Planetoid Valleys and Star Wars

In the spring of 1976, Björn Weckström received an intriguing phone call from George Lucas's secretary. Lucas was in need of eye-catching silver jewelry for his new film, the title of which was not disclosed during the conversation. He specifically wanted jewelry designed by Weckström—evidence that the global appeal of his Space Silver collection had made an impression, and that his unique design language had found an audience. The secretary informed Weckström that the jewelry needed to be ready in six weeks for the filming of a particular scene, leaving little time to waste.

At the time, George Lucas was not yet a well-known name in Finland, and Weckström was unfamiliar with him. However, the project intrigued Weckström, and he agreed to the assignment, confirming that the timeline was feasible. Space and science fiction had been recurring themes in his work, so designing jewelry for a space adventure film felt exciting.

Weckström began sketching a necklace suited for the film, but the project was soon interrupted when Lucas's secretary reached out again. The shooting schedule had changed, and the jewelry would now be needed in just one week. This unexpected tightening of the timeline made it impossible to complete the designs that had already begun—one week was simply too short. Weckström had to inform the secretary that the situation was unmanageable, and a quick solution would be necessary to find suitable jewelry.

Weckström began sketching a necklace suitable for the film, but his progress was interrupted when Lucas's secretary reached out again. The filming schedule had changed, and the jewelry would now be needed in just one week. This unexpected rush made it impossible to complete the designs already in progress—one week was simply too short. Weckström informed the secretary that the situation was unmanageable, and a quick solution would need to be found to source suitable jewelry.

After a moment of reflection, the conversation shifted to Weckström's existing jewelry collection. Since the film was being shot at Elstree Studios near London, the secretary inquired whether any of Weckström's designs were available there. A dealer on Bond Street was located, and Weckström provided the secretary with their contact information. The secretary expressed gratitude for the information and promised that the production team would visit the London store to view the collection.

Some time later, Weckström received a Telex message stating that the production team had found the perfect jewelry for the scene in London. Lucas reportedly praised the jewelry as fantastic. Weckström felt satisfied that the project had a happy ending, even though he still did not know which film would feature his pieces. After that message, there were no further communications from the production team.

The Star Wars movie was initially set to premiere at Christmas that same year, but due to production delays, the release was pushed to the summer of the following year. The film didn’t debut in Finland until December 16, 1977. One of Björn Weckström's friends attended the film's first screenings and immediately recognized Weckström's jewelry in the final scene.

In the iconic final scene, Carrie Fisher, playing Princess Leia, wore the Planetoid Valleys necklace and Darina's bracelet as she presented medals of valor to Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford).

Soon after, Weckström himself went to see the film, encouraged by a friend who praised the role the jewelry had been given. The screening took place at the Maxim cinema on Kluuvikatu 1 in Helsinki. Seeing his own designs on the big screen in such a major international film was an unforgettable experience. When Weckström designed the Space Silver series, launched in 1969, he could never have imagined the cult phenomenon that the Planetoid Valleys necklace and Darina's bracelet would become.

The designer was troubled by the interruption of his design work for the film. After seeing the movie, Weckström returned to his original sketches and further developed his ideas. This led to the completion of the design for the Poema necklace, which was produced in limited quantities in the 1990s.

The designer was troubled by the interruption of his design work for the film. After seeing the movie, Weckström returned to his original sketches and further developed his ideas. This led to the completion of the design for the Poema necklace, which was produced in limited quantities in the 1990s.

Like Star Wars, the Planetoid Valleys necklace is a classic that continually captivates new generations. In the skilled hands of our experienced goldsmiths at our factory in Helsinki, Finland, new Planetoid Valleys necklaces are crafted every week, ready to win hearts around the world. The story continues.