Feathers have enjoyed a long history in the fashion world as exotic accessories that grab the attention and provoke the envy of onlookers. Traditionally, they have been seen in boas worn by sultry entertainers, as decor on masquerade masks for aristocrats during formal balls, as headdresses and headbands in Native American culture, as hair extensions and as the flirtatious ornament in flapper dresses during the 1920s. It is no surprise that the adoration the world has had with feathers has made its way to a trend of feather earrings. As always, an accessory made with feathers is colorful, striking and whimsical.

“Dye-ing” for Grizzlies
One of the more popular trends for feather earrings is the use of the grizzly feather. This feather is long, slender and has parallel stripes. It comes from the backside, or saddle, of a rooster and is usually sold in groups. When the feather is tied or woven to other grizzly feathers, it gives a heavily textured look – sometimes so much so that the feathers can give the illusion of movement or of a blurred hounds tooth pattern. In earring design, grizzlies are used as a single hanging feather to dangle from a hook.

Designers dye grizzlies or leave them their natural colors. The price is always determined by the length, which is from two to four inches. Some dealers have sold imitation grizzlies for a much lower price than genuine grizzlies. They are just as beautiful, but can be limited in natural patterns. Often the feathers used for earrings come from farms where roosters have been bred over several generations in order to grow long, colorful feathers. Other varieties that have been used for earrings include:

–medium brown feathers
–badger feathers
–Dun feathers
–furnace feathers.

Aeorsmith rock star Steven Tyler has made the grizzly trend popular worldwide because of the hair extensions and other feather ornaments he wears on his body all the time. Feather Earrings

Peacock Earrings
Another big trend in feather earrings is peacock earrings. These gorgeous accessories always come with a series of blue and brown circles in the center, which is called the eye of the feather. It looks like a dark cashew inside of a cornflower blue leaf, inside of a walnut-shell brown leaf, inside of a slightly yellowish green lustrous ring of light.

There is definitely something special about the peacock feather, since it can sometimes appear to be iridescent and shiny. A study done by physicist Jian Zi at Fudan University revealed that the bright colors we see in peacock feathers are not actually colors. Instead, they are miniature two-dimensional crystal structures. The tiny spaces and lattices in peacock feather patterns reflect light at different angles to each other and make the colors vary in the feathers. This is particularly striking in male peacock feathers, which are known for their really striking eye patterns.

Because of the eyes in peacock feathers, earrings made of them will not even be close to identical. This makes each pair of peacock earrings quite distinct. Just as most feather earrings are, these are typically mounted on hooks that post through the ear.

Down Feather
Extremely fluffy, soft feather earrings are usually made of down feathers. They come from geese and are often added to earring sets to complement existing feathers or other ornaments. Down feathers are very airy and help keep the earring lightweight so that it feels similar to floating in place.

Many buyers shop for feather earrings online, since they are not always sold in boutiques or outlets. Depending on whether you select a long feather, an extra long one or a short one, prices can range from about $8 up to about $25. It will ultimately depend on the designer name and the amount of materials used to make the earring. They will always be in demand, though, because they instantly make a dull sweater or a shy personality stand out in a crowd.

Feather Earrings