This year’s honorees include a Midwest retailer and two multi-store independents, one in New York and the other in New England.
Rough & Polished Editor-in-Chief Vladimir Malakhov Dies at 76
Malakhov, who managed a staff of about two dozen reporters across the globe, is remembered for being kind and easy-going.

He was 76.
According to an email circulated Tuesday by The World Diamond Museum, Malakhov died June 17 after “a courageous battle with cancer.”
Based in Moscow, Rough & Polished is an online-only news site that is published in four languages: Russian, English, Portuguese and Simplified Chinese.
As the site’s top editor, Malakhov managed a staff of about two dozen employees and correspondents in Asia, Europe and Africa, all while maintaining relationships with industry leaders.
Under his leadership, Rough & Polished became one of the trade’s prime news sources about developments in the diamond and precious metals industries.
He is remembered for his knowledge and his analytical skills, as well as for being kind and easy-going.
Alex Popov, founder and CEO of The World Diamond Museum and former president of the Moscow Diamond Bourse, said: “I had a special relationship with Vladimir, and he was one of my close confidants in Moscow. His premature death will leave a huge void. The global diamond industry will miss his quiet attention and great analytic skills.
“We send our heartfelt condolences to his family and close ones. May Vladimir’s memory be a blessing to all who cherished him.”
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