David Yurman
(1942 - )
David Yurman was born on October 12, 1942. At age 16, Yurman met Cuban welder and sculptor Ernesto Gonzales while visiting his sister in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Gonzales gave him a torch and suggested he try welding. He started making things, including pieces of jewelry that he would
sell back at school. After graduation, Yurman attended New York University to study art. After a year he left the University and hitchhiked across the country to California where he found refuge in the beatnik artist colony of Big-Sur.
In sculpting, David found an outlet and focus for his creativity, which he would develop over the next two decades as an apprentice under the tutelage of renowned sculptors Jacques Lipshitz and Theodore Rozack (who collaborated with Picasso and Modigliani).
In the late 1960s, Yurman returned to New York and settled in the Greenwich Village. He began working alongside sculptor Hans Van de Bovenkamp and in 1969, Yurman met Sybil Kleinrock, a gifted painter who, like Yurman had recently returned from the hippie scene in California; they married ten years later in 1979.
After having created a procession of protest art, (angry displays made of concrete and bullets), Yurman returned to his romantic sculptures, many of them angels. Sybil asked him to turn one of the angels into a belt, and that was the beginning of their jewelry. Sybil wore the belt to an art gallery and it attracted the gallery owner’s attention who enquired if it was for sale. Sybil saw the commercial opportunity and in the early 1970s, David and Sybil formed their own company called “Putnam Art Works.” Over the course of a decade,theydisplayed their designs and paintings at various craft fairs. In 1980, David and Sybil Yurman founded the brand and company “David Yurman.”
By the mid 1980s, David Yurman had created a name for himself as an artistic designer of fine, classic, and contemporary jewelry. In 1982, Yurman created “the cable design,” which was inspired by everything from simple, ordinary objects to art; displaying Yurman’s creative use of silver or a combination of silver and gold. Then, depending on the collection, he added stones or jewels to the pieces to add character and life.
Yurman's designs are stylish and unique. His earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings, and watches clearly exude luxury. The Midnight Ice Collection, introduced in 1999, featured diamonds and a black onyx set in sterling silver and 18-karat gold. The Quatrefoil Collection is a beautiful gold and diamond watch; the Silver Ice Collection is designed with diamonds in sterling silver cable; the Blue Ice Collection continues Yurman's use of cabled sterling silver, and combines 18-karat yellow gold and blue chalcedony.
In 1983, David Yurman was recognized with the InterGold and the Cultured Pearl Designer of the Year awards. Today, David Yurman’s company is internationally recognized as one of America’s leading fine jewelers. The company is also known for its use of supermodels such as Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Amber Valleta in its advertising campaigns. David Yurman’s clientele includes celebrities such as Steven Spielberg, Kevin Spacey, Renee Zellweger, Gwyneth Paltrow, Barbra Streisand, Mary J. Blige, and Ashley Judd.
In 1999, David Yurman presented Steven Spielberg with the first David Yurman Humanitarian award as part of the GQ magazine's Men of the Year awards. The award honored Spielberg's contributions to both the arts and to the betterment of society. During the ceremony Yurman also launched his “Thoroughbred Watch line.” To honor Spielberg, Yurman created a bronze sculpture of his inspirational angel. According to Yurman, the angel is a symbol of hope and charity, representing "the hope of the human spirit."
The year 2000 was full of accomplishments for David Yurman; he opened his flagship boutique on Madison Avenue in New York City and opened a boutique in Saks Fifth Avenue in Houston Texas. During this year he was also inducted into the Contemporary Design Guild of Fame.
Also in 2000, the David Yurman Humanitarian award was given to Sir Elton John, who was presented an angel pin created by the designer. The pin is made of sterling silver, which can be worn by both men and women. Hand-made replicas of the pin were also available for sale in stores to raise funds for Sir John's AIDS foundations.
In 2001 Yurman launched the Women's Thoroughbred Watch Collection, featuring soft pastels of green and pink with black and white dials. On February 2009, David Yurman launched the Classic Watch Collection with his son Evan Yurman. Continuing in the classic tradition, the collection is composed of a Three Hand, a Chronograph and a Moon Phase option. All three are powered by Swiss Movements and incorporate the iconic cable design detail on the outside of each watch case.
David Yurman’s jewelry can be found at Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, some Carlyle & Co. stores, and other retailers. David Yurman now has 18 stores across the U.S. and is already starting to expand with a handful of international boutiques.
Today, David Yurman remains the firm's designer and Sybil Yurman, is the president and chief marketing officer of the David Yurman Company. Their son, Evan, is part of their ever-expanding creative team.
