Today’s Star Wars Is Joy article features the vintage Weingeroff Ent. Star Wars jewelry. Our wardrobe often carries sentimental value, the memories of special moments where we wore it – like the time I wore my vintage C-3PO jewelry when meeting C-3PO himself, Anthony Daniels.
My family and I attended Star Wars Celebration Anaheim in 2015, and in our planning, we had pre-purchased an autograph token for Anthony Daniels. When meeting Star Wars actors, I like to wear something featuring their character, so for Anthony, I thought it would be neat to wear my collection of vintage C-3PO jewelry.
My collection of Star Wars vintage jewelry is by no means complete, but I have tried to collect my favourite pieces over the years. Here are some of my Weingeroff Ent Star Wars jewelry reviews I have written for my blog –
- Vintage Star Wars necklaces
- Vintage Star Wars stud earrings
- Vintage Star Wars rings
- Vintage Star Wars dangle earrings
I have a soft spot for matching jewelry sets, so I love that I can wear a full matching range of vintage C-3PO jewelry – necklace, ring, earrings, and bracelet (I’m missing the hair clip and lapel pin though, darn it). I have collected these pieces over time from second-hand sources like eBay and vendors at Star Wars Celebration conventions.
Some items in the range are harder to find than others, but the C-3PO and R2-D2 necklaces are some of easiest to find in good condition today. Back in the 70’s, some of the vintage necklaces came with gift boxes, some sealed on backing cards, and some in little plastic bags – I bought my necklaces loose, knowing I intended to wear them, so I didn’t have to rip open any vintage packing.
Usually, I’m not an advocate of altering vintage items, as there is almost always an easily obtainable modern version (like vintage bed sheets vs printed fabric yardage), but this is one exception. I carefully removed the C-3PO dangle earrings from their original clip-on hooks, and attached them to modern pierced ear-style hooks – read about my alteration here.
I do own both the vintage C-3PO stud earrings and vintage C-3PO dangle earrings, but the posts on the stud earrings are quite short, so I don’t feel comfortable wearing them to events, for fear of them falling out and getting lost. I decided to wear the dangle earrings with modern hooks, knowing I can swap them back to their original clip-on hooks later.
Deciding to go all out, I also wore the matching Star Wars charm bracelet, which features C-3PO alongside R2-D2 and Darth Vader. Somehow I never got around to reviewing the bracelet for my blog – I don’t wear it often, as I am mindful of possibly knocking the pendants on surfaces, or wearing the clasp out – but I do really love this design.
While I’m too young to feel nostalgic about the vintage Star Wars jewelry from 1977, they are some of my most-worn Star Wars jewelry, particularly the necklaces. The Weingeroff Star Wars jewelry has a unique place in history as being some of the first Star Wars merchandise ever made in 1977 – even the Kenner action figures didn’t come out until a year later in 1978. The detail of the sculpting is fantastic, and stands up well compared to modern jewelry, which is why I still wear mine often.
I never expect to get more than a brief moment with any celebrity guest at a convention, alongside so many others in the long lines – so it’s wonderful to spend that short time being able to relay my admiration, or share how much their character/performance means to me. So, I often use my wardrobe to help convey that message quickly – and I find that celebrities often appreciate the gesture too.
When we were thanking Anthony Daniels for the opportunity to meet him and how much we loved the character of C-3PO, Anthony noticed my necklace, then my earrings, and commented on them. I said how much I loved C-3PO, so I had to wear my favourite C-3PO jewelry for him. I quickly blurted out that the pieces were vintage, from the 70’s, and he stopped for a moment to recall his experience filming A New Hope, expressing his love for the character, and how much it meant to him that we loved C-3PO too.
It was probably only an extra moment or two, but it meant so much to me to be able to share my appreciation of C-3PO with Anthony Daniels. Shy by nature, it’s hard for me to talk confidently to people I admire, so I am thankful for those moments where my wardrobe conveys my thoughts better than I can.
I wore my C-3PO jewelry the rest of the day at the convention, and I smile every time I wear them, remembering how amazing that moment was. These little pieces of metal from 1977 bring me joy, and I will treasure them always.
