William L. Carreras, owner and president of Carreras Ltd. in Richmond, Va., died Jan. 15 after battling cancer. He was 61.

Carreras, who was born in Richmond, entered the diamond business in 1962 while a student at the University of Virginia, working as a sales representative for a company that sold diamond engagement rings and gemstones on campus. In his junior year he started William L. Carreras Diamonds Ltd., a diamond brokerage, in Charlottesville. After graduating, he began selling rare gems and jewelry.

Carreras was a former director and officer of the Virginia Jewelers Association, a member of the Boston Jewelers Club, and a member of the American Gem Society. He also was a director and officer of the Richmond Symphony, former board president of the Richmond Montessori School, and a member of the Advisory Council of the Visual Arts Center.

Survivors include his wife, Rejena Goffigon Carreras; a son, Brett Skye Carreras; his father, Phillip Carreras Sr.; and a brother, James P. Carreras Jr.