Timeless Stories, Timeless Jewels

History offers endless examples of artistic pairs whose love stories deepened both their mythos and their art: Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe, Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas. Within that pantheon, David and Sybil Yurman slot neatly. Parts of their story seem plucked from a script. They were born only two months and a few miles apart in New York City and independently came into their own as artists (he as a sculptor, she as a painter and ceramicist). When they met by chance in 1969, a creative and personal partnership to last a lifetime was sparked. Together, guided by the goal of making “beautifully designed objects to wear,” they created the David Yurman brand, and over 50 years later that brand is one of the foremost in American luxury jewelry and one of the largest privately owned jewelers in the world.

Now, the duo—with the help of editor Thierry-Maxime Loriot— is showcasing their work as artists in Sybil and David Yurman: Artists and Jewelers (Phaidon, $69.95). This intimate biography examines the work and life of both Sybil and David through original artworks, family photographs, personal texts and archival materials, many of which have never been published.

The text takes you deep into the brand’s story, offering striking jewelry portraits, original design sketches, behind-the-scenes images of global campaigns (featuring the likes Kate Moss, Amber Valletta, Naomi Campbell and Gisele Bündchen), Sybil’s and David’s own art and personal musings on their frequent partnerships with other artists.

Both a celebration of the brand’s past, from its earliest days in the underground art worlds of New York and California and through its emergence on the global stage, and a triumphant look to the future, with a conclusion section by the Yurmans’ son Evan, Sybil and David Yurman offers exclusive insight into one of the leading fine jewelry brands in the world. David Yurman himself says, “We’ve always chosen to bring the expression of our creations through the lens of art,” and the book certainly lives up to that promise. The cover design showcases one of Sybil’s paintings, while the title type is designed to resemble David’s welding in embossed gold foil. A luxury edition of the book is also available and comes tucked within a clamshell box, which is embossed with gold designs. Turn the pages and let yourself fall into a world of beauty, love—and the power of art itself.