Fairfax Fine Jewelry Celebrates Ribbon-Cutting In Old Town Fairfax

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — City officials and business leaders gathered May 1 to mark the ribbon-cutting of Fairfax Fine Jewelry, a rebranded fine jewelry shop at 10409-A Main St. in Old Town Fairfax.

The event, held in the shop’s compact showroom, drew representatives from Fairfax City Economic Development and the Old Town Fairfax Business Association, along with Mayor Catherine Read.

Tara Borwey, assistant director for programs and retail strategy with Fairfax City Economic Development, opened the ceremony by thanking colleagues and attendees for supporting the small business and helping make the event possible.

Read said the shop adds a distinct kind of retailer to Old Town’s business mix, highlighting its focus on estate jewelry and redesign work.

“This is an exciting opening of a fine jewelry store, which is such a great addition to the store downtown area,” Read said

Read, who said her own wedding ring is an estate piece, pointed to the store’s practice of working with inherited or older jewelry that may be in drawers and out of regular use.

“You offer the opportunity for people to look through the things that they don’t wear and don’t even know what they are or what they’re valued at, and come in and have them evaluated and perhaps reimagined into something you’d actually wear,” she said.

Read also noted that the shop’s approach goes beyond traditional retail.

“This jewelry store is more than just a retail business here in our downtown,” she said. “It is a partnership to work with a jeweler who can help you reimagine things that you may already have”

Old Town Business Perspective

Tina Disch, executive director of the Old Town Fairfax Business Association, said the business has operated for years in Old Town and is now emphasizing its Fairfax Fine Jewelry branding.

Disch described the inventory as a mix of estate and newer pieces sourced from shows, and said customers often find one-of-a-kind items.

“This is not a typical jewelry store,” she said. “There are a lot of unique things, and it’s always fun, because there’s not 10 of the same thing. You’ve got one, and if you don’t grab it, somebody else might."

Disch said the shop’s presence adds to Old Town’s appeal for shoppers who visit multiple local businesses in a single trip.

Owner Cites Small Business Challenges, Local Impact

Owner T.J. Shea thanked attendees and recalled starting the business in 2011 in the same building. He credited landlords and property owners with making smaller retail spaces available to attract new businesses.

“It’s very hard for small businesses to get started, and having small retail spaces is the only reason we’re here today,” he said.

Shea also underscored the importance of customers spending money with city businesses, saying those dollars circulate locally. He noted that the shop buys estate jewelry from residents who use the proceeds for expenses ranging from tuition to medical bills.

“Please come down to downtown, shop with local shops, because that money stays in our community,” Shea said

Following remarks, organizers led a countdown as participants posed for photos and cut a ceremonial ribbon at the storefront.