About Jerry
Jerry Blanchard is a life long craftsman and artisan whose skills began in wood working and machining metal parts. In time, Jerry saw how these skills translated into jewelry and fabricated objects d’ art. Thus began the pursuit of traditional hand engraving, jewelry and metalsmithing.
Always a champion of education, Jerry believes in sharing his knowledge to keep these time honored skills alive by encouraging his students to read, research, and strive for an aesthetic that is both perfect and beautiful. Jerry teaches short courses in hand engraving, tool making and metalsmithing at Monterey Peninsula College. His students acquire the skills needed to build a foundation in tool making and metalsmithing. With these techniques they are able to create their own jewelry and metal art by using the tools they fabricate.
As a prolific artisan, Jerry is always working on multiple projects and will often have something on hand to share…. Everything from hammers, mokume gane jewelry as well as beautiful raised bowls. With an excellent reputation as a craftsman, Jerry is well known in Pebble Beach, Carmel and the greater Monterey Bay area. He’s an expert in exquisite, traditional hand engraved jewelry, silverware, awards, and antique restoration.
This website was created by Mary, shown here setting a ruby at my workbench. Mary is a fine artist, jeweler, enamelist, dancer, and computer expert. My knowledge of computers is limited, and Mary has made it possible for me to have the website and to continue to put new photos in it. Mary takes most of the photos of my work.
Jerry C Blanchard 
Jerry is a genuine gentle man, a person you are always happy and better off for meeting and knowing, he is the ultimate craftsperson and an exquisite crafter, his works are truly made with love and the joy and respect for materials that come with decades of handwork that has no other equal other than the time put in , to learn, understand, know , and appreciate the , materials, techniques, and form of art. I am fortunate to wear one of Jerrys incredible solid sterling , hand engraved gorgeous buckles that I wear every day of my life. Anyone who has the good fortune to be able to study with this unique and beautiful man has truly met a great opportunity in life. Bravo Jerry, love your work and your sweet sprit, Brendan W.
I had a dear friend gift me a beautiful belt buckle of solid sterling Jerry made, and I always feels terrible and nakid the few days of my life I don’t ever wear it, ( like when I’m in florida wearing shorts) , but that is the impact of having a piece of Jerrys work, it means alot to you, just to have it in your life, and it will be hopefully passed to someone with the love of artisanship as i have after I’m gone. love you Jerry, your the consummate , integral craftsman artist.
Jerry was my shop teacher in 68 that class taught me how to fashion a hunting knife out of a spring and a deer antler. Great teach and class!
Jerry is the only craftsman/artisan that I know of that does exquisite work in multiple mediums. He has crafted furniture with exotic woods that is worthy of museum display. His engraving has progressed from workmanlike to artistic. He has built incredible firearms from raw steel and walnut that are,again, worthy of museum display. When he develops an interest in some craft or artistic endeavor, he researches and develops techniques that are astonishing. His work with mokumegami (forged layers of metal akin to Damascus) is almost beyond my ability to comprehend. He also is a fine gentleman who is more than happy to share his knowledge and teach us less less talented admirers! He simply is an amazing person!
Jerry, it was Kocek Jeweler in downtown Carmel that recommended you.
Thanks.
I discovered this blog through looking at mokume gane techniques. I have been looking throughout the web for endless hours at restoration , tool making (hammers specifically), japanese woodworking tools and virtually anything regarding tool knowledge. I never really did this stuff as a kid and never had an interest until the past few years where i started to amass an antique collection of japanese tools and various other woodworking saws chisels etc. And have learned to restore,sharpen, care for them and ultimately use them. As a person who never had a mentor to learn from and is using the various pools of knowledge online to learn about blacksmithing, toll making, jewelry making, woodworkinf, restoration, and every other oft ignored handcrafting skills, i would like to thank you for generously sharing your lifes knowledge with us all, strangers and studdnts of yours alike. I feel more humbled in that i never saw much appeal in artisan work up until i became an early 20’s and began fixing stuff around the house. Now i am a strict advocate of “you dont even need to buy that you can just make it yourself with a diy forge and some willpower. Eventually i will digress myself back into the stoneage and live.in a mudhut but while i still have use for a non homemade computer and internet i did not will to existence myself, thanks a ton. You are a badass dude man. Id buy you a beer but honestly i would rather just brew it myself at this point. I gain inspiration from your work on here and it comforts me to know that i might actually get around to learning all the things i want to learn one day, as you have shown us is possible. Thanks again.
Mr. Blanchard was my wood shop teacher at Monterey High back in 1989-1991, and i just happened to be in Naples, IT and thought to look him up and I see this awesome work of his. I was always fond of wood working but I give him credit all the time when I am making things and remember what a true profession craftsman and great teach he was. Glad to see you are still doing and creating awesome works sir.
Very Respectfully,
Chris Hausvik
Thanks, Chris, You are very kind, and your message means a lot to me. All best wishes, Jerry