Why You Have Amber Eyes and How To Dress Them Up

Amber eyes are compelling. More commonly seen in the animal kingdom — think lions, owls, wolves, and even some reptiles — they can range in color from bright gold or honey tones to a light coppery-brown shade.

If your eyes are amber, you’re lucky. Associated with independence, optimism, wisdom, and strength, they’re rare and beautiful and they tell the world that you’re unique.

Let’s find out what makes amber-colored eyes different and how they get their gorgeous color. We’ll also look at how to care for your amber eyes and explore the best glasses for you so you can make the most of this beautiful feature. All eyes will be on you.

How Rare Are Amber Eyes?

Of all the different eye colors on our planet, amber is one of the more unusual.

Around 5% of the world’s population have amber eyes — about the same number as hazel. The rarest eye color in the global population is green at 2%, followed by gray eyes at 3%. That excludes special cases like albinism (which often results in pink or red eyes) and heterochromia (differently colored eyes), which very few people have.

The most common eye color is brown — and amber eyes are sometimes mistaken for brown eyes, but they are different. They’re also different from hazel eyes.

Brown eyes are usually much darker and don’t have the same yellow-gold tones. And hazel eyes often contain some green and have flecks of other colors scattered around, while amber eyes are a solid color with no green in sight.

People with this rare eye color often have Spanish, South American, South African, or Asian ancestry, and that golden tint is more common in those parts of the world.

What Were Amber Eyes Associated With Historically?

Given that this golden hue is so rare, people have been captivated by amber eyes throughout history, especially before the science behind eye color was fully understood. In several distinct ancient civilizations, it was thought that people with amber eyes had special powers and were connected to the divine.

Given that certain animals, such as wolves and eagles, often have amber eyes, it was common to attribute special powers to people with amber eyes in cultures that revered and respected these animals.

Where Does Amber Eye Color Come From?

The colored part of the human eye is called the iris, and all eye colors are the result of pigmentation of the iris.

The specific pigment involved here is called melanin — which also controls your skin color. There are two types of melanin: Eumelanin is a dark brown pigment, while pheomelanin — also sometimes known as lipochrome — is more of a reddish-yellow color.

Your iris has two layers; the back layer almost always contains dark eumelanin, which absorbs light. The type and amount of melanin in the front layer can vary widely.

How Melanin Affects Eye Color

If you have a lot of eumelanin in that front layer, you’ll end up with some variation of a brown eye color, which could range from light brown to very dark brown, almost black eyes.

With very little melanin of any kind in the front layer, you’ll likely have blue eyes. Instead of absorbing light, your eyes will reflect it, and because the blue wavelength is most easily reflected, your eyes will look blue. This same effect, known as Rayleigh scattering, causes the sky to look blue.

When your eyes have pheomelanin but not much eumelanin, the reddish-yellow pigment combines with the blue scattering effect, resulting in green eyes.

Hazel eyes are usually a mixture of green, brown, and gold, with unevenly scattered pigment throughout the irises.

So what about amber? If your irises lie somewhere on the eumelanin spectrum but contain more pheomelanin, the combination creates that golden tint, and you’ll probably end up with the copper hue that is associated with amber eyes.

Pro Tip: If you’d love to have amber eyes but your genes just haven’t played ball, or you simply fancy an eye color change, all is not lost. You can always get a pair of amber-colored contact lenses and surprise all your friends with your new look.

How To Care for Your Amber Eyes

Eumelanin protects your eyes from the sun; because amber eyes don’t usually contain a lot of it, they’re more sensitive to UV rays. That said, eye care is especially important for people with amber eyes. Take extra care when you’re out and about in the sun, and make sure to wear a hat and good-quality sunglasses with UVA and UVB protection.

Your amber-colored eyes are also more susceptible to certain conditions like ocular melanoma — which has been associated with higher levels of pheomelanin — and age-related macular degeneration.

Get ahead of any issues by paying regular visits to your eye doctor. It’s good to keep your prescription updated anyway, and while you’re there, they can check for anything else that needs addressing.

Making the Most of Your Amber Eyes

When you wear glasses, they create a frame for your amber eyes. This is your opportunity to spotlight those gorgeous peepers and enhance the rest of your features at the same time.

First off, make sure that the shape of your glasses suits you. What you’re aiming for is to contrast your face shape, not match it. So, if your features are on the round side, square or rectangular-shaped glasses will probably work best for you. Whereas if your features are more angular, oval or round glasses will help to soften them, creating overall balance.

Of course, every face is unique, so if you’re shopping online, it’s a good idea to use your eyewear retailer’s virtual try-on tool to see how the different frame shapes suit you.

Once you’ve chosen your frame shape, it’s time to select the color — which can be tricky to pick. After all, what if you want a different color on a different day, or you want to match your specs to your outfit?

At Pair Eyewear, we’ve solved this problem for you. You get to pick a Base Frame color, which you can wear as is if you like. Or you can add any of our wide range of magnetic Top Frames in the color and design of your choosing.

The Best Frames for Your Amber Eyes

To show off your golden eyes, try one of these gorgeous options:

• Highlight the yellow-gold tones with tortoiseshell Base Frames or The Tortoise Top Frame
• Frame your eyes with Classic Black Base Frames or The Black Top Frame
• Pick up the gold in your eyes with The Flowering Plum Orchard, The Lilly Lattice, or The Sunflowers
• Create contrast with The Green Splatter, The Potions, or The Electric Purple Sparkle
• Go for gold with The Lakers Splatter, The Athletics Split, or The Bruins Ice

When you order your glasses from Pair, you’ll also be asked for your lens type — choose from non-prescription, single-vision, or progressive lenses, or readers — and your prescription.

You can also choose to add any optional extras, like blue light lenses to protect your eyes from blue light emitted by your devices or light-responsive lenses, which darken as you move into bright light. If your prescription is quite high, you might also want to invest in ultra-thin Premium Plus lenses to lighten the weight of your glasses.

Once you’ve placed your order, your new glasses should land on your doorstep within 10 to 14 days, depending on where you live and the shipping option you choose.

What Makeup and Fashion Tricks Can Highlight Your Amber Eyes?

As soon as you’ve found the perfect frames to accentuate your amber eyes, you can think about using makeup to draw attention to your special eye color. Much like with your glasses frames, choosing makeup colors that complement your eyes is key.

When you’re selecting your eye shadow, try to look for warm hues like gold, bronze, and copper. These tones will make your eyes pop and add to the natural warmth of your eyes. If you want a darker, more dramatic look, opt for an emerald green or deep purple. The contrast with your light-colored eyes will make them even more mesmerizing.

In terms of fashion, earth — and jewel-toned clothing will make your eyes pop. Colors like greens, browns, sapphire, and amethyst will all highlight the natural warmth of your eyes. Although pastels may complement your skin tone or hair color, they won’t do as much to emphasize the warmth in your amber eyes.

What Celebrities Have Amber Eyes?

As you think through what glasses frames, makeup, and fashion choices accentuate your amber eyes the most, it can be helpful to look to celebrities with amber eyes for a little bit of inspo.

Olivia Wilde, an actress and director, has amber eyes and is known for starring in “House” and directing "Don'tWorry Darling.” She’s a great source of inspiration if you’re looking for more professional or streetwear ideas.

Colombian superstar Shakira also has amber eyes. You might know some of her hits, including “Hips Don’t Lie” and “Shewolf.” Shakira can be your style guide when you want to wear something a little more daring. Check out some of her performance looks for a masterclass in how to rock sparkling jewel tones.

Nicole Richie, actress and fashion designer, is another celebrity with amber eyes. When you need help putting together looks that feel effortlessly cool and experimental to match your amber eyes, look no further than Richie’s style.

Play Up the Golden Glow With the Right Pair of Specs

Amber eyes are beautiful and fairly unusual. They get their color from high levels of a reddish-yellow pigment called pheomelanin combined with brown eumelanin, creating a gold tint. They’re more sensitive to UV rays and more susceptible to certain eye conditions than darker eyes, so it’s important to look after them.

Make the most of your amber eyes by choosing frames that suit your features and frame colors that highlight or complement that golden glow.

This eye-catching look is easy to create when you shop Pair Eyewear. With so many beautiful frames to choose from, your stunning amber eyes will always be the center of attention.

Sources:

The World's Population By Eye Color | World Atlas

Albinism: Types, Symptoms & Causes | Cleveland Clinic

Heterochromia | American Academy of Ophthalmology

Iris of the Eye: Definition, Anatomy & Function | Cleveland Clinic

What is Ocular Melanoma? | American Academy of Ophthalmology

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) | National Eye Institute