Joseph R. Villarreal, G.G. (GIA)

Jeweler

Joseph Villarreal is a Gemologist and President of Villarreal Diamonds and Fine Jewelry based in Austin, Texas. With over 36 years of industry experience, Joseph and his team specialize in custom jewelry design, diamond sales, and consignment jewelry for private clientele. Joseph is a Graduate Gemologist from GIA (Gemological Institute of America) with additional certifications in Diamond Grading and Gem Identification. Villarreal is also a member of Jewelers of America and is a Jewelers of America Certified Senior Management Professional.

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Co-authored Articles (10)

How to Get a Knot Out of a Necklace

Stress-free strategies to untangle thin necklacesYou’re about to put on your favorite necklace, but you discover a huge knot in the center of the chain. Yikes! While necklace knots can be tricky to untangle, there are ...

How to Clean Tarnished Jewelry at Home with Baking Soda

Make your gold and silver jewelry shine like new again with these homemade cleaners Does your favorite piece of jewelry look dull or tarnished? Before you run to the store and spend money on a special jewelry cleaner, y...

How to

Remove a Ring with a String

If your ring is stuck on your finger, don’t panic! There are several techniques you can try to remove it. The string wrap (dental floss) technique can work in simple cases, but this technique does need a warning - tigh...

DIY Beaded Necklace Tutorial

Learn how to make a fun necklace at home step-by-stepCreating your own jewelry is a fun activity for all ages! We're here to walk you through how to create a beautiful beaded necklace with just a few materials and a bit ...

How to

Make Fake Jewelry Silver Again

While jewelry that's made of pure silver or gold doesn't tarnish, cheaper alloys in fake jewelry will start to change colors and oxidize over time. If you have fake jewelry that's lost its original shine or color, there ...

How to Easily Reshape a Bent Ring

Learn how to unbend gold, silver, and copper rings using a mandrel Over time, rings can become bent due to regular wear and tear or because your ring size has changed. To prevent bent rings, do your best to keep your rin...

How to

String Pearls

Stringing pearls can be necessary when making jewelry or when restringing worn out strands of pearls. Bead stringing kits are available or most supplies can be bought separately at most craft or jewelry making stores. Re...

How to

Test Jewelry for Lead

Lead is often used to shape and stabilize jewelry, and is very common in vintage and plastic pieces. Swab tests can be used to quickly identify the presence of lead in jewelry, or you can pay an accredited lab for a more...

How to

Make a Pearl Necklace

Pearls are always an elegant accessory. But over the course of time, the line holding your pearls together will likely break at some point, causing your pearls to scatter. Or it might be the case that you've discovered a...

How to

Clean a Pearl Necklace

To maintain the beauty of pearls, understanding how to care for them properly is essential. While the compact crystalline structure of pearls makes them very durable, they're soft by nature and this reality can't be over...