The founder of the jewelry company that bears his name, David Yurman is best known for his twisted cable design, which he introduced nearly two decades ago.

Yurman grew up on Long Island and dropped out of college in exchange for entry into the '60s bohemian arts scene, living in Provincetown and later Big Sur. In the late '60s he apprenticed under a series of famed sculptors. In 1969, while living in New York and collaborating with sculptor Hans van de Bovenkamp, Yurman met Sybil Kleinrock. The two soon became a couple and David started making some of his first pieces of jewelry as gifts for Sybil. What started as a hobby soon turned into a full-time job thanks to Sybil's insistence, and Yurman designed collections for Cartier before going out on his own in 1979-the same year he and Sybil married-with Yurman Designs Inc.

By the mid-1980s, Yurman had made a name for himself with the now-iconic cable bracelet of twisted silver ropes. One of the most copied pieces of jewelry on the planet, the style remains the David Yurman signature, although the company has added watches, gold collections with semi-precious stones and pearls, men's jewelry, fragrances, and eyewear to the roster. Yurman continues to oversee the design of the pieces, although in 2006 he handed over the CEO reigns to David Blum, the former president of Kenneth Cole. [Image via Getty]