This is something I’ve been wondering about for some time now. I’ve noticed that some people have dark rings around the outside of their eyes’ irises, between the iris and the white. It’s like a dark, bottomless pool of pure color. Other people don’t have it. Their irises slam right up into the white.
Last month, Notional Geographic magazine celebrated their 125th anniversary with a special photo issue. On the cover is their iconic and haunting photo of a young Afghan girl. I’m sure you’ve seen it:
Her sea-green eyes are the most striking I think I’ve ever seen. And she has those dark rings, too. I kept seeing the photo and wondering about those rings.
So I Googled it. They’re called “limbal rings,” and psychologists say they are an unconscious measure of attractiveness. They make the eyes “pop” and make the whites look whiter. Thick, dark limbal rings are also a measure of general physical health, as they fade with age and disease. Contact lens makers have long been making colored lenses that enhance the limbal ring:
My eyes are hazel, green on the outside and brown on the inside. The dark limbal ring is a deep green color.
Hello.. Interesting.. something I was hipped to, long ago, by a premed student is.. when the whites of the eyes are seen below the iris it indicates a relaxed.. knowledge and confidence.. each person in any aspect is a universe of wonder.. 🙂 .. Peace T.
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Cool… 🙂
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So much can be seen in the eye. Now I’ll be looking for limbal rings in others! I have them too. I hope that’s good!
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In general, I find iridology fascinating. Not sure if it’s at all valid or just bunk, but it’s still interesting. Also love seeing super close-up photos of irises. They are so incredibly complex and beautiful.
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Years ago I took Dr Bernard Jensen’s course on Iridology. It was fascinating! I don’t remember much but still have his beautiful textbook. I’ll have to get it out and look again!
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I agree! I wasn’t sure at the time I took the class but it was fascinating. One of my art students painted a copy of the Girl on NG. We worked so hard to get those eyes right! She finally hot them pretty close but that color was hard to come up with.
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wonderful post…I absolutely love this image. she is BEAUTIFUL!
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Me too. Did you know NG went to great lengths to find her again decades later? It was hard because she was living in a Pakistani refugee camp, and her name was never known.
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I did not know that. so sad 😦
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I meant that she was living in a refugee camp when she was 12, at the time the original picture was taken. Now, I do believe she is married with children and grandchildren. No sad.
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Her name is Sherbat Gula.
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Yes. She’s still beautiful, just in a different way. Her life is etched in there now. She was a mere child when the first photo was taken, yet she already seemed world-weary.
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Eyes that defying the brutality of the Taliban.
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Yes.
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Eyes of defying the injustice .
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How interesting. Now I must go and look in the mirror! 🙂
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I swear, I look at everyone’s eyes for the rings now!
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I have dark brown eyes and can’t see the rings in them. Plus I have eyeglasses that hide my eyes most of the time. Darn.
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I wondered about very dark eyes.
Mine are hidden behind sunglasses most of the time.
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Iiiiinteresting! Count me in the dark brown, ringless camp…I can’t even see my pupils most days.
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Too much partying? 🙂 I wonder if they are difficult to see against dark colored irises.
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I have brown eyes with blue rings. I know I didn’t have these rings when I was younger. They have appeared just withih blue in their eyes except the ones wearing contacts.
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Wow, how strange and interesting!
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My Eyes are brown…and have a sage Limbus.
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Kewl.
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I have dark brown eyes but I recently discovered that my limbus ring changes colors (I think)! One day the rings appeared like a light blue, then later green, then another day a hazel-like color. I’m really fascinated with it and think it might be genetic because my grandfather’s pupils change colors…
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Wow, how fascinating! Maybe you should have a professional photographer capture the different shades…
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Lately I have noticed that anyone I believe is here to raise the vibration of the planet all have limbal rings…..Indigo, Crystal and Rainbow Children (Starseeds)……non conformists, right brain thinkers, ADD, ADHD, Autism, Asberges.
I myself have them, however none of my family have, including my twin and I feel I don’t belong there as I think very differently to them. I have been diagnosed with adult ADD, but after reading all about Starseeds and their characteristics, I do believe it is a closer discription of who I am: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fxvriVUk_5A
I don’t know….has anyone else ever noticed this? I can’t seem to find anything on the net.
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Fascinating theory, I like it.
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Someone told me I had a dark blue ring around my eye today and I was worried.. Thank goodness it’s normal, haha. Pretty interesting, though!
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I bet they’re beautiful. 🙂
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I have light green eyes but alas my limbal rings are a dark green, not black. Sigh, oh well. At least i have a good personality😆
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Well, that sounds beautiful!
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My eyes are exactly the same
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