In the last few years, a spate of young, edgy but still elegant fine jewelry designers have come on to the scene, and they’re catering to a clientele that could be described the very same way.

It seems that there is a new market for fine jewelry in the post recession years; young women who are looking for luxurious, but less ostentatious pieces they can incorporate into their daily lives. New York designers like Eva Zuckerman, who launched her Eva Fehren line in 2011, and Anna Sheffield, whose boutique opened in 2013, are catering directly to that market.

“I feel like there was something missing in the marketplace not just stylistically or aesthetically, but also from the perspective of the brand value and how that corresponds to the lifestyle of our clientele,” said Ms. Sheffield.

Her eponymous line, which grew out of a collection of engagement and wedding rings, ranges in price from just $200 for a set of sterling silver Rivet Studs to $19,500 for a platinum and black diamond ring named for the deity Astarte. Ms. Sheffield and her staff have noticed that women want jewelry that is beautiful and valuable, and that they can wear everyday, not the heirlooms inherited from mothers and grandmothers.

Incorporating high fashion and luxury into daily life is nothing new—the chicest women around the globe have been pairing their most expensive garments with purchases from lower priced brands like H&M and Top Shop for years. Those same women see accessorizing with fine jewelry as another way of incorporating luxury into their daily routines; so they are looking for pieces that fit seamlessly into their active schedules.

Caitlin Mociun, who designs the Brooklyn based line Mociun, said she’s always surprised by the number of young women she sees in fine jewelry doing the everyday things that women of a previous generation would have removed their gems for.

“We’re not just sitting around in our pretty jewelry. Women want to go to their exercise class in their jewelry,” she said. “A lot of fine jewelry is not made for everyday. I have to think about how I can make something that is luxurious and beautiful, but also holds up in their lifestyle.”

Ms. Fehren has seen a similar trend with her customers. She said that they are looking to buy pieces that can be worn easily from day in to evening. Her geometric line includes rings and bangles in varying weights, making them ideal for stacking or layering. It pairs unexpected stones, like opaque sapphires and grey diamonds with 18-carat gold.

“Our customer is looking for designs that are not overly complicated and looks to invest in timeless pieces that complement her overall style,” she said. Her best selling pieces fall into the $4,000-$7,000 range, though some items cost as much as $30,000.

And it is women who are doing the investing. Another factor affecting growth in the fine jewelry market is that, more than ever, women are purchasing expensive pieces for themselves instead of waiting to receive the items they covet as gifts on special occasions.

Rony Vardi, owner of the jewelry boutique Catbird, and Leigh Plessner, the store’s general manager said they see self-purchasing that ranges from small to extravagant. They say that younger women shopping to celebrate a milestone or a hard week at work with mid-priced fine jewelry.

“Fine jewelry not a stodgy thing that is totally inaccessible. You can own something really beautiful that can be passed down to your kids, and it’s the same price as a pair of really beautiful shoes that you would wear for a few seasons and retire,” Ms. Vardi said by phone.

Catbird, which has developed a cult following by women of all ages, opened in Brooklyn ten years ago. At first, its core business was with women in their 20s, who they say have grown with the brand. In recent years Ms. Vardi and Ms. Plessner noticed women coming to them for engagement and wedding rings, which encouraged them to expand Catbird’s offerings.

“That opened the door. We realized that people wanted to see the higher priced pieces, not just for weddings, but to buy for themselves or as gifts.”

Overall sales at Catbird have grown steadily, increasing 21 percent from 2013 to 2014 and 32 percent year to date from 2014 to 2015.

Another New York based designer, Pamela Love, whose costume jewelry brand also saw cult success with young women when it launched in 2007, expanded in to fine jewelry last year.

Ms. Love said that her clients are in their 20s to middle 40s, and that many of them hear about the collection, sold exclusively at Barney’s New York, through social media. The label’s Instagram account boasts over 100,000 followers.

According to a McKinsey survey, one to two-thirds of luxury shoppers says that they frequently turn to social media for advice.

Ms. Sheffield and Ms. Mociun’s brands also have Instagram accounts that serve as a prime space to showcase another element of their businesses that is changing the way young women shop for fine jewelry: their custom made pieces. For both brands the segment still remains mostly dedicated to engagement and wedding rings, though customers often return to have additional pieces made, for themselves or as gifts. Eva Fehren also works with clients on bespoke creations and all three of the brands say that many of their customers bring heirloom stones to have them reset to their taste.

“I have one client who I’m always slowly making something for,” Ms. Mociun said.

Each of the New York City based designers said that they plan to continue to grow their fine jewelry business.

Ms. Vardi said that the uptick in jewelry sales across the board makes perfect sense.

“There is something very special about jewelry. Clients are never grumpy when they are buying jewelry. There is no ‘Oh this is going to make me look fat.’ It is a pleasurable and meaningful experience, and I think that increases the value.”