Sir Michael Hill, founder and non-executive director of Michael Hill International Limited, passed away on July 29 at the age of 86 following a battle with cancer.

Hill founded the eponymous company in 1979 with his wife Lady Christine, when he opened his first jewellery store in Whangārei, New Zealand. Since then, the brand has expanded internationally and now operates 287 locations across Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

“Sir Michael was a celebrated jeweller, entrepreneur, philanthropist and committed father and husband who, with his wife Lady Christine, founded and grew Michael Hill from its humble beginnings in Whangārei, New Zealand to a global retail jewellery brand that spans Australia, New Zealand and Canada,” the company said in a statement.

As a teenager, Hill aspired to be a professional concert violinist. However, at 17, he was advised that he had begun too late to pursue such a career at the highest level. With that path no longer viable, he shifted directions and entered the jewellery trade, starting out at his uncle’s business in New Zealand.

“To every endeavour he pursued, Michael brought a deep sense of purpose, an enduring curiosity, open-mindedness and creativity that challenged all of us to embrace ever more lofty goals and be unconstrained in our thinking – a legacy that will continue to inspire us,” says Rob Fyfe, chairman of Michael Hill.