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David Yurman the Brand

Yurman’s venture into jewelry making was largely
unintentional. Yurman designed a sculpturally-in-
spired piece for Sybil who wore it to an art gallery
opening. The gallery owner asked to reproduce and
sell Yurman’s design. However, Yurman declined,

claiming Sybil’s gift was too personal to share and
sell commercially. This wasn’t a missed opportuni-
ty in Sybil’s mind, however; rather it was proof that
there was a ready market interested in Yurman’s de-
signs.

After the couple was married in 1979, the newly-
weds launched their namesake brand in 1980. In
1983, Yurman introduced his now-signature piece:

the cable bracelet. His double-helix of winding sil-
ver ropes with finial ends was a commercial success
and spring boarded the David Yurman brand. The
cable bracelet remains a best-seller today and is a
cornerstone motif of the David Yurman aesthetic,
frequently incorporated into various new designs.
Yurman made waves again in 1997 when he became
the first prominent designer to set diamonds in
sterling silver. This was a bold and innovative de-
parture from classic fine jewelry and transformed
the industry’s opinion of this technique.

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