Chelsy Davy on Motherhood, Meaning and Building Aya.
Photo by Annika Dop. Images courtesy of Aya
Chelsy Davy may be a familiar name to many, but today she is in a deeply defining chapter of her life, and perhaps her most meaningful one yet. Now a mother of three and founder of fine jewellery brand Aya, Chelsy speaks with refreshing honesty about raising children while nurturing a business rooted in creativity, craftsmanship and meaning.
Chelsy reflects on the quieter confidence that has come with welcoming her third child, Finn, the emotional moment of introducing him to his older siblings, and the ways motherhood has reshaped the rhythm of her days. She shares the honest juggle of family life and entrepreneurship with warmth and humour, from early morning work sessions before the house wakes up to the ever-present need for a village, especially during the harder seasons.
Her path to founding Aya began in law, before a fascination with gemstones led her to study gemmology and create a fine jewellery brand. She shares the learning curves of building Aya, the pieces that hold the most meaning, and the example she hopes to set for her children as they watch her build something of her own.
Honest, warm and wonderfully down-to-earth, Chelsy’s words are a reminder that while motherhood can feel overwhelming and lonely at times, none of us are truly alone in it.
In this Luminary Mothers conversation, Chelsy opens up about the beautiful chaos of life with three children, the confidence that comes with trusting her instincts, the realities of building a brand around motherhood, and what it means to create something with resilience, patience and heart.
By Alice Codford
ON MOTHERHOOD
Alice: Congratulations on the arrival of your third child! How does the newborn bubble feel the third time around?
Chelsy Davy: It does feel different having done it twice before. Of course, there are still worries and scares, but this time I’ve felt much more comfortable trusting my instincts. I remember people telling me when Leo (number 1) was born that some sort of ‘mother’s intuition’ would guide me, but relying on that sort of thing when I had literally no idea what I was doing felt terrifying. This time I feel far more confident and so I’ve been able to be calmer. You know what’s normal and what’s not, so you can relax and enjoy it with fewer worries front of mind. I also found that with the first two I couldn’t wait for all the different stages. I was so excited about every upcoming milestone that in a way I found myself wishing it away. With Finn it’s the opposite. I’m cherishing every moment and hoping it doesn’t go too fast, probably something to do with knowing it’s the last time.
In what ways has motherhood changed you, both personally and professionally?
Chelsy Davy: On the personal side, pretty much everything has changed. Priorities, energy... my social life has taken a bit of a hit and I’m very much a home body these days. I find the thought of a night out thoroughly exhausting, which is a fairly major adjustment! I look back on my twenties and early thirties and honestly have no idea how I kept getting up and going again. I find those people that manage to maintain some semblance of a social life alongside kids and work incredibly impressive, and would love to know their secret. Professionally, I feel like I’ve learned to multitask like I never thought possible. I imagine it’s because, these days, there are literally not enough hours in the day...
“Introducing Finn to his older siblings was definitely something that gave me all the feels. They were so excited to meet him and they have been so amazing with him ever since.”
What has surprised you most about motherhood?
Chelsy Davy: Probably that it’s happened to me. Honestly, it wasn’t something I spent my teenage years or my twenties thinking was likely to be part of my future. My parents are delighted. I think they’d resigned themselves to never having grandkids!
What has been one of the more challenging seasons of motherhood for you, and what helped carry you through it?
Chelsy Davy: When your kid is sick it’s always really scary. We’ve had our share of such moments and, particularly when they’re small and can’t tell you what’s wrong, it never gets easier. Having a great support base with family, friends and a partner to share the load is gold dust in those scenarios. The ‘village’ thing is a cliché but it’s true, and even more so when there’s more than one kid and/or work that also needs your attention. In those moments you want and need to focus 100% on the baby, which means being able to depend on others to make sure nothing else gets dropped.
Photo by Susheel Schroeder. Images courtesy of Aya
Can you share a moment in motherhood that has stayed with you, one of those highs you know you’ll never forget?
Chelsy Davy: Introducing Finn to his older siblings was definitely something that gave me all the feels. They were so excited to meet him and they have been so amazing with him ever since (which I was not expecting!). My daughter particularly is obsessed with him, and seeing the elder two’s relationship developing into its own little dynamic constantly melts my heart. It was different with Finn being the third because we can see playing out in front of us the kind of inter-kid dynamics he’ll be growing up in.
Has motherhood changed the way you think about ambition, success, and where you choose to place your energy?
Chelsy Davy: I don’t think so. I see them as complementary. The reasons you do things shift a bit, though. Pre kids, a lot of it was about proving something, either to yourself or to other people, or just because the challenge was there. Now there’s a third audience watching, and they’re quite small and live in my house. Knowing that my kids will, at some point, form a view on what I’ve built is a strange and quite motivating thing.
“The reasons you do things shift a bit… Pre kids, a lot of it was about proving something, either to yourself or to other people… Now there’s a third audience watching, and they’re quite small and live in my house.”
On the harder days, when work, family life, and everything in between feel a lot, what helps you reset?
Chelsy Davy: A large glass of red wine!
What do you wish you had known before becoming a mother?
Chelsy Davy: That you are never going to be able to sit down ever again, and that “me time” and a lie in are no longer part of your life no matter what the day is. I would have liked to know that so I could have mentally prepared myself better for it!
ON AYA: HER TRANSITION AND START OF THE BRAND
Before Aya, your professional world was law. What did the transition from lawyer to founder look like for you, and what gave you the confidence to take that leap?
Chelsy Davy: I come from a family of entrepreneurs and striking out on my own always felt like the right route for me. Law was a good safety net. The world (pre AI anyway!) always needed lawyers, so I figured there would always be a fall back option if doing my own thing didn’t work out. Truth is, though, I’m not sure I was ever a great employee, and being my own boss is a much more natural fit.
“Aya’s success matters to me hugely, but if my kids absorb resilience, patience and a decent work ethic from watching me have a go at this, that’s probably the most useful thing I can give them. I hope they see me making a reasonable job of both family and work, without dropping either.”
What first drew you into the world of jewellery? Was it the stones themselves, the craftsmanship, the history, or the emotion a piece can carry?
Chelsy Davy: I was travelling in Madagascar and came across star sapphires. I was mesmerised by them, which led to a wider fascination with all gemstones and ultimately to me studying gemmology and starting Aya.
Photo by Annika Dop. Images courtesy of Aya
You’ve studied gemmology and spent time really understanding stones. What is it about gemstones that continues to fascinate you?
Chelsy Davy: I think it’s the science of it. Gemstones take millions, sometimes billions, of years to form, and the precise combination of pressure, temperature and chemistry over that vast stretch of time defines exactly what eventually comes out of the ground. Every single one is unique. And then on the flip side, we’ve worked out how to mimic those conditions in a lab and create identical stones in a matter of weeks. The whole thing blows my mind.
Looking back, what has been one of the biggest learning curves in building a jewellery brand that people on the outside rarely see?
Chelsy Davy: Honestly, that it’s so much harder than you expect. The number of moving parts, the need to do everything yourself or it simply doesn’t happen, the unforeseen challenges that derail plans the moment you’ve made them, the never ending lists, and the knowledge that it all rests on you. There are always days when it feels like too much. Which is why I think it’s so important to genuinely love what you do, otherwise it would be very hard to keep going.
“I come from a family of entrepreneurs and striking out on my own always felt like the right route for me.”
Is there a particular piece or collection that feels especially meaningful to you, whether because of the story behind it, the moment it came from, or what it represents for Aya?
Chelsy Davy: The Chloe Collection, named after my daughter. It’s one of my favourites and I loved that it was the first collection I designed as a mother. Being able to name it after her felt really lovely and sentimental. It was also the collection that relaunched the business after I’d (supposedly) finished having kids. The decision to relaunch knowing there were now other priorities in my life was, in many ways, an even bigger one than starting the business originally.
ON BUILDING THE BUSINESS AROUND MOTHERHOOD
Raising children while building a brand comes with so much that people never see. What has that balancing act taught you about yourself, both creatively and as a founder?
Chelsy Davy: Finding time to be creative is a challenge for sure. I’ve also found that the best coping mechanism I have for the juggle is getting up early, before anyone else is up, and having an hour or so to get on top of anything I didn’t get round to the day before, and prepare for the day ahead. Most of the time this gives me the headspace I need to get a plan in place, keep ahead of what I need to be ahead of, and be calmer and more present when the kids surface and variables start to creep in. I say variables. Chaos is probably more accurate.
What is your favourite design you’ve ever created, or perhaps your most memorable client commission or moment?
Chelsy Davy: The Bespoke Cocktail Ring, which we recently recreated in lab grown diamonds. I loved making that ring both times.
“I’m noticing a real shift in how I think about the future for my kids… I think more of them will end up carving out something of their own, which is partly why showing them the journey feels almost more important than the destination.”
ON STYLE & SELF-CARE
What’s your personal style philosophy, and has it changed since becoming a mother?
Chelsy Davy: Dungarees have become an unexpectedly big part of my life... I don’t think I had ever worn them before I was pregnant, and now I think I might wear them a bit too often! In terms of style philosophy, if I ever had one, it just has to be easy, quick and not require much thought. Three kids do not allow for a whole lot of getting ready time, and I can struggle with decision making (something I’m working on), so keeping my wardrobe simple helps minimise the decision fatigue.
What’s one piece of jewellery you never take off (or always remake in different versions)?
Chelsy Davy: My Initial Bracelet with my kids’ initials on it, from the new bespoke Initial Collection we’ve just launched. Whatever’s going on, whatever frame of mind I’m in, it’s always the perfect thing to see out of the corner of my eye.
Photo by Annika Dop. Images courtesy of Aya
What are your skincare and makeup heroes, the ones you always recommend to friends?
Chelsy Davy: I love SkinCeuticals. I use the CE Ferulic and B5 every day and have done for years. I also love Irene Forte’s Hibiscus Night Cream. In this life phase, again, everything has to be simple, quick and easy to do when half asleep!
What are your non negotiables that keep you grounded?
Chelsy Davy: I aim to keep weekends for time with my kids, and evenings work free. As much as I’d love to say these are non-negotiable, obviously it doesn’t always pan out that way. More of a guideline, perhaps, but it helps keep me prioritising well.
LOOKING AHEAD
What are you excited to create next, as a jewellery designer and as a founder?
Chelsy Davy: A collaboration would be top of the list. I’d love to bring in someone with a completely different perspective, ideally from outside the jewellery world, and see what direction they’d take Aya in. Steering a brand on your own can be quite a solitary thing, and a fresh creative voice in the room would be really great.
What legacy do you hope your children absorb from watching you build something?
Chelsy Davy: I’m noticing a real shift in how I think about the future for my kids. So many of the career paths that would have felt like safe bets a few years ago, law, accountancy, consulting, look quite different now that AI is in the picture. I think more of them will end up carving out something of their own, which is partly why showing them the journey feels almost more important than the destination. Aya’s success matters to me hugely, but if my kids absorb resilience, patience and a decent work ethic from watching me have a go at this, that’s probably the most useful thing I can give them. I hope they see me making a reasonable job of both family and work, without dropping either.
Photo by Susheel Schroeder. Images courtesy of Aya
And finally, what message would you leave with the Luminary Mothers community?
Chelsy Davy: Honestly, just that you are not alone. There have been plenty of moments (and I think all new mothers have them) when I’ve felt overwhelmed, and particularly at 3am, quite lonely. Knowing other mothers have been through exactly the same things, and have come out the other side, has been a huge support. The fact that people are so much more open about all of it now than they used to be, fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, has made a real difference, certainly for me. Platforms like Luminary Mothers are a big part of that, creating space for honest conversations that I think previous generations of mothers just didn’t have.
Follow Chelsy Davy on Instagram here. Follow Aya Here. Visit Their Website Here.