What are the rarest eye colors in the world?

The human eye is a fascinating organ, and comes in a variety of colours. Dark eyes are the most common, while blue, green and hazel are the least common colours. Some people have rare eye colours caused by genetic mutations that affect the amount or type of pigmentation in the iris. In the gallery we reveal some of the world’s rarest eye colours.

Amber-colored eyes

One of the rarest eye colours in the world is amber. This eye colour is a mixture of brown and yellow, and is often described as having a golden or honey-like appearance. Amber eyes are most commonly found in Asia and South America, but can also be found in other parts of the world.

Amber eyes

Amber eyes (sometimes also considered yellow) are characterised by a full colour and a strong ochre and coppery tint. This may be due to the deposition of a yellow pigment called lipochroma in the iris. (source: Wikipedia)

Purple eyes

Another rare eye colour is violet. This eye colour is the result of a lack of melanin in the iris, which makes the eyes appear violet. Purple eyes are extremely rare and are most commonly found in people with albinism.

Black eyes

Very dark black or brown eyes are endowed with a large amount of melanin that makes them appear close to black, having very dark brown tones. They can be present in phototypes 3 and up. A black eye with total or partial absence of iris is affected by aniridia and is very rare. (source: wikipedia)

Green eyes

Green eyes are the product of a relatively low amount of melanin and probably represent the interaction of the OCA2 gene with other genes. Some sources estimate that people with green eyes are only 2% in the world. (source: wikipedia)

Blue eyes

Blue eyes are the result of a reduced amount of melanin and related to the high density of proteins in the stroma. Blue is the lightest colour that eyes can exhibit. In Greek mythology, the goddess Athena was famous for her glaucous eyes. (source: wikipedia)

Clear eyes

Light eyes, i.e. green, grey and blue eyes, are the rarest colouring in the world. Light eyes are most frequent in Northern Europe, Central Europe and Eastern Europe. Light eyes are fairly common in France as well as in the northernmost areas of Italy, Spain and the Balkans; they are sporadically observed in parts of Asia and North Africa.

Clear eyes: beware of ultraviolet rays

Individuals with blue, green, amber or grey eyes are more susceptible to ultraviolet damage than individuals with dark-coloured eyes. (source: wikipedia)

Dark eyes

Dark eyes are the most widespread throughout the world. In many populations, dark eyes are the only observable iris colouring. Brown is the dominant colour in the human species and in many areas of the world it is almost the only colour present in the iris. It is less common in countries around the Baltic Sea and in Scandinavia. (source: wikipedia)

What are the rarest eye colors in the world?