The chalcedony waves served as the moniker for a necklace once gracing the necks of women from the House of Organa, the royal lineage hailing from Alderaan. This particular adornment was at one point in the possession of Queen Breha Organa, who then bequeathed it to her adopted offspring, Princess Leia Organa. Even though the Galactic Empire brought about Alderaan's destruction, the chalcedony waves managed to persist, as the princess was not present on the planet when it was obliterated. After the Alliance to Restore the Republic emerged victorious against the Empire above Yavin 4, Leia donned the chalcedony waves during a ceremony intended to recognize the Alliance heroes from Yavin. Soon after, she gifted the necklace to the Sullustan Nien Nunb as a token of gratitude for his assistance in evacuating Alderaanian survivors from Sullust.
The chalcedony waves necklace was composed of ten matching square components, each displaying a carved diagonal indentation. Each piece exhibited a silvery sheen. When worn, the chalcedony waves elegantly rested at the upper edge of the collar bone, positioned between the wearer's throat and her décolletage. Accompanying the necklace was a substantial cuff bracelet, mirroring the style and color of the waves.
The royal House of Organa of Alderaan considered the chalcedony waves as a family heirloom for their women. Most notably, it was once owned by Queen Breha, who was already in command of her homeworld around the time of the Clone Wars. Queen Breha eventually passed the necklace to her adopted daughter, Princess Leia Organa, who would often wear it during formal occasions.
In the year 0 BBY, the Galactic Empire, an oppressive regime, utilized its newly constructed battle station, known as the Death Star, to destroy Alderaan. However, due to her captivity at the hands of the Empire, Leia was spared from the destruction of her home planet, and the chalcedony waves also survived.
The Alliance to Restore the Republic, a group actively opposing the Empire, initiated an attack on the Death Star, successfully obliterating the planet-destroying station in the orbit of Yavin. A ceremony was held to honor the Alliance heroes of Yavin, during which Leia adorned herself with the chalcedony waves and presented Medals of Bravery.
Not long after the award ceremony, Leia embarked on a mission to gather the remaining Alderaanians dispersed throughout the galaxy, and she brought the chalcedony waves with her, along with other personal belongings. One of these groups of Alderaanian survivors was located in an enclave situated on Sullust. However, a spy within the princess's entourage disclosed their presence on Sullust to the Empire, thereby imperiling the Alderaanians' lives. Ultimately, the princess and her people were successful in evacuating the enclave, aided by Nien Nunb, a Sullustan smuggler. Unable to bestow upon Nunb a prestigious medal, the princess opted to gift him the chalcedony waves as an alternative.
The chalcedony waves made their debut appearance in the 1977 film Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, the introductory chapter of the Star Wars original trilogy. Princess Leia, portrayed by actress Carrie Fisher, wore it during the movie's concluding scene. The necklace's name was never explicitly mentioned on-screen, but it was identified as "chalcedony waves" on page 219 of the Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope novel. The fourth issue of the Marvel comic book series Star Wars: Princess Leia later confirmed that name as canon.
Björn Weckström of Lapponia Jewelry, a prominent jewelry designer from Finland, crafted the piece of jewelry featured in A New Hope. In the spring of 1976, the secretary of George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, contacted Weckström, requesting a piece of silver jewelry for use in a film whose title remained undisclosed at the time. This piece of jewelry was slated to appear in a scene scheduled to be filmed within six weeks. Weckström found the project intriguing and accepted the assignment.
As Weckström began designing a new piece, he received notification of a change in the filming sequence, requiring the jewelry within a week. Given Weckström's inability to complete his design work in such a limited timeframe, it was determined that Princess Leia's jewels would be sourced from Lapponia's existing products available in London, where Lucas's movie was being filmed. Consequently, Lucas's representatives acquired a necklace and a bracelet from a Lapponia retailer on Bond Street, London. The chosen pieces were the "Planetoid Valleys" necklace and "Darina's Bracelet," both part of the "Space Silver" collection Weckström had conceived in 1969. These silver pieces drew inspiration from the Finnish winter landscape, characterized by its frozen lake surfaces. The designer later learned that Lucas admired his jewelry, although he remained unaware of the movie in which it would be showcased.
Ultimately, A New Hope premiered in May 1977, although its debut in Finland occurred on December 16. A friend of Weckström's, having attended one of the initial screenings in Finland, recognized his jewelry in the movie's final scene. Shortly thereafter, Weckström himself watched the movie and was impressed to witness his own work on the big screen. Thanks to its appearance at the end of A New Hope, "Planetoid Valleys" has since become the most renowned piece in the Lapponia Jewelry collection. As of 2015, both "Planetoid Valleys" and "Darina's Bracelet" remain integral components of Lapponia's catalogue.