Diamond cutter Philip Edward Lindsay died of a heart attack April 26. He was 58.

Lindsay, a cutter for EightStar Diamond Co., Cotati, Calif., cut the company’s American Star, a 13.42 ct. D/Flawless. “A legend has died,” said EightStar’s Richard Von Sternberg. “He really was the one responsible for the American Star.”

“Phil Lindsay was an excellent diamond cutter,” said Leonard Ludel, founder of the American School of Diamond Cutting and Lindsay’s teacher. “His passing is a great loss to the industry.”

Lindsay served in the U.S. Navy from 1968 to 1972. After studying with Ludel, he returned home to Chicago and opened shop. He moved to California and finally settled near Virginia City, Nev., coincidentally not far from Ludel.

Lindsay also invented and created special diamond-cutting equipment. “He had this uncanny ability to make diamond-cutting tools,” says Von Sternberg. “In fact he spent several months just making gadgets and gizmos to cut the American Star.”

Lindsay is survived by his wife, Lila; son, Michael, of Silver City, Nev.; two daughters, Megan and Erin, both of Chicago; and three stepsons, Timothy and Matthew Wicker, both of Portland, Ore., and Ira Chandall, of Reno, Nev.