Natural Diamond Prices – November 2024
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The Princess who became a General, Leia Organa
Across the world, May 4th has become known as Star Wars Day. It is a tongue-in-cheek play on words, May the 4th Be With You is a humorous nod to May the Force Be With You (a famous catchphrase from the series). From self-proclaimed nerds to those that consider themselves less nerdy, Star Wars is part of our social galaxy. Spanning 12 films (one was made for a TV Christmas movie), comics, novels, cartoons, video games, memes and more…Star Wars has warped itself into the mainstream.
It seems only fitting that we honor this Star Wars Day by looking at some of the jewelry worn by its original heroine, Princess Leia. There is not an overwhelming amount compared to other landmark film series’. There are a few noteworthy looks, primarily worn by Princess Leia. Jewelry seems to be less a part of the culture in the galaxy far, far, away at least not among the heroes. Battle in jewelry could have been dangerous, we get it, but fashion is important!
GETTING TO KNOW THE PRINCESS
Arguably the most famous of the women of Star Wars, Princess Leia was featured in many of the films. Leia was portrayed by the dauntless Carrie Fisher. The character was born, along with her twin in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. The twin’s birth set the stage for the story arc that begins in Episode IV: A New Hope through Ep. IV was released 28 years earlier. Princess Leia was always an incredible character who had many facets. Sci-Fi is not a genre that often let women shine at the time. In the earlier movies, when she was younger and more physically in the fray, she didn’t wear a lot of jewelry. As she matured and took up the position of General, she was able to delegate to others; she started accessorizing more in the way that we know and love.
THE EARLY JEWELRY
I know that George Lucas, the creator of the franchise, was attempting to commission custom pieces from Björn Weckström (of Lapponia) in Finland for Princess Leia. Their timetable got crunched and he ended up getting a piece that was already created. The Planetary Valleys necklace has become iconic and has been the object of jewelry inspiration since it first appeared on the screen. Lapponia has since merged into Kalevala. The necklace is still available from Kalevala but now goes by the name Planetoid Valleys factory in Helsinki. Today you’ll find Planetoid Valleys, Darina’s bracelet (another worn by Princess Leia in the ceremony scene), and many other pieces that were made famous by Lapponia in the Art by Kalevala collection. A PriceScoper posted their collection of Lapponia pieces with us, check them out!
SPACE JEWELRY
General Leia Organa had a more elevated and fabulous look, there are a pair of earrings that I particularly love. From what I have been able to determine the prop department created these pieces. It seems quite unlikely that no designer would have claimed credit for the jewelry seen in the blockbuster otherwise. “In rehearsals, Carrie grabbed my arm and told me with great urgency that we needed ‘space jewelry,’” relayed The Last Jedi’s director Rian Johnson on Twitter. She was right, “space jewelry” was necessary.
Princess Leia was an inspiration for many people growing up in the ’80s, but the character is timeless. Carrie Fisher really shaped her into a walking icon, and both Ms. Fisher and Princess/General Leia will be missed.
Have you seen the movies? Do you love Princess Leia’s looks? We want to hear about your favorites! Show anything in your collection that would be considered futuristic in the Show Me the Bling forum!
Written by Kayti Kawachi
