How do hazel eyes get their unique colour?

Hazel-coloured eyes are truly mesmerising to behold. Speckled with striking flecks of colour, they are remarkable and distinctive. They come in a combination of colours which vary greatly. This is why this eye colour is often seen as attractive and mysterious. Its rarity makes it desirable and a unique trait so if you are lucky enough to be blessed with this enchanting eye colour, consider yourself very lucky. The colour itself is affected by various influencing factors.

How rare is it to have this eye colour?

Only around 5% of people in the world have this eye colour. They are just as rare as amber eyes but not as rare as colours like green, purple and grey. Hazel eyes are most common among people of North African, Middle Eastern, Spanish and Brazilian descent.

What causes this eye colour?

The amount of melanin pigment in the iris of your eye defines your eye colour. Individuals with dark-coloured eyes have more melanin in their iris than people who have lighter eyes.

If your eyes are hazel, they have a moderate amount of melanin. Most often, the melanin is typically more prominent in the outer part of the iris. This is why the inside portion of the eye is lighter in colour than the outside part. However, sometimes this is reversed, so the inside portion of the iris is darker.

Eye colour can also depend on the way that light is scattered in the stroma of the iris. Eyes with low amounts of melanin absorb less light. Instead, more light is scattered and reflected by the iris. Eyes with less melanin will look green or hazel. Meanwhile, eyes with the lowest amounts of melanin will look blue.

How is this eye colour inherited?

Hazel eyes are a dominant trait. A single copy of this gene is sufficient for you to inherit them. This means that only one of your parents would need to have this eye colour for you to be likely to inherit them. Of course, this doesn’t mean that two parents with blue or brown eyes cannot have a child with hazel-coloured eyes, it is just much less likely. It is still possible so long as both parents carry a copy of the hazel eyes gene.

What colour are hazel eyes?

Hazel eyes can be a combination of various different colours and they are sometimes referred to as hazelnut. They are most commonly a mix of brown, gold and green. They also sometimes feature specks of blue or grey. However, it is hard to describe what colour they are exactly because they can appear darker or lighter according to your individual genetics. They also look different and seem to change colour in varying lights. This is why sometimes it may seem that your eye colour changes throughout the day.

With hazel eyes, you either have brown or green as the dominant colour in the iris. Brown is the most common variety. Obviously, there are many different variations but the dominant colour is the reason why they will typically look and therefore be mistaken for either green or brown. The best way to tell if your eyes are hazel is if they have a combination of colours in the iris.

Hazel vs. brown eyes

The difference between hazel and brown eyes is simply that brown eyes have a more consistent colour. While hazel eyes might appear to be brown at first glance, if you look a little closer, you’ll realise they have flecks or parts of another colour too. In contrast, brown eyes are one solid colour throughout the whole of the iris.

What colour glasses suit my eye colour?

Hazel eyes naturally look spectacular with browns and greens. Depending on whether your eyes are predominately brown or green, we would suggest that you contrast accordingly. If your eyes have golden flecks, you can draw attention to this stunning feature with a bright gold frame. A light tortoiseshell will also have the same effect. Meanwhile, if you’re keen to grab attention in a crowd then a vibrant red, purple, or pink will highlight your eyes perfectly and provide a stylish, modern contrast.