Whether your eyes appear brown or amber depends on a few different factors. The main determinant is the amount and type of melanin pigment in your irises. However, lighting conditions and other eye features also play a role in how your eye color is perceived. With some simple tests and comparisons, you can get a good sense of whether your eyes are true brown or lean more toward amber.
What Makes Eyes Appear Brown or Amber
The coloring of your eyes is controlled by melanin, the same pigment that gives skin and hair its hue. Eyes that appear brown have a high concentration of melanin on the front of the iris. The more melanin, the darker the eye color.
Amber eyes have some melanin but less than fully brown eyes. This causes amber eyes to have a lighter brownish-yellow or golden tint. The reduced melanin allows more light to reflect and scatter off the back of the iris, producing an amber effect.
Iris Structure Differences
In addition to melanin levels, the structure of your iris can influence whether your eyes look more brown or amber.
Stroma fibers – The stroma is the tissue that makes up the bulk of the iris. It contains collagen fibers called stroma fibers. These fibers scatter and reflect light. Densely packed stroma fibers reflect less light and make the iris appear darker. Sparser fibers allow more light reflection and a lighter amber color.
Nevus – Darker brown spots on the iris, called nevi, can make eyes appear more brown. Lighter eyes tend to have fewer nevi.
Patched patterning – Many eyes have a mottled “patched” appearance with some areas lighter and some darker. Uneven color distribution like this can shift the balance between brown and amber.
Eyelashes and limbal rings – Lighter colored eyelashes and limbal rings (the border between the iris and sclera) can make the iris seem darker and more brown by contrast.
Lighting Effects on Eye Color
The lighting conditions when looking at your eyes also affect whether they appear amber or brown. Here are some things to note:
– Natural sunlight brings out lighter amber hues in the iris.
– Indoor ambient and artificial lighting tends to darken eye color, making them look more brown.
– Eye colors can appear to change between mornings and evenings due to the light spectrum differences at those times of day. Morning sunlight and evening artificial light will show your true eye color in different ways.
– Using a camera flash will lead to red eye from pupil reflection. This can obscure the true iris color. Turn off the flash when photographing your eyes.
– Amber eyes usually maintain their lighter brown/golden color despite changes in lighting conditions.
Tests to Tell Brown from Amber Eyes
Here are some tips to evaluate whether your eyes are a true brown or lean toward amber:
– Examine your eyes in natural sunlight. Does your iris contain any light golden, yellowish-brown, or honey-colored areas, or does it appear uniformly dark brown? The former suggests amber tones.
– Look closely in a well-lit room. If your eyes show a dark outer ring along the edge of the iris and get lighter moving inward, this lighting effect indicates an amber color.
– Check old ID photos or childhood pictures where flash was not used. If your eyes appear darker brown in photos under artificial light, it points to underlying amber color.
– Compare your eye color to that of relatives. Having family members with amber eyes makes it more likely you do too.
– Wear dark brown clothing or put a brown background behind your face. If your eyes seem to lighten and take on a golden-brown caste, amber is present. Against a neutral white background, the amber effect will be subdued.
Examples of Amber and Brown Eyes
Below are some celebrities with eyes that illustrate the range of brown and amber shades:
Amber eyes
– Vanessa Hudgens
– Catherine Zeta-Jones
– Wentworth Miller
– Kate Hudson
Brown eyes
– Brooke Shields
– Sophia Loren
– Claudia Schiffer
– Adriana Lima
Conclusion
| Brown Eyes | Amber Eyes |
|---|---|
|
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So in summary, true brown eyes have a consistently dark color across the entire iris from a heavy concentration of melanin pigment.
Amber eyes have a lighter, golden brown appearance that varies depending on lighting conditions. This results from moderate melanin levels combined with patches of lighter stroma tissue and fiber patterning in the iris.
Examining your eyes closely in different lighting and comparing them to other family members’ eye colors are the best ways to determine if your eyes are a pure brown or have an underlying amber tone. Subtle amber hues can be hard to discern but will become apparent through these systematic tests.
