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Built to Last

Twenty-two years ago, Mike Jury taught himself woodworking from library books so that he could surprise his wife, Amanda, with a handmade oak chest for their wedding—a family tradition in New England, where she was raised. “We still have it in our bedroom, flaws and all,” he laughs. “But it’s meaningful to us both.”

Woodworker Mike Jury

He’s since refined his craft. After two decades as a trumpeter in the U.S. Army Band at Fort Myer, Jury retired in 2020 and now devotes himself full time to handcrafting heirloom furniture as M. Jury Woodworks (mjurywoodworks.com).

His creations are graceful, functional and designed to last, inspired by woodworkers of yore. “The Shakers were masters of proportion; there’s something elegant about the overall form and minimal design,” says the artisan, who selects local, sustainable lumber from Culpeper and uses oil and wax to highlight the wood’s natural finish. He says he listens to the wood like a piece of music, following its movements, flourishes and pauses.

A chest of drawers

Working out of a small studio in Springfield, Jury may spend up to 80 hours to complete a dresser ($3,600-$4,200), eschewing nails in favor of meticulously crafted dovetail joints. “I really love making a chest of drawers because it’s a very complex piece,” he says. “There’s so much engineering involved. It is essentially a box full of boxes, but you have to make that beautiful as well as functional.”

Today, Jury works in a wide variety of styles. He has incorporated Japanese kumiko patterns into wooden lamps lined with shoji paper ($400), wall panels and hall tables ($900). The intricate designs are hand cut with a sharp chisel and locked together—without nails—to form a pattern. “It’s enjoyable, meditative work,” he says. “There are no saws, no dust. Just a day at the bench.” –Colleen Kennedy

A necklace made with various loose diamonds

Old and New

You feel guilty leaving your grandmother’s bracelet in a drawer, but it’s just not your style. Yet you can’t bear to give it away. Rachelle Barimany can help. Her specialty is turning customers’ unworn pieces—often outdated-looking family heirlooms—into modern favorites.

“Some family pieces are perfect just the way they are, but if you have things that you don’t like, it’s great to reuse the materials for something that’s more in fashion and a little bit more wearable,” says the Arlington resident and CFO of Dominion Jewelers (dominionjewelers.com) in Falls Church, where she’s worked since 1997.

Reimagining bling is a joint project for Barimany and her clients. Together they surf the web for inspiration and discuss how the piece will be used: Every day? Only for special occasions?

The store, which her father opened in 1985, can usually turn around an upcycled piece in two to three weeks. “Sometimes, it’s as easy as taking two stones that are a close enough match and setting them into a pair of stud earrings,” she says.

Other scenarios can be more complicated—like when a customer showed up with a sapphire that looked like a pebble. “We recut it… and the color just instantly popped,” Barimany says of the stone, which became the centerpiece of a dazzling new ring. Another client came in with a small pile of different size diamonds she’d inherited. Barimany arranged them in a single, modern setting and ran a chain through it. “It turned out to be one of her favorite pieces.”

Prices range and depend on materials, but resurrecting an existing piece of jewelry typically doesn’t cost more than $5,000, she says. That relative affordability is one reason she’s noticed an increased interest in upcycling jewelry. Dominion repurposes 100 to 200 pieces every couple of months.

“Being the environmentalist that I am, I love the idea of recycling stuff,” Barimany says. “Every part of it is usable—the gold and the stones.” Plus, the results are more than just pretty objects. “I’m a big old softy, so I am a little bit sentimental about family [heirlooms]. I love the idea of using older pieces to create something new.” –Stephanie Kanowitz