Villarreal - Diamond Engagement Rings & Fine Jewelry — Local services in Austin

I went to Villarreal Fine Jewelers for an engagement ring based on the recommendation of a friend. My girlfriend (now fiancée) and I had looked at designs at various jewelers and I had a sense of what we liked. Several friends said they “had a guy in New York” but given we weren’t looking for a normal solitaire setting I didn’t want to risk trying to describe what I wanted (I only kind of knew what that was) and potentially end up with a ring that we were not happy with, so I decided to meet with Malcolm at Villarreal. That was a great decision. I initially emailed Malcolm a link to the style of ring we liked and then I met with him. During our first meeting he started with the ring I had presented and talked through many options using details from previous rings he had designed to help me, and him, get a good understanding of what it was that I was looking for. He then clearly explained the process that they work under, then he asked me to take some time to think about whether that would work for me – no pressure sales here. I decided to work with Malcolm.

Over the next couple of weeks he developed some sketches and concept drawings. We made some adjustments as we went along and Malcolm was always willing to accommodate changes. He would also makes suggestions and wanted to hear my thoughts on them. At the same time he is very clear about how the ring manufacturing process works and where what you see may vary from the sketches. Needless to say our ring came out beautifully.

On the business side, Malcolm is in the business of designing jewelry not selling it, he wants to work with you to design a piece of jewelry that you are happy with and not just sell you metal and a stone. For jewelry, their pricing is competitive with what I saw at “discount” jewelers and I was getting something custom. On the actual stone, they will be higher than what your friend’s “guy in New York” or an online site will sell you a stone for, but the premium is not great and the difference is Malcolm is working with you to find a nice stone with good value. He is acting as your advisor on this side of things. In my case we looked at several stones on paper. Malcolm had them shipped in so we could look at them in person. When they came he told me he had an opinion about which he preferred but want me to select and then we would discuss. I went with what looked best to me. While my choice was the same as his, he then explained that while they all looked good on paper, he would not have let me purchase some of the other stones after having seen them in person as they did not present good value. You can always buy stones of a better grade but are you getting value for that. More importantly how do you choose between the fifteen SI1 stones on a website other than price - this is where Malcolm comes in to help making note of what is providing value.

Overall my experience working with Villarreal Fine Jewelers and Malcolm was a great one, I did not feel pressured into buying anything, felt my opinions mattered and ultimately ended up with a ring I truly liked. I would highly recommend Villarreal Fine Jewelers and Malcolm for anyone who is looking at buying jewelry and is...

I've worked with Malcolm twice, and both times he delivered exactly what I was looking for.

I first came to VFJ based on a personal recommendation from one of my friends to get an engagement ring made for my fiancée. I already had the center stone (purchased from a different gem sourcer), so I brought in a few ideas of what I was trying to get. Malcolm used the ideas I brought in and added his own touches to what became the final product.

Throughout each stage of the design process, Malcolm was very meticulous and detailed, letting me know as closely as possible what the real ring would look like, based on the drawings.

Once I finally got the ring, I was happier than I thought I could be. It was exactly what I was hoping to get, and my fiancée thought it was the most perfect thing she'd ever seen.

Fast forward a year later, and I'm back to work on wedding bands for both of us. We used the engagement ring to become her wedding band, and I had my late grandfather's wedding band, which needed to be resized.

We decided to add to the original engagement ring and essentially dovetail some smaller bands and diamonds around it. Since we already went through the design process once, it was pretty easy to make the additions, and Malcolm's ideas were once again presented beautifully and elegantly. My wife loves her ring and thinks it's the most beautiful piece of jewelry on earth.

My wedding band was a somewhat complicated resizing job, because it had a pattern cast in the band and plating which made for what I was told to be a difficult job. When I got the band back, I was amazed at how great it looked! The workshop that Malcolm uses does top-notch work. Everyone I showed the ring to had only great things to say.

I only interacted with Joseph a couple of times, mostly on the phone, but he was courteous and helpful whenever I needed something. I could only assume that his work reflects his personality.

I would highly recommend visiting Villareal Fine Jewelers and Malcolm Brown above all others in central Texas! They will take care of you and give you exactly what you're...

This review is long overdue. If you're a first time buyer, or really confused about where to buy your jewelry from, do not look anywhere else!

Once I decided that I was going to ask my long time girlfriend to marry me, I began my quest for an engagement ring. I was fortunate enough to have the center stone passed down to me, so I needed a ring to set it in.

I went though numerous jewelry stores, specialty dealers and custom designers over the course of weeks looking for help in making something special.

Based on some on-line reviews, I found who I THOUGHT I was going to be purchasing my future Fiances' ring from. After a second meeting, something told me to look a little more.

Villarreal Jewelers was my next stop, and I feel lucky that I found them!

Please keep in mind, I did not have a huge budget, and having an inherited stone certainly takes away from there markup and profits.

From day one, Malcolm was responsive and genuinely listened to everything I was saying and wanting to accomplish in her ring.

He politely steered me into making good decisions on components, construction, design and materials. I never felt rushed or that my purchase was any less important than anything else he was working on. Malcolm even spent over an hour with me looking for earrings which only resulted in an extremely modest purchase. He was a true gentleman through the entire process.

Joesph, the owner was also around and I got the same vibe from him. He clearly has integrity in every sense of the word.

If you're looking for quality jewelry, sound advice and the most pleasurable buying experience possible, than do not waste your time anywhere else!

My g/f, now Fiance' LOVES her ring and tells me often just how perfect it is!

Thank you Malcolm and Joesph from both of us! Keep up the great customer service and...