This year’s honorees include a Midwest retailer and two multi-store independents, one in New York and the other in New England.
Convicted Robber Charged in ’09 Murder of Jeweler
Federal authorities say Stanislav “Steven” Yelizarov shot and killed Wayne Ruder at his Baltimore jewelry store on the day after Christmas.
Baltimore--A 26-year-old man in prison for orchestrating the elaborate 2013 armed robbery of a suburban Baltimore jewelry store has been indicted in the 2009 slaying of another jeweler on the same road.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland announced Tuesday that Stanislav “Steven” Yelizarov now faces a federal murder charge in the Dec. 26, 2009 death of Wayne Ruder.
Ruder was 56 at the time he was killed and had owned Ruder and Company Jewelry and Antiques, located in the 6900 block of Reisterstown Road in Baltimore, for two decades.
Though the indictment did not elaborate on how police connected Yelizarov to the nearly 7-year-old murder, Ruder’s brother told the Baltimore Sun that Yelizarov was an acquaintance of his brother’s and had been a rumored suspect in the case for years.
“We knew that’s who did it,” he said, according to the Sun.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Yelizarov faces a maximum sentence of death or life in prison.
He currently is serving a 30-year sentence for being the ringleader of the 2013 armed robbery of Antony Jewelers and the kidnapping of one of the store’s employees, as well as an earlier home invasion in which he stole the guns used in the jewelry store robbery. Antony Jewelers is located on Reisterstown Road in the Baltimore suburb of Owings Mill.
He was just sentenced in April.
According to the indictment in that case, Yelizarov recruited a group of men and began plotting the robbery in November 2012.
One of the men, identified in court documents as Grigory Zilberman, befriended an Antony Jewelers employee in order to learn more about the store as well as the habits and routines of the employee.
Yelizarov later attached a GPS tracking device to the employee’s car.
According to court documents, on Jan. 15, 2013, Zilberman invited the employee to his home and notified his co-conspirators when he left.
The group, led by Yelizarov, then tracked down the employee in a rented sports-utility vehicle with a “law enforcement-type light bar” stuck on the top and pulled him over, as if they were police officers.
They then bound and blindfolded him, put him in the trunk and drove him to a remote location, where the perpetrators then forced the employee to give them the keys and code to alarm system at the jewelry store, which they robbed of $500,000 in jewelry, gemstones and watches.
Yelizarov is
The attorney’s office said no court dates have been set for Yelizarov to appear in U.S. District Court in Baltimore on the murder charge.
The FBI, Baltimore County Police Department and Baltimore City Police Department all worked on the investigation that led to his indictment.
The Latest

As an homage to iconic crochet blankets, the necklace features the nostalgic motif through a kaleidoscope of cabochon-cut stones.

Discover the dozen up-and-coming brands exhibiting in the Design Atelier for the first time.

When investing in your jewelry business, it's important not to overlook the most crucial element of success: the sales associates.

The “Royal Ruby” Collection is a quintet of untreated rubies curated by collector Jack Abraham.


The entrepreneur and “Shark Tank” star will share his top tips for success.

Two existing executives have been given new roles.

More shoppers are walking out without buying. Here’s how smart jewelers can bring them back—and the tool they need to do it right.

Meredith Tiderington, an electrical engineering student, was selected for the award.

It will quit assigning the stones specific color and clarity grades in favor of applying “new descriptive terminology.”

From design trends to sustainability, here’s a roundup of can’t-miss education sessions at JCK Las Vegas.

Her new role is director of strategic initiatives.

The designer is embracing bold pieces with weight to them in “AU79,” a collection she celebrated with a creative launch party.

On an earnings call, CEO J.K. Symancyk discussed what’s working for the company and how it’s preparing for the potential impact of tariffs.

The index partially rebounded after months of decline, due in part to the U.S.-China deal to temporarily reduce import tariffs.

The actress stars in the latest campaign set in Venice, Italy, and is set to participate in other creative initiatives for the jeweler.

The company has joined other labs, including GIA and Lotus Gemology, in adopting the Chinese term for "jadeite jade."

The large stone will be offered at its June sale along with a selection of secondary-type rubies from a new area of the Montepuez mine.

Located in Bangkok, the laboratory is Gemological Science International’s 14th location worldwide.

Those born in June have a myriad of options for their birthstone jewelry.

The diamond industry veteran has been named its senior sales executive.

The company plans to raise the prices of select watches to offset the impact of tariffs.

Between tariffs and the sky-high cost of gold, designers enter this year’s Las Vegas shows with a lot of questions and few answers.

Designed by founder Renato and his daughter Serena Cipullo, it showcases a flame motif representing unity and the power of gathering.

However, the tariffs remain in effect in the short term, as an appeals court has stayed the U.S. Court of International Trade’s decision.

The pop icon is one step closer to launching her “B Tiny” jewelry collection, a collection she first began posting about last fall.

Sponsored by Stuller