Purple eyes: do people have eyes of an unusual color?

Gray, black, brown, blue - each person has a certain shade of eyes, received by inheritance. But quite unusual colors are also found in nature - for example, purple. The lilac hue is the result of a genetic mutation of "Alexandria origin".

Newborns' eyes are usually gray or blue, but after six months of age the color changes. It is the rich purple hue with dark or copper notes that appears during puberty due to double genes.

This feature does not have any effect on visual function. Read more about purple eye color below.

Violet eyes are rare in humans, but they do occur; they develop based on a double genetic lineage. This mutation does not indicate ophthalmological problems, but it may be associated with cardiovascular pathologies.

Do people have naturally purple eyes?

In everyday life, it is impossible to meet a person with pure violet eyes. Typically, a lilac tint is present in gray or blue eyes and appears due to the refraction of light rays when viewed from a certain angle.

This phenomenon occurs due to the fact that in different people, due to genetic predispositions, the iris of the eyes can refract light rays differently. This feature does not affect human vision, but is recognized as an anomaly.

Also, the shade of the eyes can change depending on the environment in which a person is located. In a dark room, the iris becomes darker, and in bright daylight it becomes lighter and brighter, which can contribute to the appearance of a purple tint.

The ability of the human eye to change color depending on what ambient light a person is in at a given specific moment is not a gift of nature, but a physiological feature. Those with this ability have a two-layer iris - stroma, the increased density of which can affect the shade.

There is an opinion that people with purple eyes are more often born in the mountains of Kashmir, which are located in India. This area is distinguished by a specific climate and thin air, which together provoke mutations over generations.

But researchers have found that modern Kashmiris mostly have brown eyes; in rare cases, other shades can be found - blue or gray. Since local residents have dark skin and dark hair, the light shade of the iris may well appear purple.

In ancient times, owners of lilac eyes were associated with magic and mysticism.

How did eye color come about?

Purple eyes are a very rare phenomenon these days.
There are 2 theories of the origin of different eye colors - historical and biological.

According to the historical version, many years ago people lived on Earth exclusively with brown eyes. After the collision of the Earth with a comet, the Ice Age began. It took a lot of strength and energy for the residents to survive. At this time, leaders began to appear who had more strength and could lead the people. These hardy people's eyes began to change their color, acquiring cold shades - gray, blue, indigo.

Later, as a result of marriages between brown-eyed people and those who received cold shades of eyes, children began to appear. They already had the most different shades of the iris:

1. gray-blue:
2. green;
3. grey-green;
4. gray-brown, etc.

According to biological theory, the pigment in the iris affects eye color. It is distributed on two layers:

1. ectodermal;
2. mesodermal.

In addition, the vessels and fibers of the iris play a significant role in the manifestation of pigmentation. The final eye color is determined by the amount of pigment (melanin) and the density of the iris fibers.

Causes

Naturally purple eyes are in most cases a genetic mutation that affects the body's production of melanin.

People with unusual eye colors are not born that way. It develops later, so it is believed that there are reasons why this feature could be a disease, syndrome, mutation, or medical condition.

Usually, upon birth, the color of the child’s iris is gray or blue, and by 6-12 months. changes and takes on a purple hue. Its final formation occurs towards adulthood.

People who have copper, hazel or amber eyes are most susceptible to developing a lilac tint. In such cases, the change is temporary and is caused by the refraction of light rays at a certain moment.

Also, the eyes of a photosensitive person can acquire a purple tint. In this case, light penetrates the iris and is refracted, which causes a change in the shade of the eyes.

Mechanisms of eye color formation

The color of the natural iris depends on the concentration of pigments, varying based on genotype, and the blood vessels in the eye. Mixing the two shades of the father and mother can give the child an unusual color. When mixing inherited sky and green shades, there is a chance to form a turquoise color. However, at this time, no information has been received on how to obtain natural purple eyes through crossing.

Often photographers retouch the visual organs, giving the iris poisonous and unusual colors. Purple is one of the most popular.

Effective ways to change color include:

• wearing colored lenses;
• surgical installation of an implant;
• laser clarification.

The fastest way to get a purple tint is to buy special colored lenses. The advantage of the method is the ability to quickly change the image and the absence of danger to the visual organs. It is also possible to surgically install implants or lighten green and dark blue eyes using laser correction. But the operation does not provide a complete guarantee of obtaining the desired shade. Only the lightening effect has been scientifically proven. It should be borne in mind that over time, depending on weather conditions, hormonal levels or changes in emotions, the color of the iris tends to change. So those with blue, cyan or gray tones may have a color scheme closer to lilac.

Pathology or feature?

Purple eye color is not a pathology. Ophthalmologists note that this shade is a variant of the blue iris, which is not a rare occurrence for people of the Caucasian race.

They draw attention to the fact that the special shade of the eyes cannot be associated with pathologies of human health. This mutation is a consequence of albinism or Marchesani syndrome, and not their cause.

Myths

History says that initially only people with brown eyes lived on the planet. The gene mutation occurred as a result of the collision of the Earth with a comet and as a result of changes in climatic conditions.

After the end of the ice age, due to a change in lifestyle, in some regions of the planet children began to be born with a different eye color - gray, blue, blue. Over time, marriages of people with different eye colors began to produce children who had irises of various shades.

Naturally violet eyes are a rare occurrence. There are less than 1% of people on the planet with such a characteristic feature, so many consider this feature to be a fiction. There is a legend in mythology according to which people in ancient times saw a bright flash in the sky, and after that some of them began to give birth to children with purple eyes.

According to myths, representatives of different races with violet eyes are credited with longevity - the ability to live up to 150 years. Those who refute this opinion believe that such people have low immunity and a tendency to develop pathologies of the cardiovascular system, which is contrary to longevity.

Today, all that is known is that not a single myth has scientific confirmation and is considered speculation.

Medical versions

According to science, eye color is determined by the presence of pigment and the characteristics of its distribution inside the iris - the higher the concentration of melanin in it, the darker the eye color. Also, its shade is influenced by the density of blood vessels, which, together with the distribution of pigment, gives a special shade to the eyes.

Elizabeth Taylor has purple eyes. Photo

Genetic scientists believe that there is no separate special gene that would determine purple eye color, there is only the possibility that it is formed from the combination of some genes. In general, the color of the shell is determined by two pigments - melanin (brown) and lipochrome (yellow). The more melanin in the cells, the darker the eye color.

An unusual purple tint to the iris can appear as a result of trauma to the organ of vision and hemorrhage from damaged vessels in people with blue eyes, since purple can be obtained by mixing red and blue. Depending on the severity of the injury, this condition may be temporary or permanent.

There are several medical versions according to which a person can acquire a purple tint to their eyes.

They are presented in the table:

Also, during puberty, a teenager's eye color may change and acquire a purple tint. This happens because such a person has double genes, which manifests itself at the time of puberty and hormonal changes.

In this case, the person is no different from his peers, he does not have vision problems, but there is a possibility that he will develop cardiovascular pathologies.

Origin and genetic mutations of eye color

It is believed that initially all the inhabitants of the earth had the same eye color for everyone - presumably brown, but definitely a dark shade. They connect this with the prevailing dark skin of people living in warm, sunny places in those distant times.

How did all the other colors come about? The answer is simple - genetic mutations. Changing living conditions, natural disasters, settlement of northern lands, periods of mass migration, interracial marriages - these are the main reasons for such modifications.

Interesting! Danish geneticists led by Professor Hans Eyberg claim that the ancestor of all modern blue-eyed men and women was one person who lived approximately 10,000 years ago. Over 99.5% of those who had their DNA analyzed had the same genetic mutation that changed the processes of melanin production. People with dark eye color also have one “forefather,” but he lived much earlier!

The production of melanin, which determines not only the color of the eyes, but hair and skin, is the responsibility of the OCA2 gene. It is this that determines the color of a person’s eyes.

There are times when a gene stops working altogether and turns off. The skin, hair and eyes of such people with albinism are light. Sometimes blood vessels can give a red eye effect.

Purple eye color according to Alexandria's theory

Purple eyes, according to legend, were given by nature to the inhabitants of an Egyptian village. The theory says that one night in 1015, when everyone was going to bed, people saw a bright flash in the sky - this influenced genetics and everyone who looked at the bright light began to change the shade of their eyes.

They began to shun such people and perceive them as mythical ghosts, as a result of which they had to migrate to the north of the country.

At first, no attention was paid to such a phenomenon, since nothing else reminded of it, until in 1329 a girl named Alexandria Augustine was born in England, whose eye color was first blue, and then, for no apparent reason, changed in infancy and became purple.

Her mother was frightened and showed the child to the priest - she decided that it was a witch’s curse. But the church servant calmed the woman down and told her that it was a gift. According to legend, Alexandria lived to be 100 years old.

Later, other people gave birth to babies with pale skin and lilac eyes. All 4 daughters of Alexandria also inherited a special shade of the iris and passed it on. It is currently believed that this feature was characteristic of the Middle Ages and has been lost by humanity to this day.

Purple eye color due to Marchesani syndrome

Naturally violet eyes are observed in people with Marchesani syndrome. This is a genetic abnormality that is inherited. The pathology was first described in 1939. The syndrome most often appears in families where consanguinity is present.

People with this disease have the following characteristics (presented in ascending order of frequency):

• The limbs are not fully developed - they are short, but the muscles and fat layer are well developed.
• Growth is below average.
• A person has a wide skull and a convex forehead.
• Presence of joint pain.
• The presence of pathologies in the development of the visual organs - a small and convex lens is formed.

In the latter case, eye diseases cause a change in the color of the iris to purple. Treatment is usually symptomatic, mainly aimed at normalizing the pressure inside the eye.

Do albinos have purple eyes?

Naturally violet eyes can be seen in albinos. Such people have a low concentration of pigment in the iris of the eye, so its color turns red - these are visible capillaries filled with blood, which are visible to the naked eye.

Nastya Zhidkova is one of the few albino people with red eyes originally from Russia.

The lilac hue appears due to the reflection of blue pigment, which is present in small quantities in the iris.

Popular eye shades

Basic shades of the iris:

1. Blue - it is obtained as a result of a gene mutation; it has existed for more than 10 thousand years.
2. Blue – there is little melamine, the iris is usually brown. It is not the pigment itself that is blue; the corresponding visual effects are obtained by scattering light.
3. Gray is the most common and at the same time rare at the same time. The fact is that the gray shade is constantly changing - taking into account clothing, weather, nature, mood, well-being of the owner, it can become more heavenly or asphalt.
4. Green is a rare variation; green-eyed people usually have red or blond hair.
5. Brown is the main pigment, the most common shade.
6. Yellow - the amber color of the iris is as unusual as lilac, but usually causes less surprise.

The influence of purple eye color on a person’s condition and character

In medicine, there is an opinion that the violet tint of the eyes affects a person’s health and abilities. Research shows that people with lilac eyes are no different in health from other people. But it is worth considering that anomalies in eye color changes have not been fully studied and some of the conclusions to date may be refuted in the future.

At the moment, science knows the following patterns regarding people with purple eyes:

• they have acute vision throughout life, which is not affected by the color of the iris;
• such people may have chronic heart disease;
• If there are no hereditary pathologies, people with lilac eyes can live as many years as the rest of the human race.

In esotericism, it is generally accepted that such people have hidden potential and extrasensory abilities, which are initially in a latent state and need to be revealed in a timely manner.

It is also believed that only women can have purple eyes, and those who have very thin, snow-white skin that does not tan even after several hours of exposure to the sun. Such female representatives experience a lack of menstrual cycles. Their hair color can be any shade - from brown to black.

It is also supported that the aging process of such people is slowed down, that is, they look at least 10-15 years younger than their actual age. After reaching middle age, their aging slows and they maintain their appearance almost unchanged for two to three decades.

People with violet eyes are able to maintain their ideal body weight no matter how much they eat, so they have no problem losing or gaining weight throughout their lives.

Women with purple irises do not have excess body hair even in adulthood. The only hair they have from the moment they are born is on their head, eyebrows, inside the nose and ears. These women rarely get sick, since they have a very strong immunity to almost all types of diseases.

Despite the fact that there is practically no data on people with purple eyes, astrologers still give a description of their possible character:

• men have an easygoing disposition, they are amorous;
• Women may be hot-tempered and at the same time soft;
• they are interesting interlocutors, as they are always ready to learn something new;
• people with violet eye color are diligent and persevering, very inquisitive;
• are characterized by too close perception of the negative impact of the environment;
• they quickly move away from the insult, but remember it for a long time;
• it is quite difficult for people with violet eye color to meet a person for a life partnership, since they need to fully feel him and be on the same level with him;
• They are diligent in their work and always fulfill the assigned tasks, so they can achieve a lot;
• have creative inclinations and love music, art, writing;
• These people are easy to train and easily comprehend the nuances of various professions.

Famous people with purple eyes

Actress Elizabeth Taylor had an unusual eye shade. She was born in 1932 and left this world in 2011, having lived 79 years. Eyewitnesses claim that she stopped aging at the age of 50 and retained her appearance into old age.

Today she is considered the only owner of this mutation, although many people believe that her iris was blue-gray rather than purple. There is an opinion that due to the double row of eyelashes and correctly selected lighting on the set, the actress had a lilac tint to her eyes.

It is difficult to say today how plausible their color was. One thing is clear, since at the time of filming films with Elizabeth, contact lenses and computer technologies that allowed color correction had not yet been invented, this could not have caused the change in the color of her eyes.

An interesting fact worth noting is that at some point after age 50, Elizabeth Taylor's eye color lost its violet tint and became gray. Many people at the time wondered if this had an impact on her health in the long run.

Modern movie stars and models often resort to using contact lenses, which give their eyes a purple tint. Optics help to emphasize the image being created, make the look more expressive, or completely change the image.

In literature, violet eyes are quite common. Their owners are special individuals or representatives of an entire race.

The following are the most popular heroes with unusual eye colors:

• V. Kamsha, “Chronicles of Artia” - representatives of the Villo-Grisier clan;
• N. Popova, “The Congregation” (book series) – the heroine Margaret von Schönborn;
• N. Ignatova, “Bastard von Narbe” - Lucas von Narbe, the hero is marked by an angel and given a special eye color;
• M. Peake, “Gormenghast” - the heir of Titus;
• J. Martin, “A Song of Ice and Fire” - representatives of the Valerian race who considered themselves superior;
• A. Sapkowski, “The Witcher” – Geralt’s beloved named Yennefer.

Today we can say with confidence that purple eyes are a very rare phenomenon. Scientists are still studying the mechanism of mutations in nature that cause this feature and the reasons for its appearance.

If a newborn child under the age of one year experiences the appearance of a purple tint in the iris of the eye, then it is quite possible that by adulthood he may become the owner of an unusual eye color. But in any case, it is believed that pure violet eye color does not exist; its shades can only appear.

The rarest and most beautiful eye colors in the world

1. Heterochromia and anisocoria. These conditions are sometimes mistaken for each other.

Heterochromia is a rare vision disorder in which the iris comes in different colors. There are three types of heterochromia:

• Full: eyes of completely different colors.
• Partial: A spot on the iris that is a completely different color than the rest of the iris due to differences in pigmentation.
• Central: When there is an inner ring that is a different color from the outer part of the iris because melanin is concentrated around the pupil.

This is quite an unusual type of coloration for the eyes, and although some people use contact lenses to make the iris color more even, I think such a rare beauty should be on display! Less than 1% of people have aniscoria or heterochromia.

Anisocoria is a condition in which one of the pupils is significantly larger than the other and the difference is several millimeters. This creates the illusion that the eyes are different colors.

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Anisocoria can be congenital or the result of nerve palsy or traumatic eye injury, which can lead to much more significant differences in pupil size. Because of this, an organ of vision with a dilated pupil appears much darker than another with a normal pupil.

2. Less than 1% of the world's population has red, pink and purple eyes. Two main conditions cause a red or pinkish color: albinism and blood in the iris. Although albinos usually have very light blue eyes due to a lack of pigment, some forms of albinism can cause the iris to appear red or pink.

The purple-blue color is also found only in people with albinism. Scientists believe that you cannot have purple eyes unless you are an albino.

3. Gray eyes can sometimes be mistaken for blue. It is believed that what causes the iris to appear gray rather than blue is related to the amount of collagen present in the stroma. This interferes with Rayleigh scattering, causing the light to reflect gray rather than blue. Less than 1% of people have gray eyes.

4. Green eyes. Low melanin content, lipochrome burst, and Rayleigh scattering of light reflected from the yellow stroma can produce different shades of green. Only 2% of the world's population has green eyes. This is definitely rare!

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5. Amber eyes. This amazingly beautiful golden color is often confused with nutty. The difference is that hazel eyes have green and brown undertones, while amber eyes are a solid, uniform color. With minimal melanin and lots of lipochrome, eyes in this shade almost glow! Many animals have this iris color, but it is very rare for humans. No more than 5% of the population are born with this color.

6. Hazel eyes may seem fairly common, but only about 5% of the world's population is born with this color. In hazel eyes, melanin is concentrated on the outer side of the iris, giving them a multicolored appearance.