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During the 1920s and 1930s, Yard worked primarily in platinum, producing all-white diamond and natural pearl jewelry, reflecting the early Art Deco tastes. In 1926, his pieces became more intricate, more elaborate, and expensive.

The growth of the Yard firm was only marginally affected by the 1929 stock market crash and the Depression as neither of these had an impact on Yard’s society clientele. In the thirties, he was able to work with exceptionally fine gemstones including natural pearls, Kashmir sapphires, and Burmese rubies. Settings that were handmade and designed to disappear so that the gems appeared to float became a Yard trademark. He also began to use different diamond shapes to create three-dimensional effects.

“When one of his craftsmen brought Yard a finished jewel for inspection, he would rub it up and down his tie. If the piece would snag and ruin the tie with roughness, he would give it back to be reworked,” Kuzmanovic says. “During this time, Yard stayed faithful to the Art Deco style but he created bolder pieces that had more complicated geometric patterns and color contrasts. In addition to his industrialist patronage, Hollywood stars were now becoming Yard devotees. One of his biggest celebrity clients was Joan Crawford.”

The Yard style changed during the war years. Platinum was prohibited and Yard worked in semiprecious stones, primarily moonstones and colored sapphires, set in palladium and yellow gold. The new materials became the impetus for more experimental naturalistic designs and larger pieces that showed a more sculptural style. In the 1950s, monochromatic platinum and diamond jewelry returned but with different settings and cuts. Yard worked in both platinum and gold successfully until he retired in 1958.

“Prior to the official announcement of his retirement, Yard met with three of his employees, Glen McQuaker, Robert Gibson, and Donald Bartow whom he relied upon and whom he believed complemented each other, and offered them the opportunity to buy the company,” Kuzmanovic explains. “He asked each for a down payment of $10,000. With some difficulty on each of their parts, they were able to come up with the financial commitment. A month after they sent the money to Yard, their respective checks were returned to them with a note stating that Yard had wanted to see how serious they were and would turn it over to them without any fee.” Yard received only payment for jewelry and gemstones that had been in stock when he retired.