The Yurman Magic

18k gold oval mobile earrings with turquoise briolette.

Midnight, Manhattan and the world of jewelry design according to David Yurman, the quintessential American designer

dDavid Yurman is one of America’s best-loved jewelry designers. This is perhaps because he has his finger on the pulse of what women are looking for today in jewelry. “I think what our loyal collectors are looking for are innovation and quality,” says Yurman. “We live by our brand promise — creating jewelry with quality materials and artisanal workmanship — yet we’re constantly evolving, with designs that are both classic and modern in feel.” This quest for modernity makes Yurman more a leader than a follower of important trends. The emerging preference for the look of blackened metals, for example, “has been an organic evolution of our collections,” says Yurman. “Blackening was a technique I learned while working as a sculptor in my early years. I’ve worked with blackened metals now for over 30 years, and oxidized darkened silver for the past decade, when I launched the

Midnight Ice Collection. In 2009, I introduced Midnight Mélange, which I created for the opening of the David Yurman Boutique at Printemps, in Paris. When you look at the heritage of our brand, you can see I’ve always been fascinated by the contrast of black metal with white diamonds, black diamonds and moonstones.” His current collections include the Midnight Mélange collection of bangles made of blackened silver and set with diamonds, cocktail rings with silver, blackened silver, onyx, moonstone and other faceted gemstones; and a collection of long necklaces that, like the bangles, can be worn solo or in multiple layers, with stations of colored-gemstones and/or engraved gold beads.

Gold and silver cable motif cuffs, with smoky quartz, citrine and diamonds.

Yurman’s signature motif is the cable design, a Celtic motif first used in the sixth century. It is the thread that runs through his collections, and is part of what makes his pieces so collectible. The motif, according to Yurman, was inspired as much by the Brooklyn Bridge as it was by the symbolism of the Scottish Highlands. “I wanted to turn a raw and common element like cable into something refined,” he says. “For me, urban environments are a source of inspiration.”

In fact, Yurman’s fall advertising campaign, shot by world-class photographer Peter Lindbergh, is called “Born in New York,” and “conveys the energy of the city where my wife and muse, Sybil and I were both born,” says Yurman. “It was shot in locations throughout Manhattan, where we continue to live and work, and conveys the vibrancy and spirit of our new collections. It’s a departure from our St. Barth’s campaign, and we’re very excited about it — it’s some of Peter’s best work,” says Yurman.

Yurman, who trained as a sculptor, began to apply his talent for three-dimensional art to the creation of belt buckles and, eventually, jewelry, which he originally made for Sybil, a painter. Today, Yurman’s family-owned and operated enterprise is one of the largest privately owned jewelry companies in America. Sybil is his partner in the business, and son Evan is in charge of the men’s collections and timepieces. After 30 years, Yurman, 67, has become nearly as famous as the ambassadors in his advertising campaigns, including Kate Moss, Amber Valetta and Natalia Vodianova. Yurman works out of a 58,000 sq.-ft. corporate head office and studio in Tribeca and recently opened a 2,000-sq.ft. showroom, the David Yurman Townhouse, on Madison Avenue. His jewelry is sold through fine retailers throughout the U.S.

36” sterling silver, black onyx, and hematite Elements necklace.

Yurman’s signature motif is the cable design, a celtic motif first used in the sixth century.

Sterling silver Cordelia necklace with cable ring clasp.