The aesthetic appreciation of color is tricky. You can never be sure if you are really seeing the same color as someone else. We all know that there is such a thing as color-blindness but perhaps we fail to consider how subjective color is and how different it can seem to different people.
When I first saw jewelry made with kingfisher feathers, the effect was instantly burned into my memory. More than any color I have ever seen before it makes me wonder how other people perceive it. Is it blue? Is it green? Does it appear solid like a shell or like vapor? I have never seen a blue that has such an impact on everything and every other color around it. It is not just the sheen of the feathers, although that it certainly a part of it. No, it’s the color itself. These feathers are an otherworldly balance of navy, lavender, teal, and lime. The overall color should be turquoise but it’s not — it’s more. Mysteriously, I find that the color manages to avoid all suggestion of the delicate or pastel. Rather, I think that the color has a substance to it — an opacity. But, what do you see?
Having seen some gorgeous kingfisher feather jewelry in person, I have to say that photos do not really do the color justice. Nevertheless, I found some lovely examples of antique pieces to share.
Bread and Cake 