Gray eyes and blue eyes are both unique and beautiful eye colors. Here are some details about gray eyes and how they compare to blue eyes:
Gray Eyes:
- Gray eyes are very rare and can appear dark gray, gray-blue, or gray-green in color.
- The color and intensity of gray eyes varies from person to person and can include dark gray, gray-green, and gray-blue.
- Gray eyes may contain just enough melanin in the front layer to dim the blue wavelengths of light that are reflected back by the tissue of the eye.
- Gray eyes may appear to change color depending on the color of clothing or eye makeup the individual is wearing, or how bright the surrounding lighting is.
- Gray eyes may be called "blue" at first glance, but they tend to have flecks of gold and brown and may appear to "change color" from gray to blue to green depending on clothing, lighting, and mood.
- Gray eyes are caused by larger deposits of collagen in the stroma, so that the light that is reflected from the epithelium undergoes Mie scattering rather than Rayleigh scattering.
Blue Eyes:
- Blue eyes have a cobalt blue or sapphire color and tend to be lighter around the edges and darker in the center.
- Blue eyes are caused by light reflecting off of the protein collagen in the stroma.
- Blue eyes appear brighter and more vibrant than gray eyes.
- Around 1 in 4 people in the U.S. have blue eyes.
In terms of genetics, scientists know a lot about the genetics of eye color, but mostly about blue, green, and brown eyes. Not many scientists have studied the differences between blue and gray eyes, but it is likely that the genetics of the two are very similar. One idea is that in light gray eyes, there is very little melanin on the front of the iris, even less than is found in blue eyes.
