Jewelry manufacturer Effy Hematian, founder of Effy Jewelry, has died.

He was 79.

Hematian “passed away surrounded by his beloved family” on April 30, according to a post on Effy Jewelry’s Instagram page.

“Effy was a loving husband, father, grandfather, visionary and community leader,” the post continued. “His honesty and humility only illuminate the industry-defining change he brought to the jewelry world. Through his unwavering belief in God, he demonstrated that we can live a life of passion and purpose leaving the world better than he found it.”

Effy Jewelry’s website notes that Effy started designing “some of the world’s most distinctive jewelry” in 1979. Today the company uses more than 150,000 carats of precious gemstones each year.