Get To Know Us
TIM SHAHEEN
Owner, Goldsmith and Principal Designer
Tim is our primary CAD design specialist for all of our custom designs. He meets with clients for custom services and, as an accomplished bench jeweler with fifteen years of experience, he sets and finishes many of his own custom-created CAD designs. With clients, Tim offers a low-key, patient perspective towards design and excels at executing extremely complicated antique-inspired custom creations. Good to know: creative craft runs in Tim’s family. His Uncle Ralph Dammann designs and creates gorgeous mandocellos and other string instruments from his Charlottesville, Virginia workshop.
Tim lives in town with his wife (Meaghan), son, and yellow lab. He travels as much as possible with his family and loses his mind once a year when the Caps are in the playoffs.
MEAGHAN FORAN
Owner, Creative Director & Director of Operations
Meaghan is responsible for Alx&Co.'s design, our vendor relationships, and our marketing. With an eye towards quality and service, she loves bringing a traditional craft to a new audience through our shop. Meaghan curates our showroom collection and is a knowledgeable resource on ethically-derived options for jewelry fabrication. She works directly with clients to design custom heirlooms. She is a Graduate of GIA’s Diamond and Diamond Grading track as well as their Colored Gemstones track.
When not at Alx&Co., Meaghan can be found chasing her young son around town or hiking in the Shenandoah with Tim and their perfect dog, Bill (see below).
Alexandria & Company is, at its core, a true “mom & pop” business. Owned and operated by Tim Shaheen & Meaghan Foran, the shop is a reflection of their transparent, fair ethical standards and precise eye for jewelry fabrication. They aim to offer a modern alternative to the traditional fine jewelry experience by focusing on true client-driven design and educating their clients on the wealth of options and ideas for thoughtfully executed fine jewelry. The shop has earned a reputation for considered client service, creative design, and a stress-free design and buying experience.
“Probably the most rewarding aspect of what we do is when we work with a client who had negative experiences with jewelers before meeting us, only to learn that fine jewelry can be interesting, fun, and stress-free to get into. We are careful to walk our clients through each and every question and provide options based on individualized needs rather than trends. We know that for many of our clients, they are coming to us for a milestone of some kind - an engagement, a birth, a special family heirloom design - and we see it as our roll to make the entire experience as enjoyable as the product itself. ”
Awards & Memberships
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GIA Continuing Education
Graduate, Diamonds & Diamond Grading & Colored Gemstones
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Confirmed Alexandria Eco-City Business
Silver Tier
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Virginia Living Magazine
Voted Top Wedding Vendor: 2022, 2023, 2024
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Northern Virginia Magazine
Voted Best Fine Jeweler
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DC Modern Luxury
Voted Best Engagement Rings
Voted Best Fine Jewelry Restoration
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Ethical Metalsmiths
Member
Our Team
We’re proud of our amazing team here at Alx&Co. When you work with a local, small business like our own, you’re working with your neighbors. We invest in our team by providing health insurance, continuing education credits, retirement contributions, and paid time off. Your trust in our work allows us to develop the next generation of craft, right here in our Old Town, Alexandria studio.
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LIDEYA ABEBE
Special Projects Coordinator
Lideya provides our clients with a professional, welcoming introduction to our little gem box of a studio. She meets with clients to discuss custom design and repair projects and facilitates our important Quality Assurance steps for our work. Lideya keeps our workshop on track and is an excellent resource for our clients during the production stages of their project. She joined our studio in 2023.
Lideya was born in Ethiopia and but spent the majority of her life growing up in Alexandria. She particularly loves Old Town and when not at work, you can find her at a local library or cafe just enjoying our beautiful city.
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WILL GRIFFIN
Lead Bench Jeweler
Will joined our team in 2023 and we are thrilled to have been able to add him to our workshop. He graduated from The New Approach School for Jewelers in 2019 and has been working as a bench jeweler since then, honing his skills and perfecting his trade. His careful eye and thorough technique fit in perfectly with our workshop ethos of crafted, heirloom-worthy work. Will especially loves working on fully hand-crafted works of art and stretching his craft to new dimensions such as hand engraving.
Will hails from Warrenton, VA and, as a music lover, can be found in his off-hours attending any number of concerts in and around DC. He lives in Alexandria.
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CHRISTINA DANIELSON
Technical Project Administrator
Christina has been working as a CAD jewelry designer since graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Temple University in 2016 and with our studio since 2022. Her passion for the jewelry industry began on Philadelphia's historic Jeweler's Row in a jewelry design and manufacturing shop where her deep appreciation for craftsmanship started.
Throughout her career, she has honed skills in CAD design, translating intricate concepts into unique, tangible pieces. She loves belonging to an industry that blends creativity and technical precision to create wearable art that people cherish for a lifetime. In addition to her work in jewelry, she also dabbles in various digital design projects that allow her to explore her creativity further and expand her artistic horizons.
When she's not immersed in creative pursuits and design, you can find her spending quality time with her husband, baby, and two cats; cooking; playing soccer; and trying out new restaurants and coffee shops around her home in Pittsburgh.
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JILL VON HERRMANN
Special Projects Coordinator
A native Alexandrian who loves all things local, Jill cultivates our special events and assists with our general marketing initiatives. Since we don’t engage in traditional paid advertising, the task requires a creative, purposeful direction that she manages beautifully. You can thank Jill for our special golden tokens, branded matchbooks, and other treats around the Studio.
Jill has spent a career in real estate and continues to work with clients in the local Alexandria market. She lives in Alexandria with her family.
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ATTICUS HAMMONDS
Bench Jeweler
Atticus initially joined our workshop as an Apprentice during our Spring 2026 Workshop Apprenticeship term and now serves as a full-time bench jeweler, supporting Will and Tim with casting preparation, resizing rings, and other technical tasks. After graduating from high school, Atticus served in the US Air Force and later earned an Associate’s Degree in Fine Arts from Northern Virginia Community College.
He hails from Tennessee but considers Northern Virginia home and is currently finishing his Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts at George Mason University. Expressing both an eye for detail and a skillful hand, Atticus’ skills as a bench jeweler help our workshop maintain the excellence in precision and craft that set us apart.
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BILL
Shop Dog & CDO*
If you visit us, you may be lucky enough to meet Bill, our sweet English Labrador. He is a (big) puppy but you’ll be amazed at his calm and gentle demeanor. He is a total treat to have around and truly makes our days so much better.
If you aren’t comfortable with dogs, we are happy to tuck him away in a separate room. Just let us know!
*Chief Distraction Officer
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GINA HAGGIN
Lead Designer
With a creative eye and a background in interior design, Gina joined our team in 2024 as a Lead Designer for custom and bespoke projects. She has a meticulous attention to detail - perfect for the precise world of jewelry design - and loves working with clients to determine the right design plan for their most meaningful projects. Gina views her role to be one of a creative problem solver, with an eye towards beautiful design.
Gina is a graduate of The Art Institute of Arlington. She lives in Arlington with her family and relishes the opportunity to explore the incredible food scene of the DMV. She will die on the hill that French wine is the best wine in the world.
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NATALIA PORTILLO
Marketing Coordinator & Bench Jeweler Apprentice
With a strong background in digital marketing and storytelling, Natalia serves as our Marketing Coordinator and also moonlights as a Bench Jeweler Apprentice in our busy workshop. She graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in English Language & Literature with a focus on Creative Writing and she enjoys crafting the narrative focus of creative design.
When she isn’t at work, Natalia enjoys spending time with her family, traveling with friends, and pursuing her creative interest in bench craft.
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LEO GIBSON
Receptionist
Leo is a 2025 graduate of VCU with a Bachelor’s Degree of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance. He joined our studio as a receptionist and provides our clients with a welcoming experience on the phone and in person. Leo assists with general inquiries and scheduling with a positive, helpful perspective. When Leo isn’t at the Studio, you may find him performing on stage at one of the DC region’s local theaters. An aspiring playwright, Leo also writes and hopes to produce his own plays (one day).
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JULIA VON FAHENESTOCK
Receptionist
Julia is the newest addition to our Studio, joining our team in the Fall of 2026 after graduating from VCU’s School of Fine Arts with a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre Performance (yes, we’re a magnet for VCU Theatre majors, apparently!) She grew up in the Northern Virginia region and has also worked at a number of local restaurants, so she’s a great resource for dinner recommendations in the neighborhood. Julia provides a warm, welcoming reception for our clients and assists with scheduling and general inquiries.
View Our Work
Our specialty is client driven design, meaning that we work with clients directly to develop their own unique design perspective. We offer both customized and bespoke options, so you can start from our Collection to adapt your own custom piece or we can start from scratch with a totally novel concept. Aren’t sure where to begin? We recommend scheduling a Consultation, and we’ll take it from there.
Giving Back
As our name implies, we’re proud of our city and feel incredibly grateful to be here. We support a variety of non-profits that do impactful, local work and hope you’ll find some inspiration to support their causes as well.
Together We Bake
Together We Bake’s vision is to empower women facing barriers to progress in their career trajectories and toward self-sufficiency. TWB believes in a society where women are valued and have the support they need to be whole and break the cycle of trauma and abuse.
Together We Bake’s mission is to provide a comprehensive workforce training and personal development program to help underserved women gain self-confidence, transferable workforce skills, and invaluable hands-on experience which will allow them to find sustainable employment and move toward self-sufficiency.
Volunteer Alexandria
Since its founding in 1980, Volunteer Alexandria has served as a link between individual and group volunteers and area nonprofit organizations and City agencies in need of support. Volunteer Alexandria works in partnership with nonprofits, government and the business community to inspire people to volunteer, and to engage volunteers in activities that in turn strengthen our community.
The Campagna Center
The Campagna Center, Alexandria’s leading not-for-profit organization, equips children and families with a comprehensive set of tools they need to thrive and succeed. Since 1945, The Campagna Center has served the community by offering a range of programs that foster a dedication to learning among children, youth, and adults. Over 2,000 children and families take advantage of their services on a daily basis.