David Yurman
 | |
| Private | |
| Industry | Jewelers |
| Founded | 1980 |
| Headquarters | New York City, United States |
Key people |
David Yurman, Co-Founder Sybil Yurman, Co-Founder |
| Products | Jewelry |
| Revenue | US$836 million (total sales in 2012) |
| Website |
davidyurman |
David Yurman Inc. is a privately held American designer jewelry company[1] founded by David Yurman (born October 12, 1942 in New York City) and Sybil Yurman (born December 10, 1942 in New York City) and headquartered in New York City.[2] There are currently a total of 32 David Yurman boutiques in North America and worldwide.[3]
History
David Yurman grew up on Long Island, New York. At age 16, he met Cuban welder and sculptor Ernesto Gonzales who taught him the direct welding techniques that inform Yurman’s work today. After a year at New York University, David left college and spent the next five years hitchhiking between Greenwich Village, Venice, and Big Sur, immersing himself in the Beatnik and San Francisco Renaissance cultural movements. In the early 1960s, David apprenticed for several years with modernist sculptor Jacques Lipchitz. He also established his own studio in Greenwich Village and worked for various sculptors, including Theodore Roszak. In the late 1960s, David became the shop foreman for sculptor Hans Van de Bovenkamp and it was in this studio that David met the painter Sybil Kleinrock, his future wife and business partner.
In the early 1970s, David and Sybil moved to Carmel in Putnam County 50 miles north of New York City, and formed a company called Putnam Art Works, which specialized in sculptural jewelry. Throughout the next decade, David and Sybil exhibited their jewelry designs, sculptures, and paintings at various galleries and craft fairs. Through Putnam Art Works, the Yurmans learned the marketplace for fine crafts and artisanal jewelry. They married in 1979 and founded the David Yurman company a year later, with Sybil Yurman acting as a co-creator and collaborator in all facets of the business. Their son, Evan Yurman, was born on January 31, 1982. In 1987, David Yurman debuted his jewelry designs at the World Watch and Jewelry Show in Basel, Switzerland. David Yurman became a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 1999.
In 1977, David was chosen as one of twelve jewelers to exhibit at the first New Designer Gallery at the Jewelers of America show in New York City.
In 1982, Yurman introduced what became his signature piece, the cable bracelet: a twisted helix adorned with gemstones on its end caps. He called the bracelet and related designs “Renaissance,” and it has become one of his most enduring collections. His cable design evolved to become the thread that connects all of his collections.
Advertising
In 2000, David and Sybil Yurman hired the David Lipman advertising agency and photographer Peter Lindbergh for their first advertising campaign that was shot in St. Barts with Amber Valletta as the face of the brand. In the following years, many prominent supermodels such as Kate Moss, Gisele Bündchen, and Kate Upton have also appeared in David Yurman advertising campaigns.
Honors and Awards
1980 - Intergold Award from the World Gold Council for a gold wire and diamond necklace design that was the forerunner of the iconic cable motif
1981 - Designer of the Year from the Cultured Pearl Associations of America and Japan for innovative use of pearls
2003 - Star Gazer award from Fashion Group International
2004 - Lifetime Achievement Award at the JIC Gem Awards
2007 - Style Etoile Award from Savannah College of Art and Design
2011 - Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Gem Society, the first time a jewelry designer received this award
2013 – Couture Human Spirit Award from the Couture Show
2013 - Annual Visionaries! Award from the Museum of Arts and Design
Social responsibility
The Yurmans formalized a lifelong commitment to charitable causes by establishing the David & Sybil Yurman Humanitarian and Arts Foundation in 2001.[4] The foundation presents David Yurman Angel Awards to individuals who support charities and the arts through their donations and volunteerism. Past recipients include Steven Spielberg, Elton John, and Leonard Slatkin. The foundation also provides support for a variety of charitable initiatives, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, Studio In a School, The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. David Yurman also created a pin for the Silver Shield Foundation benefiting the families of New York City firefighters and policemen.