Forget Millennials, Gen Z, or even Gen Alpha. The demographic you should be focusing on, at least according to the jewelry professionals who spoke to JCK, is 60-something self-purchasing women. This cohort might be empty nesters who’ve put their kids through college and now have money to spend on themselves. They might be professionals who finally are in a place to splurge. Or they might be retirees in need of new jewelry wardrobes.

Are you capitalizing on them? Below, JCK rounds up a host of insights about sexagenarian jewelry lovers based on interviews with retailers to help you understand why these clients are so valuable to your business, what they’re buying, and how to cement lasting relationships with them.

They’re in the market for something new.

“The woman in her late 50s, early 60s is a woman who has been in charge of her household budget, and, as her children mature, it becomes time for the mom to treat herself,” Rhett Outten, third generation co-owner of Croghan’s Jewel Box in Charleston, S.C., tells JCK. This customer, she explains, is focused primarily on discovering new pieces that can be layered and mixed in with the items she already owns.

Miami-based jewelry brand Buddha Mama reports further evidence of this mindset. “Our clients have access to—and collect—a lot of jewelry, so they’re looking for a way to express themselves,” founder Nancy Badia says. “And while a diamond rivière is always perfect, when we layer in our pieces it makes a different statement.”

Sometimes, all it takes to channel a more youthful vibe is donning a new piece of designer jewelry. “Quite frankly, in your 60s, if you don’t keep your jewelry youthful and relevant, it can really make you look your age,” says New York City–based designer Jade Trau, noting that clients often come in seeking new pieces to make their collections feel more current overall.

They’re looking to upgrade.

Many sexagenarians already have eternity bands, diamond studs, and engagement rings. “Now that they’re more established, more confident, they want something that’s larger, more special,” says Seth Berman, managing partner of Provident Jewelry, with several locations in South Florida. “We also do a ton of trading in our stores. We always say to clients, ‘Look, if you’re not wearing it, you should trade it for something that you can enjoy every day.’”

It’s not uncommon, Berman says, for clients in this demographic to come in with Roberto Coin designs they bought in the 1990s and hope to exchange them for something from one of the brand’s more recent collections. On the other hand, sometimes they prefer to trade in their old jewelry for something completely different, such as an art deco estate piece or a new necklace or bracelet from a contemporary diamond fashion line (for Berman’s clients, the French brand Messika is the get).

“As they get later into life, they get more comfortable with themselves, and that translates to their jewelry choices,” Berman adds.

They don’t want the same-old, same-old.

Independent jewelry designers are in a unique position to convert mature customers, many of whom have jewel boxes amply stocked with staple diamond pieces as well as a few instantly recognizable brand-name classics. (Think a David Yurman Cable bracelet or an Alhambra necklace from Van Cleef & Arpels.) “Since they have those statement name-brand designer pieces, they’re looking for something different, something that sparks an ‘I’ve never seen something like this before’ response,” says Lori Friedman, owner and designer of Loriann Jewelry in Westport, Conn.

Friedman adds that Instagram, a platform engineered to facilitate the discovery of companies and products, has been a particularly effective way to draw in the older client seeking jewelry that is completely divorced from what she already owns. “The language and visuals I use—all of that creates a mood,” she says, “and I post in a series of three or four so that the images have a flow and tell a story.”

They’re decisive.

Rarely does a 60-something come into the store without a plan to try on pieces and ultimately purchase them, according to the pros JCK interviewed. “There’s an expectation of an educated customer walking in the door,” Outten says. This client often spends a great deal of time researching pieces on a store’s or designer’s website so “she knows what we have, how much it costs, and wants to try it on to see if it fits or goes with her Yurman,” Outten says.

Customers in this demographic also “have a very strong understanding of what’s in the marketplace,” Trau says. “When they come in, it’s not the first jewelry that they’ve tried on this month. They’re walking into Bergdorf, they’re wandering around downtown.” The takeaway for associates? Keep these insights in mind and ask questions to gauge their game plan.

They love redesigns and custom projects.

Many 60-somethings have recently inherited jewelry from the estate of a loved one. They are sentimental about the pieces, but the jewels now in their possession can be outdated or too formal for their current lifestyle. Outten says she consults with clients who fit this profile at least once a week.

“It’s really fun when we see pieces that we originally sold to the family,” Outten says. These clients often opt to redesign the pieces they’ve inherited. “With a good custom department, you can create the simplest of things to help you honor, love, and wear that piece.”

Trau says her 60-something clients bring in ultraformal jewelry they no longer wear. “They want pieces that they can play tennis and go out to dinner in, and travel with, and not feel like it’s their one giant piece. They don’t need to be the fanciest woman in the room.” And when they break down the old jewelry to create a custom design based on something from Trau’s collection, “that one giant piece becomes six pieces, and they’re wearing two out of the six all the time.”

They want to be friends.

These customers want to be on a highly personalized, first-name basis with the designers they discover as well as their favorite jewelry salespeople. “It’s so important for associates to stay in constant contact with this clientele,” says Berman. “But not always to try to get them to buy something. It’s a matter of asking, ‘How are you doing?’ ‘How are the kids?’ and really forming a friendship with them.”

For New York–based designer Mindi Mond, one such friendship blossomed during a recent trunk show at a store that was hosting a concurrent event with a couture fashion designer. When one of the attendees tried on a dress and stepped out of the dressing room, “I impulsively walked over with a pair of earrings and said, ‘You look stunning in this gown—I couldn’t help bringing these over for you to try on.’ We started chatting, and from there, we had a few one-on-one appointments, a lunch or two, and naturally stayed in touch. We still continue to support each other.”

Trau stresses the importance of establishing a relationship built on trust and intimacy, “especially when you’re talking about a more mature woman who has so much buying under her belt and has done this so many times,” she says. “It needs to be the right dynamic—you can go to the greatest doctor on the planet and just not jibe with their bedside manner.”

Meanwhile, connecting on social media is equally important, especially since it’s often how this client experiences your jewelry for the first time. “Many of my clients follow me on Instagram, and I often follow them back, giving us the opportunity to share in each other’s life journeys,” Mond says.

But don’t discount the power of IRL (in real life) interactions at the local community events that tend to attract this contingent. “I attend country club events, fundraisers, networking gatherings,” Friedman says. “All these things are opportunities to connect with your clients.”

They’re likely to make repeat purchases.

Sixty-something jewelry lovers are primed to transition from customer to collector. And that magical transformation is largely the result of attending trunk shows and in-store events with brand executives and ambassadors. In such settings, these women are looking “to make a real connection with the brand,” Berman says. “It creates an exciting story that they’re happy to share. And once they identify with a specific brand, it’s very common for them to acquire multiple pieces.”

Knowing this, sales associates have a unique opportunity to help this type of client continually build a collection based on the brands she favors.

As for the designers who hope to cement a following, Friedman has found that trunk shows are a great breeding ground for customer loyalty. One reason is that mature buyers tend to have the means to start collecting designer pieces. Another is that trunk shows are an opportunity for Friedman to educate store staff about her jewelry: “Nurturing those connections is just as important as selling your pieces.”

They’re in YOLO mode.

Good news: It’s not uncommon for  women in their 60s to travel in packs. Sometimes they are friends who have a shared interest in jewelry and like being on a first-name basis with the same jeweler, just as they might all see the same aesthetician for facials or waxing.

If your store is in a tourist destination, you might encounter a group enjoying a ladies-only weekend away. “They are here to shop, and they are here without their husbands,” Outten says. They might also be successful women who have not yet retired and have no problem treating themselves. “Somehow they follow us on Instagram or they’ve Googled what to do in Charleston, and it’s just tremendous—they come in by the planeload.”

Last but not least, many jewelers note that customers in this age bracket are less likely to be price-resistant. “They’re like, ‘Why not’? You only live once,’” Trau says. “They can do the YOLO spending that 30-year-olds can’t.”

Top: Rubellite Oval Cabochon ring in 20k yellow gold with 1.18 cts. t.w. diamonds, 2.86 cts. t.w. emeralds, and 2.77 cts. t.w. pink sapphires, price on request; Buddha Mama