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THE COLORS OF SILVER by Pamela R. Martin/Castle Paws Jan 26, 2003 Silver Persian Division Colors: CHINCHILLA SILVER: undercoat pure white. Coat on back, flanks, head, and tail sufficiently tipped with black to give the characteristic sparkling silver appearance. Legs may be slightly shaded with tipping. Chin, ear tufts, stomach, and chest, pure white. Rims of eyes, lips, and nose outlined with black. Nose leather: brick red. Paw pads: black. Eye color: green or blue-green. Disqualify for incorrect eye color, incorrect eye color being copper, yellow, gold, amber, or any color other than green or blue-green. SHADED SILVER: undercoat white with a mantle of black tipping shading down from sides, face, and tail from dark on the ridge to white on the chin, chest, stomach, and under the tail. Legs to be the same tone as the face. The general effect is to be much darker than a chinchilla. Rims of eyes, lips, and nose outlined with black. Nose leather: brick red. Paw pads: black. Eye color: green or blue-green. Disqualify for incorrect eye color, incorrect eye color being copper, yellow, gold, amber, or any color other than green or blue-green. Chinchilla Silver female 0130 Chinchilla Silver male 0131 Shaded Silver male 0132 Shaded Silver female 0133 It's been said that a "good" chinchilla or shaded silver, meaning one with the correct amount of tipping, can be identified from across the room. This is true simply because the color of a "good" chinchilla or shaded is obvious and not questionable. With so much emphasis being placed upon improving nose type, the colors of the silver Persian coat and eye color, are sometimes overlooked by breeders as well as judges. Many shaded silvers lack enough tipping to be true shaded silvers, but have too much tipping to be chinchilla silvers. Chinchilla silvers may have too much tipping for a chinchilla but not enough tipping to be a shaded silver. The results are what we commonly refer to as the " neither/nors". Chinchilla silvers sometimes have so little tipping they appear to be a white cat. Let us look at the color standard for the silvers. It clearly states that the chinchilla silver has black tipping down the back, flanks, head and tail to give the cat a "sparkling appearance." A chinchilla has tipping on less than half of the hair shaft with a minimal tipping of 1/8 inch while a shaded has the tipping on more than half of the hair shaft. Obviously, with the absence of black tipping the coat color is white! Tipping may vary on a chinchilla or shaded due to seasonal coat changes, new coat growth and transition from kitten coat to adult coat. Furthermore, these coat color changes have the ability to project a lighter or darker shaded or chinchilla coat color. New coat growth in both the chinchilla and shaded silver, often comes in on reverse, meaning that the tipping is actually at the roots. The reverse tipping grows out, but not always in the desired time frame causing confusion in the show ring. To complicate matters even further; silvers have been known to change completely from a chinchilla to a shaded or vice versa. An experienced and knowledgeable breeder is usually able to predict which kittens are likely to be chinchilla and which will be shaded according to the breeding. Likewise, they learn which lines are more apt to shift colors and when. Due to the intricate coat color transitions of the silvers, the idea has been brought forth various times over the years to combine both color classes, chinchilla and shaded, into one class. For the purpose of showing only, I think this would certainly simplify matters; however, the distinction between the two colors would be lost and breeders would become less attentive to coat color. The chinchilla tipping is minimal on the head, hocks and coat between the paw pads. Ideally, a chinchilla silver will have the black tipping sprinkled evenly down the back, sides, flanks and tail. Ideally, the shaded will have heavier tipping evenly distributed on face, head, back, tail and flanks creating a mantle. The complexion of a shaded or chinchilla silver is the most beautiful of all Persians. This should never be overlooked or under-defined. While it is not a disqualification, broken or missing lip, nose and/or eyeliner pigmentation certainly is a fault. Lack of these features most definitely takes away from the silvers distinguished, "made up" look that is (or should be) completely natural beauty of the breed. No other Persian has the magnificent green or blue- green eye color of the silver (and golden) Persian. Regardless of whether their color is chinchilla or shaded, the eye color is always to be green or blue-green. Positively no other color will do! The color standard for the silver (and golden) Persian clarifies that ANY other color is a disqualification! Almost green isn't good enough. While it is not stated in the color standard for the silvers or goldens, allowances are often made for kittens whose eye color has not fully developed as long as they are not the disqualifying colors. Kittens that have a blue or purple tint to their eyes will eventually be blue-green. The colors of silver are only one component, yet paramount to the overall appearance of the ethereal silver Persian. Copyright © 2003 Pamela R. Martin/Castle Paws/SGENEws Photogallery/USF All rights reserved. Site is maintained by Pamela R. Martin Downloading, copying and printing any article or picture from this site is permissible for private use only. It is strictly forbidden to download, copy or print any material from this site for the purpose of republication elsewhere on the internet or in print |
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