13.05.2012

CLIFF BURTON update

Hi FOLKS
To coincide with the SPECIAL METALLICA issue of
CLASSIC ROCK due later on this week
I enclose a great photo of CLIFF BURTON wearing
two rings that I made for him in the early eighties while
I was working in Carnaby Street.

I met Cliff one day in London , he was wearing a
LYNYRD SKYNYRD T shirt and as I was also a
big fan of SKYNYRD , we spoke about their music and
how great they were.
I asked him,
What do you do?
He said
I play bass.
I said , " I PLAY GUITAR"
I asked him
What's the name of your band?
He said: METALLICA
Hum!
Never heard that name before
( At the time no one had heard about them either )
He gave a couple of DEMO TAPES
and gave me his address in the STATES
( still living at his parents)
We became friends over the years.
Cliff bought many rings that I had designed
and made ( I still have all the original
drawings . masters and moulds)
Most notabily
the EVIL SKULL RING
WOLF RING
PLAGUE SKULL RING
SMALL AND LARGE REAPER rings
JAMES HETHFIELD followed suit
with more of my rings and a WOLF PENDANT

SO, If you want the REAL THING
it s available from me at
CRAZY PIG DESIGNS
Anywhere else , Its a COPY!!!!!!!

Included here are a couple of press cuttings from that era
( SOUNDS magazine entitled... ARMAND THE FROG

and METAL HAMMER interview with
ARMAND SERRA
jewellery designer of the stars

08.05.2012

ARMAND SERRA original designer of METALLICA 's SKULL RINGS

.CLIFF BURTON WOLF RING and METALLICA early years

After many request from METALLICA fans I enclose a little selection from my
early encounters with CLIFF BURTON
At the time Metallica was a totally unknown band.
The pictures show Cliff handwritten address and signature as well as
his WOLF RING that he traded with me only a few days
before the tragic accident.
CLIFF's wolf ring has the stamp of british hallmark showing that
it was made at the end of 1983, One of the very first ever made
Also included are the handwritten address

08.05.2012

MORE about CLIFF BURTON s SKULL RING

CLIFF BURTON, SKULL RINGS

Here's an early picture of the great CLIFF BURTON

with a set of my earliest and now classic SKULL RINGS.

He was one of my earliest customers at the time when

the name METALLICA did not mean anything to anyone

He purchased a few of my early pieces like the PLAGUE SKULL RING

on the left and the now CLASSIC EVIL SKULL RING on the right..

see ONLINE store for the originals

#88 PLAGUE SKULL RING
http://www.crazypigdesigns.com/en/store/c-5_18/skull-ring.php?PHPSESSID=66be3d39dcc16cf4142a32776e5519fe
#27 LARGE EVIL SKULL RING
http://www.crazypigdesigns.com/en/store/c-5_18/skull-ring.php?PHPSESSID=66be3d39dcc16cf4142a32776e5519fe

CLIIFF em'ALL

08.05.2012

CLIFF BURTON one of my first customers

CLIFF BURTON WOLF RING

Going through our CRAZY PIG archives
I found this cool picture of METALLICA's
CLIFF BURTON wearing the wolf ring
I made for him years ago.
Lucky for me Cliff traded his wolf ring with me
for a skull ring only a few days before his tragic accident,

Here's a picture of Cliff's wolf ring , it has remained with me ever since. and IT IS NOT FOR SALE!
but you can get the exact same ring as Cliff's ,made from the original mould
from our online store.
CLIFF EM' ALL

05.05.2012

NEW SKULL RING CLASSIC at CRAZY PIG DESIGN

I, Armand SERRA designed and created the very first original
EVIL SKULL ring back in 1979
It has been worned by everyone from METALLICA, IGGY POP
JOE PERRY, BILLY GIBBONS RICK NIELSEN,and many more.
Unfortunatly it also has been copied by many so called
Rock & Roll Jewellers who have told " PORKY PIES"
and claimed to be the makers and originators of the EVIL SKULL.
LIARS LIARS PANTS ON FIRE!
ANYWAY!!!!!!! No PORKIES here at CRAZY PIG!

I've be thinking wouldn't it be cool to come up with another
CLASSIC SKULL RING,
in the same league of my EVIL SKULL RING ?
After looking for some ideas
I came accros a book about OSSUARIES,full of amazing photos

Basically Osuarries are catacombs found all over Europe
Some of the pictures of the bones, skeletons and skulls
were actually very beautiful and quite moving.
Instead of being sinister ossuaries are tributes to those
who have departed , a tribute to their past lives.

So here it is my OSSUARY SKULL RING.

It s is slightly bigger than my EVIL SKULL RING and ANNIVERSARY LIMITED EDITION
but its really confortable to wear .It.s a heavy ring with no hollowed parts.
Inside the shank is the roman numeral XX for 20 years of CRAZY PIG DESIGNS
and of course my signature ZIG ZAG logo has proof of the maker
( also found of course on REAL! ORIGINAL EVIL SKULL RINGS)

29.04.2012

SLASH CLASSIC ROCK special issue

CRAZY PIG DESIGNS featured in CLASSIC ROCK this month with
SLASH on the cover, Another SATISFIED CUSTOMER