{"id":58757,"date":"2017-08-15T08:18:29","date_gmt":"2017-08-15T12:18:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.uncommongoods.com\/?p=58757"},"modified":"2018-01-04T15:29:28","modified_gmt":"2018-01-04T20:29:28","slug":"a-qa-with-jerry-moran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.com\/blog\/2017\/a-qa-with-jerry-moran\/","title":{"rendered":"Takeoffs and Landings: A Conversation with Jerry Moran"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Although we know him best for his handcrafted accessories, Colorado creator Jerry Moran is much more than just a jeweler. For much of his adult life, in fact, Jerry was a self-described \u201cordinary guy\u201d working in the aerospace industry, getting up close and personal with planes\u2014not necklaces\u2014on an everyday basis. Now Jerry pays tribute to his beloved aircraft by crafting his goods from their disused parts, giving retired planes otherwise primed for destruction an opportunity to brighten the lives of jewelry enthusiasts and aircraft aficionados alike.<\/p>\n

To celebrate the induction of a selection of Jerry\u2019s wares<\/a> into our growing assortment, we engaged him and his wife, Mary, in a brief back-and-forth, digging deeper into the details of what drives him to create (and how he got started on jewelry in the first place). Read on for more on Jerry\u2019s fascinating background, including an account of the pair of earrings that started it all, plus a few words of wisdom courtesy of\u2014surprise\u2014rugby.<\/p>\n

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A finished piece<\/p><\/div>\n

Jerry began his career in the Marines, and now has years in the aerospace industry refurbishing aircraft and working in manufacturing research and development under his belt. He once helped pull a 727\u2014which he would later refurbish\u2014out of a South American jungle, and spruced up a C-119 Boxcar for the 2004 remake of Flight of the Phoenix<\/em><\/a>. \u201cDesigning jewelry,\u201d he says, \u201cwas a complete and utter accident.\u201d<\/p>\n

An accident that began on the job, no less, where he one day found himself captivated by an otherwise nondescript piece of scrap metal. \u201cI can\u2019t tell you why I chose that piece,\u201d says Jerry. \u201cI just did.\u201d After work, he stripped the metal, admiring the scratches, scrapes, and other flaws that landed it in the scrap bin, and crafted his first ever pair of earrings, a gift for Mary. \u201cI have always made little bits of this or that for my wife,\u201d he adds. \u201cIf I happen to be up in the mountains without her, I\u2019ll bring her back a cool rock or a perfect pinecone. It\u2019s my way of telling her I\u2019m thinking of her.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Jerry with his wife, Mary<\/p><\/div>\n

Mary loved the earrings. And so did her girlfriends. And so did a jewelry designer whose booth the couple stumbled into at a local trade show. \u201cThe designer asked her where she\u2019d gotten her earrings,\u201d Jerry recounts. \u201cMary pointed to me. \u2026 The designer also had a retail store and asked if I could make more because she was interested in carrying them. Before I could say \u2018no,\u2019 Mary pipe[d] up with, \u2018Of course he can!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was working off Richard Branson<\/a>\u2019s theory of, \u2018Always say yes, and figure it out later,\u2019\u201d he quips.<\/p>\n

Was it tough to move from the aerospace world to the delicate realm of jewelry design? Sure. But the two disciplines have more in common than you might think. \u201cWhen you\u2019re doing refurbishing, or R&D, you have to have the ability to be creative,\u201d Jerry notes. \u201cYou have to be able to see not only what is, but what could be.\u201d And a similar ability guides those who transform raw materials into wearable works of art.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most difficult part of transitioning from an aerospace career to that of a jewelry designer was getting past my own demons. No one looking at me would think, \u2018Hey, that guy totally looks like a jewelry designer,\u2019\u201d Jerry says. \u201c[But] my wife \u2026 told me time and time again that I needed to get over myself. And she was right. Sometimes we all need someone telling us that in order to open our eyes to be able to see not only what is, but what could be.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Jerry working on a C-130<\/a> elevator<\/p><\/div>\n

So what does the day-to-day look like now? \u201cBecause of my background,\u201d Jerry says, \u201cI run the studio in pretty much the same manner I would when working on an airplane.\u201d Sometimes this means taking bits of disused aircraft aluminum to automotive restoration shops to be stripped of their old paint; other times it means drawing up designs in computer-assisted drawing (CAD) software. Because Jerry uses salvaged, often scarce materials, keeping a stock of readymade inventory is a difficult endeavor. \u201cLet\u2019s be real,\u201d he says, \u201cit\u2019s not as though I can run out to Home Depot to get my material.\u201d This means that virtually every piece is made to order\u2014and each day is a little different as a result.<\/p>\n

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Jerry in the studio, working on cufflinks<\/a> for us here at UG<\/p><\/div>\n

In the design stage, Jerry finds inspiration in sources both natural and man-made. \u201cI don\u2019t have a defined source for inspiration,\u201d he says, then concedes: \u201cI do tend to be very industrial.\u201d He cites both planes and bridges as points of departure, and admits to a fascination with objects that boast an architectural bent. Further inspiration, he elaborates, \u201ccomes from photographing the crazy-cool red-rock spires in Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah. Or going to the Natural History Museum and staring at the gems and minerals in their natural abstract form. The angles, spikes, and cubes they form in nature, before man ever touches them. They\u2019re architecturally incredible,\u201d he adds, and later recalls: \u201cMother Nature, hands down, is the greatest artist, and from crystals and minerals pulled from within the Earth, such as fluorite, we see angles, straight lines, and perfect architecture. Within my jewelry, I see that structure.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Photographing spires in Utah, complete with canine companion<\/p><\/div>\n

When asked if his use of salvaged material speaks to a personal concern with sustainability, Jerry says, \u201cAbsolutely. But for me \u2026 it goes much deeper than sustainability.\u201d His outlook on the aircraft from which he sources his material is, admittedly, somewhat unique. \u201cMy wife says I have a romance with planes,\u201d he remarks. In his mind, they deserve commendation for their service to the public. \u201cMany of the planes that served our naval ships [in World War II],\u201d he explains, \u201cwere dumped into the ocean. I understand the economics behind the decisions, but when you stop looking at economics and think about the soul, there\u2019s a sadness you can\u2019t help feeling. Those planes fought and protected. They deserved a different ending to their stories.\u201d<\/p>\n

His connection isn\u2019t limited to military planes, however. \u201cI once received an email from a client who said she only wanted my jewelry if it came from a military bird,\u201d he begins. \u201cWe have such romantic notions about the military, and especially WWII, but planes who serve in commercial applications are just as dynamic. A friend of mine flies an air ambulance. The plane he pilots saves lives every day. Commercial aircraft bring sons and daughters home to their parents. And who hasn\u2019t witnessed the kiss of two lovers reuniting[?]\u201d<\/p>\n

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Bringing a WB-57<\/a> wing spar out of storage with aforementioned canine companion, Emma<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cEvery plane deserves the opportunity to be honored for what it has been and done,\u201d he continues. \u201cTo be reinvented into something that will not only create new memories but honor it for what it once was\u2026 and, in a way, isn\u2019t that just as \u2026 important?\u201d<\/p>\n

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A piece of C-130 door strap, pre-stripping<\/p><\/div>\n

It\u2019s a thoughtful note on which to end, but we also like to ask our creators about their favorite quotes, and we can\u2019t resist making note of Jerry\u2019s. \u201cYou\u2019re going to laugh,\u201d he warns, \u201cand it probably won\u2019t make sense\u2026 unless you\u2019re a rugby player.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve played rugby since high school. I also played for the Marine Corps, and play socially nowadays. When the players go into a scrum<\/a>, the ref will call out, \u2018Crouch. Touch. Pause. Engage.\u2019 I know, sounds completely random. But for a player, each of those words is an instruction in power, strength, think, do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo my mantra, when I\u2019m stuck, frustrated, or simply need to approach something from a different angle is: Crouch (power). Touch (strength). Pause (think). Engage (do).\u201d Wise words.<\/p>\n

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