Diamond industry leader Rajshekhar Parikh dies

By ENN,
Ahmedabad: (Englewood, N.J.): Rajshekhar Parikh, founder of Renaissance Diamond Corp., passed away at his Englewood, N.J., home last month following a yearlong battle with pancreatic cancer.

He was 59.

Parikh, who was known as "Shekharbhai," was born in Deesa, Gujarat, India, in 1950 to Sevantilal C. Parikh and Lata S. Parikh.

Raised in Mumbai, India, Parikh was educated in the Modern School and KC College. He was trained in the family diamond business and was an active member of his native Palanpur community.

In 1975--the same year his son was born--Parikh left his native India for the United States and quickly became a pioneer in the diamond and jewelry industry.

He served as president of the Indian Diamond and Colorstone Association (IDCA) and also was passionate about a number of charitable causes.

In 1982, Parikh helped found non-profit organization Share and Care, where as co-founder, member, trustee and president, he aided in numerous educational and medical programs for the underprivileged in India.

He arranged a number of fund-raising events for Share and Care, bringing in several Indian celebrities, such as Nitin Mukesh and Shekhar Sen, to help support the cause along with him.

In addition, Parikh assisted the American Indian Foundation (AIF) to provide relief following the Gujarat Earthquake in 2001, traveling to India with President Clinton to spearhead the relief effort.

His wife, Shalia, children Saumil, Saloni and Milauni, and granddaughters Sareena and Shanaya, survive him.