Words by Anna Gamboa
They’re not run-of-the-mill skull rings you can pick up at a flea market. “We want our clients to wear them forever, we want their grandkids to fight over the rings when they pass,” says Dante Dizon, who with Noli Coronado are the forces behind 13 Lucky Monkey, an enterprise born from the duo’s love for one-of-a kind biker jewelry.
Dizon, who has worn skull rings since his teens, even used one at his wedding when someone forgot the rings for the bride and groom. Coronado, a sculptor and fellow motorcycle aficionado, would critique the jewelry Dante bought, pointing out aspects which could be improved. Whenever possible, they sketch out designs, sculpt them in jeweler’s wax, and then have a silversmith cast the piece before they work out its final look—and imperfections are part of the 13 Lucky Monkey aesthetic. Dizon professes: “I’m a fan of the wabi-sabi aesthetic, there is beauty in imperfection. There are fortunate accidents. They give character, they give the piece life.”
It takes a little over a month to complete a piece from the initial sketch to the final item, although some wearing or testing takes place—and some pieces can take months to a year to complete. “The true test is when it is cast, the ring has to weigh well so the owner wears it often. There is a balance the right heft and feel to it.”
Among Dizon’s favorite creations, there is “Catherine” named after his wife, and is the duo’s first skull ring. “The raw aesthetic is there, it spawned our whole line of rings,” he explains. Another favorite: the Cathedral ring—also called “Esmeralda”—which marries architecture with 13 Lucky Monkey’s raw aesthetic, featuring cathedral windows, steps, two saints, two angels and a gargoyle in the back for balance. Taking a year to finish, “Luna” is a wolf-inspired ring that reminds Dante of the song “Of Wolf and Man”. Eighteen snakes are featured in “Medusa”—a ring made for New York DJ Diesel Boy, while a Jason Montinola painting inspired a ring featuring flowers in the skull’s mouth—which in turn inspired another Montinola painting about the ring.
“Most of the custom [orders] really fly, because our clients really want something that is just for them,” Dizon explains, adding that the best compliment the duo ever received about their work was: “Hey guys, we have nine more fingers to fill.”
