing you soon.

Excellent customer service. Bought in several repairs. There very quick straight to business and…read morevery understanding to all my jewelry needs. There prices were alot lower compared to everyone else's in the region. While I was waiting, I had decided to purchase this beautiful chain for a excellent deal.

I highly recommend Venesa for any bookbinding work. I brought in three books to be bound, and…read morealthough the original completion estimate was two weeks, she finished them in just one. The quality of her work is exceptional--professional, precise, and beautifully done. Not only did she complete the project earlier than expected, but her pricing was very reasonable, and her professionalism stood out from start to finish. I couldn't be more pleased with the entire experience. If you need any bookbinding services, Venesa is absolutely the person to trust.

Never called back. Friend's Bible looked good but obviously no longer need business.read more

Had my LeVian chocolate diamond pendant appraised for insurance by Liberty, and I can honestly…read moresay--I've never seen someone balance expertise and chill quite like she does. The whole process was smooth, informative, and actually kind of fun? Liberty knows her stuff, but she doesn't talk over your head. She walked me through the appraisal clearly, broke down the value for coverage, and even pointed out a few design details I hadn't noticed before. That pendant's been with me a while--it was nice to see it through fresh (and very trained) eyes. What really stood out? You don't have to leave your jewelry behind. You sit with her, she does the work right there, and you walk out with everything you came in with--plus the peace of mind. If you're looking for someone who's sharp, fair, and completely on top of her game, she's the one. No fluff, no pressure, just real professionalism with a grounded vibe. 10/10 would trust her with my sparkles again.

I hired Samantha from Painted Palettes to hand letter mini pumpkins for a fall themed event and it…read morewas THE HIT FROM THE PARTY (even three months later, in the dead of winter my personalized pumpkin is still going strong and it's so beautiful I do not have the heart to throw it away). Samantha was easy to work with from start to finish and was able to stay professional despite the long lines at the party (I mean, how could you not want something so beautiful as a keepsake?). I could picture using her for corporate events, bridal showers, baby showers and any other celebration that could you a personalized twist. She can write on any material and even engraves on glass! I have not had the chance to check out her Intro to Hand Lettering classes yet but for now, I'll leave it to the pros. Painted Palettes is simply the best!

I first saw and met Samantha from Painted Palettes at a Yelp Elite event back in 2018. Then I…read morestarted following her work on Instagram (@painted_palettes). A couple months ago, my friend Kim and I took an Intro to Hand Lettering class with Samantha at Steadfast Supply in DC. Oh that rush hour traffic and $20 parking was sooo worth it! Turns out, Samantha used to be a teacher, and it shows in the way she articulates the class. It was easy to follow her instructions, and she was very hands-on with showing examples. Plus we got a pretty decent set of tools and goodies to take home with us! Since, I've purchased some of her watercolor artwork to hang at home. I am such a fan! The artwork can be found on her website or in various shops in the area. And her classes are actually affordable! Next I want to take her Pointed Pen class!