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Today's Cargo The iconic Today's Cargo jewelry store is a sparkling jewel beloved to Old Town Alexandria, VA. This vibrant, one-of-a-kind jewelry boutique founded in 1973 offers a dazzling array of 14K gold, diamond, pearl, and fashion jewelry. Although, what savvy shoppers especially love are the other items, such as estate jewelry, carefully curated at this renowned area landmark.

Find everything on your gift-giving list and things for yourself with traditional, classic, modern or artistic flair. Today's Cargo is your one-stop shop for pearl and bead restringing and bench jewelry work including repairs.
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Diamonds are forever. They can also be imperfect. Diamonds were made in the earth from pressure and heat millions of years ago. They are made of carbon and sometimes have inclusions (imperfections) which affects their clarity. Their exact makeup also affects their color. At Today's Cargo we strive for nice quality diamonds that don't break the bank. The majority of our diamond jewelry is in the clarity range of SI1 to SI2 and is G to H in color range.
Gold is a precious metal once used by the ancient Gods for jewelry and by many civilizations for monetary coins and decoration for sculptures. Here we showcase this fine metal in beautiful finished jewelry.
Reviews (28)
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Melissa Dyette
May 31, 2022
We had our wedding bands custom made at Today's Cargo! We are so pleased with what they were able to do and were so helpful and patient throughout the process! Best decision ever to go with them!
Garrett L.
Mar 28, 2022
Late leaving a review, but Carla and the folks at Today's Cargo were great for me. I needed an engagement ring special ordered with a quick turn around and they made it happen. Very helpful throughout the process and loved the finished product. My fiance also came here to get my ring after and was happy with his service too, we can't recommend TC enough!
Crista J.
Aug 23, 2021
So pleased with the customer service and overall experience at Today's Cargo. We had my daughter's ears pierced today, she picked cute little pearl studs and Lisa made the whole process a wonderful experience. My daughter was beyond happy and couldn't believe it didn't hurt at all. Thank you very much, as a mom I appreciated such an intervention happened without tears or bad mood after. Will recommend this service to all my mom friends.
Lacey Eigel
May 28, 2021
Today's Cargo helped my husband design his custom wedding band for our big day! Carla, their ring expert, was patient and knowledgeable. She even searched for a vintage wedding band to compliment my engagement ring. This shop Went above and beyond to help my husband create the band of his dreams. They even sent it off twice to get engraved after we postponed our original date due to COVID. I cannot recommend them enough. They're a great local establishment to support.
Thomas Gibson
Jan 06, 2021
After walking into another local jewelry store where I received a cold welcome, this particular establishment greeted me warmly. Carla and staff pleasantly guided me through a ring purchase for Valentine's Day and the service received was far and above expectations. Not only did I find a high quality ring, they thanked me for my military service. I have since returned for services to include a pearl replacement for a locket and a subsequent jewelry cleaning.

Time and time again, Today's Cargo has provided me with amazing service. Please stop in when visiting Old Town Alexandria and support this model small business. Thank you, Carla!
Kiersten H.
May 29, 2020
Update: I'm revising this review at five stars as management corrected the issue I mentioned below. The new stone looks brilliant and beautiful. Thank you Carla. This store has a really nice selection and great staff. I would give it 5 stars, but unfortunately I noticed something wrong with my two rings that I had them resize. They were both natural blue topaz rings.

The size was just right, but both blue topaz gems turned grey. One of them has a very faint blue tint and the other is so grey, it almost looks like the stone fell out of it. All other jewelry repairs have been great and items I have purchased are of good quality.
Jeremy Blaine
May 15, 2020
Today's Cargo (and more importantly) Carla were wonderful! We had a relaxed, informative, and delightful experience. We never felt pressured, rather we felt like we were having a conversation with an old friend. We would shop again even though we plan on never having to;)
Patrick G.
Mar 11, 2020
Nice jewelry store that sells a pretty large selection of jewelry. They can also design new rings via auto cad. Very unique selection of all kinds of silver and gold items. Plus they can give appraisals on your jewelry. Ask for Carla!
Xavier Agnelli
Mar 07, 2020
UNHAPPY AND DISAPPOINTED! I do not recommend this store. I repeat I do not recommend this store. Carla M. Clarke did an appraisal for me and it came back $3000 less than what it sold for in the reputable jewelry store (Littman Jewelers). I was blown away and immediately contacted her and expressed my concern that she valued it at $3000 less than what I would need to replace it should it be lost, which is the whole reason for the insurance.

Her response was dismissive and totally unacceptable. I'm very unhappy with the service that Carla M. Clarke provided and requested a refund because what she provided was useless to me. I took my future business elsewhere as I recommend the rest of you do as well. This place is no good and the customer service is terrible. TAKE YOUR BUSINESS ELSEWHERE!

My email to Carla: "I am extremely disappointed in this estimate and I am not going to be using it with my insurance. This document is completely useless to me. The pre- sale retail cost of this ring was $6700 and that's not the appraised value that's the retail value. $3800? Again, I will not be using this estimate as this estimate was a complete waste of my time and money. I would like a full refund for it and you can keep this estimate. I'm extremely disappointed in this. "
Jennifer S.
Aug 07, 2019
BLUF: Do not trust them with anything important. They wasted a month of my time. I had to make three trips in. They didn't do any of the work but did manage to resize the wrong ring. I was excited by all the previous reviews but I had a terrible experience here. I dropped off two rings- one to be resized and one to be appraised (it was my dead grandmother's, we were thinking about incorporating the stone into our engagement ring). Carla says she won't be able to get to them until after the weekend because they are busy, which is fine.

One week passed, nothing. Two weeks passed, nothing. I call in but whoever answered the phone couldn't tell me anything so we went in person to ask about the rings. Carla says they aren't done. Fine. Three weeks passed, nothing. Going into the fourth week of waiting for my two rings I call and again can't get a straight answer. At this point I just want them back so I can take them someplace else.

Finally Carla calls me back and they have not done any of the work I asked for but they resized the wrong ring. Bottom line: nice staff, fun to browse, but absolutely DO NOT TRUST THEM WITH ANYTHING IMPORTANT.
Raye T.
Jul 10, 2019
The staff at Today's Cargo are like family to me. They are the kindest, most helpful, and most genuine people - I would recommend them over any other jewelry store I've ever been to. They pierced my ears and my friend's, created my wedding band, my husband's wedding band, replace my lost earring backings, clean my jewelry, and more! They also have a great selection of jewelry and I love how their displays change with the seasons and holidays.
Sarah W.
Jul 01, 2019
What a friendly place! They took care of a necklace repair for me and a ring resizing. My necklace was broken in two places and they only charged $5 to repair the wire wrapping! A couple weeks later I came back for ear piercing (my hole had closed so it was a re-piercing) and I can't rave enough about it. The people there are delightful and they had a lot of unique pieces in the store too. A true gem in Old Town (pun intended).
Marion B.
Feb 16, 2019
Great quick service for helping me adjust the links on my watch. Friendly staff and reasonably priced
Danielle McAvoy
Jan 15, 2019
The service and quality of the work is amazing. Took my new engagement ring to be resized and has it back within 24 hours. The gem was a little loose after resizing so I took it back a second time and they fixed it in 5 mins. Price was super reasonable and everyone is friendly and helpful- highly recommend!
Sandra Gasaway
Dec 29, 2018
Recently got married in August 2018. I've been doing research for locations to appraise my wedding bands. I've seen all of the great reviews for Today's Cargo and decided to take a trip across the bridge to visit the location. Upon arrival, I was greeted by Carla and asked questions about the appraisal. I was preparing to set up an appointment for the appraisal and received a quote for such. Unbeknownst to me, I wasn't aware that Today's Cargo solder jewelry and with the 3pieces of jewelry that I had, I definitely took advantage of the soldering and the appraisal and everything was done in the same day.

They even cleaned my rings and made it look so shiny. Of course I even patronized the rest of the jewelry that they had inside of the store and even got gifts for others. Needless to say, this was well worth the trip to travel to Today's Cargo and this will definitely NOT be the last to see this smiling face. Thanks again Carla, Bob, & Marcy.you guys ROCK!
Lesa S.
Oct 18, 2018
What a charmingly quaint store with the nicest people! I am not from the area but had purchased a ring, from elsewhere, that I wanted sized immediately. I am so attached to the piece that I didn't have the heart to leave it with anyone and Today's Cargo (Freddy, Donna and Lisa) were kind enough to work me in. Within an hour I had my ring re-sized and I while I waited I had some great conversation which is unusual for the Northern VA area.

Hope the locals aren't offended but who wrote the don't make eye contact rule around here? Gosh forbid you say good morning to someone. Anyway, this shop was so pleasant to deal with and I have zero hesitation to recommend them.
Marylou V.
Oct 17, 2018
This shop is located on king street, right off of N Henry. Metered street parking is available. If you don't mind walking, there is a decent amount of free parking a couple of blocks down. I had the pleasure of working with Carla. She appraised a ring for me. She was very professional, personable and communicative. I was told it would take a month to complete, but received it back well before that time frame. I would definitely recommend their services. They also offer a wide selection of jewelry for those that are interested.
Heather G.
Aug 27, 2018
Today's Cargo did an amazing job repairing my engagement ring. Thanks to the Yelp community and an initial consultation at the shop, I felt comfortable enough to leave my ring in Today's Cargo's hands for two weeks. My ring returned looking like the day my husband put it on my finger years ago. Thank you!
Marilyn Mcmahon
Apr 05, 2018
I just had 5 watch batteries replaced at Today's Cargo. I left the watches overnight and picked them up the next day. The price was very reasonable and the service was excellent. I even bought a few pairs of earrings (also very reasonable) on the way out. I highly recommend this shop.
Delia E.
Mar 05, 2018
Had a wonderful experience when I brought in items from my grandmother's jewelry collection. Clara was very knowledgable and worked quickly and pleasantly to provide me with helpful information regarding the pieces. Overall, the shop was beautiful and had a great selection of items at various price points that would appeal to all shoppers.
Mike B.
Sep 27, 2017
I gotta be honest. I find shopping in Jewelry stores really weird. They just make me feel odd. I don't know if it's the combination of too many expensive things to break. or if it's me being a guy. and I feel like the store attendants are just waiting for me to break down and plead for their help. Also. jewelry stores are all too quiet in my opinion. It's like a library on steroids.

And I also feel like the attendants are trying to look away - cause they don't want to stare at you like you're gonna steal something. but they also have a side eye on you cause they're trying not to look away in case you steal something. They just make me feel quite uncomfortable. and this one was no exception. But they do get 5 stars. because take away my weird thing about jewelry stores. and I had a wonderful experience.

There is a really wide variety of jewelry in this store. Everything from a 20 dollar pair of earrings to a 1200 dollar necklace. They pretty much have a piece of jewelry for all situations. The two woman attendants were both very nice. And once I was done awkwardly scooting around the store with my hands in my pockets, and finally decided on something, they were more than friendly and helpful.

One woman took off the price for me, gave me better backs for the earrings I was purchasing, AND even wrapped it in wrapping paper with a bow on top. Can't argue with that! Until they open a hip young jewelry store where they play the beatles on vinyl, offer craft beers to their shoppers, and tone down the excessive amount of lighting and mirrors that jewelry stores usually have, I'll definitely hit this place up when I'm in the neighborhood.
Sophia T.
Jul 20, 2017
These ladies were fabulous. I came in for a ring resizing, and I was nervous because I have heard horror stories of gem swapping and botched repairs.etc. This place had great reviews and with the amount of love that went into this ring, I was not going to take any chances. They were very professional. They wrote down descriptions and exact measurements so that I knew everything would be the same upon return.

I couldn't bear not to have it for 1-2 weeks so I asked if they could rush it. It was only an extra 15$ and it was ready same day! It now fits perfectly and I got it back polished and glowing with no issues or damage to the ring. We will be using them again in the future. Sophia
Maria-Elena T.
Mar 30, 2017
Sent a message to the business asking if they could fix a prong and reset the diamond in a ballerina setting AND do it while I waited. They said yes. I called ahead to confirm and ask about parking; I went in that afternoon. They were able to fix it that afternoon and even tightened a few stones. The store had plenty to look at in all styles and ages.

I picked out another small piece to purchase and lusted after a diamond bracelet while I waited. I don't know how I had not discovered this store earlier since it has been in Alexandria for decades. Besides the weird store name, this place is perfect. I will return.
Norma Diaz
Dec 31, 2016
I cannot say enough about the wonderful women at Today's Cargo. I took in an antique family ring for sizing. Their price was less than half of what other places estimated and I had the ring in back in less than one week. They even cleaned my other jewelry while I they rang me up. So kind, chatty, friendly. Such a fun shop to visit and their work is incredible. Highly recommend!
Martin B.
Oct 15, 2016
Stopped in here last month after hopping the metro from DC to pickup a nice necklace for my wife. We had walked past the window while exploring Old Town. I was promptly given a genuine welcome. The service is spectacular. I was able to comfortably roam the store and given assistance when needed. Best of all the selection is amazing and fits any budget.

I was able to buy 3 necklaces and my wife loved them. I'm not too knowledgeable about jewelry but my wife adored the pieces and that's all that matters. Also, the young lady who helped me wrapped them up for me which makes this special little store my new go to.
Lisa S.
Aug 07, 2016
Carla and the stuff at Today's Cargo are magnificent! I located them new to the area in search for resizing and cleaning my late grandmother's Jewlery. My experience was so positive the my fiance and I sought them out for our custom ring designs. Carla personally handled our needs, made calls to is, texted pictures whatever it took to give us exemplary service.

Our wedding is 6/11/2017 and both of our rings have been designed and completed. The finished products are breathtaking! Stay tuned forI wedding pictures. I highly recommend Today's Cargo.
Shannon V.
Jan 07, 2016
Some how all of our watch batteries seemed to have died all at the same time. I was looking for a local place to get them replaced and found Today's Cargo on Yelp. I popped on over one weekday before the holidays to drop them off. The shop is small and quaint, very cute. I was greeted immediately and let them know I needed new batteries for 6 watches.

They got everything inventoried and told me they would give me a call when it was done. My husband and I got talking to some of the employees in the shop, they were very friendly and nice. They told me to expect the call in a few days since it was right around the holidays which I totally understood and had no problem with. The next afternoon I received a call letting me know they were ready!

My husband picked them up after work and I was hoping it was not too expensive as I never discussed the cost with them. I was surprised to see that all 6 watches were just a hair over $60 with tax. Great friendly service and great prices means I will certainly be back!
Katie Anne N.
Jul 27, 2012
We had an excellent experience with Today's Cargo. My bf and I were vacationing and stopped by VA since he grew up there. We walked down King Street and I spotted the most beautiful ring in the storefront window. Unfortunately the shop was closed at 4pm. I took a picture of the ring and the storefront sign. Fast forward back in SF. I emailed Today's Cargo and inquired about the ring.

I asked for pictures and info and they graciously responded that they could ship the ring to me. All the while, I mentioned all of this to my bf. My 30th birthday was coming up and to my surprise, he bought me the ring! It was prettier in real life than in the window. The ring fit on my middle finger but looked better on my ring finger. So my bf shipped it back to Today's Cargo and asked them to resize it.

A couple of days later, he got the ring back. Less than a week turn around and no charge for resizing! Can you believe that? Great service! I LOVE my ring and it means so much to me that they were able to go out of their way for me to have it. 5 stars!