The jewelry is “comfortable,” says Yurman, 63, who recently visited his Orlando, Fla., signature boutique.

Before the 1980s, when Yurman’s now-iconic cable bracelets became the most coveted, and copied, arm candy in America, there were two kinds of jewelry: costume for everyday wear, and fine jewelry for special occasions. The relaxed elegance of Yurman’s designs bridged the divide.

The jewelry is classic but with a modern twist that gives it go-anywhere elan.

Signature motifs include a squared “cushion” shape, a hook-and-eye closure and the recognized twisting “cable” pattern. The designs are “a combination of art, fine jewelry and fashion,” says Yurman.

Dressed all in black, he looks every inch the artist from Tribeca, the New York neighborhood where he and his wife, Sylvia, live.

Before designing jewelry, Yurman was a sculptor, hanging out with prominent Beat artists of the 1960s: writer Norman Mailer, painter Franz Kline.

“I did these funny little silver angels,” he says.

It was one of those angels, fashioned into a belt buckle, that sparked his career as a jewelry designer. Now, their collections are in more than 450 stores around the world.

Gwyneth Paltrow and Barbra Streisand wear the jewelry; Steven Spielberg and Kevin Spacey the watches; Jay-Z and Damon Dash the men’s designs.

The designs range from about $300 for a simple bracelet to more than $7,000 for a multistrand couture necklace, and are among the most copied in the world.

For more, go to davidyurman.com.

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