Determining whether your eyes are grey or blue can be tricky. The color of our eyes depends on the amount and quality of melanin in the iris. Melanin is a pigment that gives color to our hair, skin and eyes. People with low levels of melanin have blue eyes, while higher levels result in green, hazel or brown eyes. Grey eyes fall somewhere in between, with a medium amount of melanin.
Factors that affect eye color
Here are some of the key factors that influence eye color:
- Genetics – Our genes determine how much melanin our bodies produce. The main gene involved is the OCA2 gene, which controls melanin production. Different variations of this gene are associated with different eye colors.
- Lighting – The lighting and colors around us can impact how our eye color is perceived. Grey eyes may look more blue in natural daylight and appear greener in artificial or dim lighting.
- Age – Babies are usually born with blue or grey eyes as melanin levels increase over the first year of life. Eye color can continue to change or become more defined into early adulthood.
- Mood – Our emotions can lead to subtle changes in our eye color by altering the size of the pupil. The pupil appears larger when we are excited or aroused, exposing more of the iris and enhancing eye color.
Signs your eyes are grey
Here are some clues that you likely have grey eyes:
- They have a muted, low saturation hue compared to pure blue eyes.
- They change color depending on lighting conditions and what colors you wear.
- You see flecks or spots of other colors like blue, green, brown or gold in the iris.
- Your driver’s license lists your eye color as grey, blue-grey, or green-grey.
- People often debate or can’t agree on whether your eyes are blue or green.
- You have low contrast between your iris and pupil, giving your eyes a paler look.
Signs your eyes are blue
Here are some signs that your eyes are likely blue:
- Your eyes have a rich, deep blue hue with no traces of other colors.
- Your eye color looks the same regardless of lighting conditions.
- Your driver’s license and other IDs list your eye color as blue.
- Both you and others agree your eyes look blue.
- Your eyes have a dark blue limbal ring around the edge of the iris.
- Your eyes have high contrast between the rich blue iris and black pupil.
Compare eye colors under different light
One of the best ways to determine if your eyes are blue or grey is to compare them under different lighting conditions. Here are some tips:
- Look in a mirror under natural daylight – blue eyes will appear vivid and bright while grey eyes look muted.
- Examine your eyes under incandescent indoor light bulbs – blue eyes will still look distinctly blue while grey eyes may take on a more greenish-grey or brownish hue.
- Use a cell phone flashlight – the concentrated cool LED light emphasizes blues and greys. Blue eyes will look piercing while greys continue to be dull.
- Step outside on an overcast day – the diffused cool light of an overcast sky brings out the blue hues if your eyes are blue instead of grey.
Ask friends and family their opinion
Since eye color perception can be subjective, get input from others by asking:
- What color would you say my eyes are?
- Do you think my eyes look blue or grey?
- Have you noticed my eye color changing in different lighting?
Listen to how people describe the exact hue, brightness and saturation of your eye color for clues if they are blue or grey. Compare responses to see if there is consensus or disagreement on your eye shade.
Use photo editing apps
Digital photo editing tools allow you to do an objective color analysis of your eye. Here’s how:
- Take a close up photo of your eye in natural lighting using the rear camera of your smartphone. Make sure the photo is in focus and your eye is open.
- Upload the photo to a editing app like Photoshop Express that allows sampling color values.
- Use the eyedropper or color picker tool to sample different spots across your iris.
- Note the hex color values – blue eyes will show rich blues while greys reveal desaturated blues and green-browns.
- Use the color classification tool to see what hue family the samples indicate – blue or grey.
This digital analysis can give you definite numbers on where your eye color falls on the spectrum.
Consult an optometrist
Make an appointment with your eye doctor and ask them to determine your true eye color during your exam. Optometrists have training and specialized tools to evaluate your eye’s anatomy and physiology. Some methods they may use include:
- Ophthalmoscopy – examining your iris and retina with a slit lamp to observe melanin density.
- Gene testing – checking for gene variants linked to blue and grey eyes.
- Color vision testing – assessing how your eyes perceive different hues.
- Measuring optical density – using a spectrophotometer to quantify melanin levels.
Your optometrist can give you a definitive professional assessment of whether you have blue or grey eyes based on objective clinical tests. This can help solve the mystery of your eye shade.
Check past ID cards and records
Dig through old identification cards, driver’s licenses, passports and medical records that list your eye color. Trace descriptions like your licenses over time:
| Document | Date | Listed Eye Color |
|---|---|---|
| Passport | 2012 | Grey |
| Driver’s license | 2016 | Blue |
| Work ID | 2020 | Blue-grey |
This audit trail can reveal if your official eye color has shifted over the years or remained consistent. It may also indicate if others have changed how they classify your eye shade.
Conclusion
Determining whether your eyes are blue or grey can be challenging, but using a mix of different lighting, soliciting others’ opinions, photo editing tools, professional eye exams, and checking past records can help discern your true eye color. Look for consistency across methods – if your eyes are blue, they will appear blueish under all conditions. While changeability, muted hues and flecks of color point towards grey eyes. With some diligent detective work, you can get to the bottom of this optical mystery!