Adorning A Starlet: the ring that wooed Aesha Scott

29-year-old Iraqi New Zealander Layla Kaisi, is the bejeweled maverick behind Below Deck icon Aesha Scott’s engagement ring. Layla Kaisi Collection has become synonymous with celebrity bijoux, Aesha joining a star-studded clientele which includes the likes of actress-producer-singer Minnie Driver and Oprah of the Middle East, Radwa El Sherbiny. It’s an astounding lineup full stop, but especially so given Kaisi’s youth in an industry which has traditionally been the exclusive domain of designers many years her senior.

For the uninitiated, Aesha Scott first graced our screens on Below Deck Mediterranean season 4, a reality tv series by Bravo which provides a glimpse into crew life on board a multi-million dollar charter boat. Aesha returned to the show for season 5 and later starred on Below Deck Down Under seasons 1 and 2 as Chief Stew. In 2023 she took out the highly-coveted Personality of the Year at the New Zealand TV Awards, outshining the likes of Kim Crossman, Guy Montgomery, Jenny May-Clarkson, Joe Daymond, and Dame Susan Devoy.

Seeking to celebrate a relationship incarnate of the asymmetry and spontaneity of life, Aesha’s (now) fiancé, Scott Dobson, began working in secret with Layla Kaisi Collection last October to design an engagement ring that would celebrate their connection to date and set the scene for many incredible years to come.

Layla is known for imbuing fine jewellery with a refreshing perspective, demonstrating how engagement and marriage are far from outdated, and instead placing both firmly in the realm of essential contemporary ritual. At LKC every curve, accent and setting is intentional; every piece is a physical manifestation of the wearer’s narrative. Aesha’s engagement ring is a sublime testament to this ethos.

“Scott was so thoughtful throughout the design experience,” explains Layla. “He cared deeply about creating a piece that truly symbolised Aesha and his love for everything that encompasses her.”

The engagement ring is a nod to classic style transformed by a sense of liberation. It features an astonishing round cut diamond centrestone set with six pointed claws within a medley of seven accent diamonds. Each represents a member of Aesha’s family, including a champagne diamond accent stone symbolising her brother who passed away when she was 20. The central diamond represents Aesha herself and how she’s been moulded and surrounded by her family, supporting her to grow into the woman she is today.

“Scott is represented by the 18 carat yellow gold band that the design is set into which embodies his commitment to being a positive catalyst in Aesha’s family story forever on,” says Layla.

Flexing LKC’s signature flair for pushing beyond tradition, a small diamond (Scott’s birthstone) has been set inside the band for just Aesha to know and feel. It exemplifies Scott’s constant and reassuring presence with Aesha and connects the pair through physical touch—Aesha’s love language.

This isn’t the first occasion Aesha Scott has shone in Layla Kaisi Collection. In 2022 she had the LKC statement piece diamond signet ring Revival custom cut into the letter ‘A’. Since then the star has been spotted at Bravocon in a shimmering LKC diamond manicure and debuted boundary-breaking OUTRÉ Cascade diamond earrings at the 2023 New Zealand TV Awards.

Ophelia Mason

Ophelia Mason is a writer, content creator, and author for the Layla Kaisi Collection Journal. She transcribes the beauty of artistically handmade jewellery. She is passionate about sharing the stories woven through each design and retelling the moments captured in each piece in imaginative detail. She has an eye for creative harmony and an appreciation for individual reflection in the form of unique jewellery.

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