Iconic Designers David and Sybil Yurman Talk Jewelry, Art, and Their New Book

David and Sybil Yurman are celebrating their iconic cable jewelry design with a new book, David Yurman Cable ($100). The tome reflects on the sculptural origins of the twisted motif—now synonymous with the 37-year-old jewelry house—and shares never-before-seen personal photos and early sketches.

While the brand has produced a number of popular pieces since its founding in 1980, its cable creation is easily the most beloved—both for its versatility and contemporary elegance. “Cable is the river that runs through all of our collections,” writes David Yurman in the new book, and, indeed, the design has evolved over the years. It has been crafted in 18-karat gold, sterling silver, and colored titanium; adorned with pearls, diamonds, and various precious gems; and been modified into stackable cuff bracelets, statement rings, earrings, and timepieces.

David and Sybil, who have been married for nearly 40 years, trace their enduring creative drive back to their shared love of art in its many forms. “Artists are the essence of the real world,” says David. “Without artists, life would be like going into the forest and hearing no birds. Something wouldn’t feel right.”

To mark the debut of the new book, we talked to David about the inspiration behind Cable, the secret to his and Sybil’s success, and more.

How would you describe the signature Cable design?

The cable bracelet came about in 1983 when I was exploring and working with wires, similar to those I was using to make sculptures—bundling, twisting, and warping them. Over the years, since we made the first cable bracelet, the cable motif has been used in so many of our pieces—it symbolizes our company and is what brings all of our collections together. We continue to evolve our use of the cable so that it maintains a sense of modernity while remaining a classic motif that we’ve used for over 30 years.

What did you enjoy most about putting the David Yurman Cable book together?

The brand has been around since 1980, so this was a wonderful opportunity to look back on the evolution of the cable at David Yurman and our voyage from art to jewelry over the past 30-plus years. We revisited decades of artistic dreams and inspirations and rediscovered the roots of the cable form—how prevalent it is in different cultures, in nature, art, and in the fashion industry. Cable has proven to be the perfect foundation for mine and Sybil’s combined creative expression and individual points of view. The book is really a celebration of the cable that has been an inspiration to us since our time as a sculptor and a painter.

 Your brand is iconic in the jewelry world—what do you think is the key to your success?

The key for us has been to strike a balance between consistency and surprise in the collections we’ve created—continuing to create pieces for our loyal customers who look for the classic brand motifs while always remaining innovative in the design and engineering processes we use. What we make has a relaxed sense of luxury that people are drawn to and that they can wear every day.