Valentine Perez died March 6, after a battle with lung cancer. He was 76.

Perez, a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, began working in the jewelry industry at the age of 13. He emigrated to the United States in his late 20s, and worked for New York firms David Webb, Van Cleef and Arpels, Bialo, Robert Baum, and Feature/Foremost companies. Known primarily for model making, Perez worked in jewelry manufacturing until he retired in 2000. He and his wife, Angela, then moved to Las Vegas to join their daughters. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in January.

Perez is survived by his wife; daughters Patrice Perez and Jacqueline Turner; son-in-law Patrick Turner; and granddaughters Paulina, Alexa, Brittany, and Kaylee.