David Yurman: Carving a Legacy

As most stories begin, David Yuman The company begins with the love story of two artists from New York who never imagined starting a business. David Yurman and Sybil Kleinrock were both born in New York in 1942 and lived parallel lives until they met in the 1960s and eventually fell in love, paving the way for a new future that neither could have expected. We will find out more about who Yurman is and how this famous company came to be in this blog.

Who is David Yurman?

Born on October 12th^Day, 1942 in Manhattan, New York David Yurman grew up loving art. He made and sold sculptures to his classmates. When he was a teenager, his sister introduced him to Cuban sculptor Ernesto González and he learned welding. After a short time in college, Yurman quickly dropped out and moved across the country to California, where he lived in an art colony, but in the late 1960s he found his way back to the Big Apple. Drawing on his experience working with several famous sculptors, including Jacques Lipshitz, Theodore Rozak, and Hans Van de Bovenkamp, ​​he developed and utilized his own skills.

David Yurman's wife, Sybil Kleinrock, was born in the Bronx on December 10.^Day, 1942. She lived a life similar to Yurman's, flaunting her passion for painting. Sybil took the counterculture as her inspiration while experiencing the zeitgeist of the 50s and 60s in New York. In the 1960s she moved to California to live in an art colony, then later in the decade she returned to New York, where she met Yurman and she eventually collaborated with him to create the company we know today.

parallel life

Both artists were, in their own right, Sybil a painter and David a sculptor. Coincidentally, the two worked at the same coffee shop, moved to California to study art, and returned to New York, where they finally met. David was working in the studio of sculptor Hans Van de Bovenkamp when Sybil came to work. Part of her position required her to work under David and there their story began and their future artistic collaboration would come to fruition as a blend of two different artistic approaches.

Legacy: From Foundation to Brand Building

In 1971, during the course of their relationship, David carved the infamous 'Dante' necklace for his girlfriend, which he wore to the gallery. The necklace caught the attention of a New York City gallery owner who wanted to buy the piece on the spot but asked her to produce several pieces. The 'Dante' necklace was a huge hit and sold out immediately, which led to David and Sybil starting their own jewelery business. From there, they traveled, created Putnam Artworks, and learned the tools of the trade for business.

Shortly after their marriage in 1979, they sold the business, and in 1980, the founding of the David Yurman Company began. A year after founding the company, Yurman's received an award from the World Gold Council for its Starlight necklace, a stepping stone that uses its signature cabling design. In 1983, the company produced its first cable bracelet, which would define the company's future.

By 1999, the David Yurman Company had accumulated experience and a reputation through recognition, awards, pioneering design and advertising. The Silver Ice collection, which debuted in 1997, featured sterling silver and diamonds, making the company the first designer to do so. There, the world saw its first major advertising campaign, the company set up its first boutique on Madison Avenue, and took charge of its own campaigns.

David & Sybil's son Evan eventually joined his parents in 2003 at the age of 19, becoming head of design for the men's collection. He eventually began acquiring more collections and was appointed senior design director in 2013.

Signature Cable and Its Legacy

Whether it's Louis Vuitton's signature monogram or Tiffany's Return to Tiffany collection, every brand has something they're famous for. For David Yurman, it's the signature cable detail. Paying homage to architecture, the cabling design is inspired by the columns found in classically designed buildings while also uniquely reflecting Yurman's philosophy. The design featured individual cables twisted together to create a greater visual impact to emphasize the belief in the importance of collaboration and that creating something should be a group effort. Cabling not only expresses David and Sybil's philosophy about life and art, but also establishes a lasting legacy by uniting all of their life's work.

For more information about David Yurman, see the following blogs: Identifying the Real David Yurman and 10 things you didn't know about David Yurman.