Yoga lifestyle jewelry generally falls into two camps—the crunchy hippie or the lustworthy Jill Platner. But Urban Om, which just launched this month, understands the hip New York yogi, from her chic sense of style to her likely limited budget.

So we’re pairing the designs with other yoga-inspired brands with heftier price tags for a Lust vs. Must comparison.

“Urban Om is a little more edgy than most yoga jewelry,” says Selen Bayrak, the Brooklyn-based designer behind Selen Design, who melded her signature modern design ethos with her love of yoga to create the new collection. “There are no wooden beads.”

Instead, Bayrak uses pewter, an affordable material that has an aged, chic look. It’s like the exposed brick of jewelry. It’s also non-allergenic, and Bayrak uses synthetic vegan “leather” for pieces that include cords.

And her chunky designs incorporate yogic images like the tree of life, the lotus flower, and the buddha without overwhelming the modern aesthetic, i.e. you won’t need to keep it in your Kirtan-only drawer.

We chose three of our favorites for this Lust vs. Must:

BRACELET

Jill Platner Spring Bracelet ($1,550) vs. Urban Om Om Shanti Wrap Bracelet ($50)

You’ll have to splurge on the lustalicious Platner bracelet if you’re going to a gala, but the Om Shanti Wrap is great for day-to-day dressing up.

RING

Satya Heart of Lotus Ring ($154) vs. Urban Om Three Dimensional Lotus Ring ($45)

EARRINGS

Giant cocktail rings can be costly, and come in the size of saucers. Urban Om’s version of the lotus cocktail ring is pretty, not garish, and it’s a third of the price of Satya’s.

Rebecca Overmann’s Gilded Leaf Earrings ($350) vs. Urban Om Tree of Life Earrings ($40)

We’re seriously lusting after Overmann’s delicate dangling design, but Urban Om’s funky take on tree branches would add serious flair to a post-yoga brunch outfit.

Urban Om is sold online at www.etsy.com/urbanomshop and will be available at Wanderlust Vermont and at Bhakti Fest in 2012