Collector Obsession: Christy’s Love of David Yurman Jewelry

ROYERSFORD, Pa. It was 16 years ago when Christy first spied jewelry from David Yurman. A cousin of the young mom and account rep for a financial services firm was wearing a stack of Yurman bangles in silver and gold, and Christy admired the details of the high-polish and oxidized-silver mix.

“I could see myself wearing them on casual occasions or dressed up to go out,” she recalls.

Around that time, Christy was about to deliver her second child, so she asked her husband, Scott, for a push present: one of those bangles. He chose an open number in silver with Yurman’s signature end caps in 18k yellow gold. Christy loved it and couldn’t wait to wear it to the next big social event on their calendar.

Today, Christy’s collection of Yurman pieces has grown in number to match the age of her son: 15! Getting a Yurman piece has become a ritual every holiday, and some years she simply bought some for herself.

“I have a ring in silver and gold that was a self-purchase after we earned partnerships at work,” she explains. “I went to Benari’s [in Exton, Pa.] to purchase it, but it had sold by the time I got there. So Scott bought me a bangle instead, and the store reordered the ring for me to buy later.”

More pieces include blue topaz and diamond studs and a matching enhancer necklace (purchased to wear to her brother’s wedding), a garnet enhancer, and an interchangeable pendant outlined in diamonds. She also has a silver link bracelet that she often wears with a bangle. “I like the weight of them,” she says.

Christy is such a brand ambassador that she inspires purchases among others. “There’s a girl at work in her mid-20s and she has Yurman jewelry, too—including a new silver ring that I just got,” she says. “Yurman is versatile, and not so elite that it is out of reach for a working 25- to 45-year-old.”

Yurman is also recognizable. At a charity golf outing at the end of the summer, a former Penn State football player noticed Christy’s stack of bracelets and asked, “Are those Yurman?” Christy laughed and told him yes. “It made my day!” she exclaims. “Some people recognize the brand and others don’t, but it always feels like a million bucks when people do.”

Temptations

Christy loves collecting David Yurman jewelry, but she’s also open to learning about other designers with equally chic aesthetics. Here are five more pieces that could appeal to her obsession and keep her collecting.