Metallica
A bit of HISTORY;
Occasionally we get questions from confused customers as to who is the actual designer of many classic skull rings worn by Metallica’s Cliff Burton and James Hetfield.
The very simple and only true answer is Armand Serra, designer and owner of CRAZY PIG DESIGNS.
Prior to CRAZY PIG DESIGNS, Armand worked between 1982 and 1992 in a small store in Carnaby Street (i.e The Great Frog) During that period he designed and created many classic pieces of jewellery (too many to list) that made store became famous. Here is a box showing a small selection of Armand's old designs from his personal archives.
Here is a press clipping from about 1986 which might shed some light and clear off the confusion.
As they say! From the HORSE’S MOUTH.
Extracts from above. (Great frog owner, P Riley)
It is Armand who created the carved effigies that adorn the fingers of all those stars we were talking about. We had the image but not the underpinning. In the jewellery trade nobody carved symbolism! Until Armand that is. And it’s this carving and symbolism that has kept us on the street and sustained our credibility.
Cliff photos:
Over the years Metallica fans have sent us some personal photos showing Metallica band members wearing classic rings created by Armand SERRA in the 80's such as the Large Evil Skull ring and Plague ring worn by Cliff Burton, and the Wolf pendant worn by James Hetfield.
Here is Cliff backstage at Donington in 1985 wearing the Plague ring and Large Evil skull CLIFF EM ALL!
Copyrighted photos.
Many photographs exist of Cliff Burton and James Hetfield wearing various skull rings as well as the wolf ring and pendants but due to photographers copyright reasons we are not allowed to show them here at present.
In the beginning : Cliff Burton and Metallica
In around 1982 Armand was working in a shop in Carnaby Street opposite Music for Nations, the Heavy Metal record label. Many up and coming bands used to go there and hang around.
One day Armand spotted a denim clad, long hair dude wearing a Lynyrd Skynyrd t-shirt
As a Skynyrd fan Armand engaged in a conversation about the band. At the end of it, the “dude” asked Armand if he had any contact with any of the Skynyrd members, which he did in the guitarist Ed King. So they exchanged addresses (these were days before e-mails) Armand wrote his and the “dude” wrote on a scrap of paper…
Cliff Burton followed by his parent’s address where he lived at the time.
He added that he played in a yet unknown band called Metallica. At the time the name meant nothing to Armand or anyone else as a matter of fact. From this very first meeting, every time Cliff was in London he met up with Armand. Cliff being impressed with Armand’s skull rings bought many of the same rings that Armand was wearing and that he had actually created himself.
The other members of Metallica followed suit and were introduced by Cliff to Armand. James Hetfield also acquired handfuls of rings created by Armand such as, The Ghoul ring, Jaws ring, Large Evil Skull ring, Wolf pendant and Explorer pendant.