Are Amber Eyes Rare? What Is Amber Eye Color Like?

Melanin in the iris is the main factor that determines your eye color. The higher the amount of melanin in the iris, the darker the color of a person's eyes is. The combination of eumelanin and pheomelanin (lipochrome) in the iris gives rise to amber eyes.

These are exceptionally rare, constituting only about 5% of the global population, ranking as the 3rd-rarest eye color. Green eyes hold the title for the rarest, followed by grey eyes in the second spot. ❗ This ranking does not include the special cases of heterochromia and red/violet eyes.

Explore more fascinating facts about amber eye color below.

What Causes Amber Eyes?

Amber eyes are caused by a combination of genetic factors that influence the production of the pigments eumelanin and pheomelanin in the iris.

Eumelanin is a brown-to-black pigment that is the most common form of melanin and responsible for the dark colors in skin, eyes, and hair. Lipochrome, also called pheomelanin, is a yellow pigment that gives amber eyes a yellowish-gold tint. Pheomelanin is also found in green eyes.

What Color Are Natural Amber Eyes?

Amber eyes are a solid color, exhibiting a spectrum from bright golden to a warm yellowish-brown tone.

Often described as having a golden brown or light brown hue, it's important to note that they differ from light brown eyes. While light brown eyes appear bright in sunlight but darken indoors, amber eyes maintain a yellowish-gold tint, not limited to bright conditions.

Amber Eyes vs Hazel

Amber eyes stand distinct from hazel eyes. While hazel eyes may include specks of amber or gold, they often showcase a mixture of colors like green, brown, and orange, with a tendency to shift in color and feature flecks and ripples. In contrast, amber eyes boast a solid yellowish-gold hue.

Key differences between amber and hazel eyes include:

- Color: Amber eyes maintain a more solid color, while hazel eyes display flecks of various hues.

- Hue: Amber eyes exhibit a distinctive light-brown ring around the pupil.

- Green: Amber eyes lack any green tint.

💡 A handy tip to distinguish amber eyes from hazel is to check for the presence of green, as amber eye color does not possess this shade.

Amber Eyes vs Brown

Amber eyes, lighter than brown eyes, owe their hue to an abundance of pheomelanin, imparting a yellowish-gold tint. In contrast, brown eyes, rich in eumelanin, sport a darker brown-black shade.

Key differences between amber and brown eyes include:

- Contrast: Amber eyes boast a distinctive contrast between the pupil and iris, while brown eyes appear darker with no pronounced light reflection.

- Hue: Amber eyes have a golden or coppery hue, while brown eyes, whether dark or light, appear darker due to the high concentration of eumelanin.

- Rarity: Amber eyes rank as the third-rarest eye color after green and gray. Brown eyes, on the other hand, are the most common globally, constituting almost 80% world's population.

💡 To distinguish amber eyes from brown, closely observe them in varying lighting conditions. If a stark contrast exists between the pupil and iris, chances are your eyes are amber!

Amber Eyes vs Green

Green eyes appear a yellow-green hue, primarily owing to a higher concentration of eumelanin compared to pheomelanin. Meanwhile, amber eyes feature a greater abundance of pheomelanin.

Amber Eyes in the Sun

Amber eyes differ from light brown eyes. Light brown eyes may appear bright in sunlight, but amber eyes showcase a yellowish-gold tint, even indoors and not just in bright sunlight.

How Rare Are Amber Eyes?

Amber eyes are relatively rare in humans, occurring in only about 5% of the world's population, making them the third rarest natural eye color after green and grey. This unique hue is more common in animals such as canines, domestic cats, owls, eagles, pigeons, and fish.

See where amber is in the eye color percentages of people worldwide chart:

- Brown eyes: 55%-79%

- Blue eyes: 8%-10%

- Hazel eyes: 5%

- Amber eyes: 5%

- Gray eyes: 3%

- Green eyes: 2%

- Red or Violet: <1%

- Heterochromia: <1%

People with Amber Eyes

Amber-eyed individuals are more prevalent in regions such as the Balkans, Southern France, the Iberian Peninsula, Italy, and Hungary. They are also found, albeit in fewer numbers, in the Middle East, North Africa, and South America.

While amber eye color is rare, it's not unheard of in the world of celebrities. Here are some famous personalities who possess this unique trait:

- Camilla Luddington

- Darren Criss

- Eliza Dushku

- Florencia Bertotti

- Gonzalo Garcia Vivanco

- Jennifer Garner

- Jennifer Lopez

- Justin Bieber

- Katie Melua

- Nicole Richie

Best Colored Contacts for Getting Amber Eyes

Only 5% of the world's population have amber eyes, making them mysterious and attractive. Colored contacts work to enhance or complement the natural color of your eyes. If you want to achieve amber eyes, try the following TTDeye colored contact lenses to add golden flame to your iris!

👉 Iris Gold-Brown | 1 Year Reusable | 14.0mm Diameter | -8.00 to 0.00 Available

👉 Crystal Ball Brown II | 1 Year Reusable | 14.0mm Diameter | -8.00 to 0.00 Available

Final Words

Now that you're familiar with amber eyes, their rarity, and how to identify them, you might be interested in replicating their unique look. Colored contact lenses, particularly opaque-tinted ones, offer the perfect solution. Not only can you achieve amber eyes, but you can also experiment with various other eye colors!

TTDeye offers brown, grey, blue and green lenses for daily wear, as well as white, black, red and purple contacts for cosplay occasions like Halloween. Discover all of TTDeye's colored contact lenses here🛒!