Show Qualities of a Chinchilla
Clarity and Blueness are perhaps the hardest attributes of a chinchilla to master, and also amongst the hardest to describe in the written word. All top quality chinchillas, of all colour phases or mutation colours should be both clear in colour, and show blueness, or a blue hue to their fur. It is these two attributes which turn the chinchilla into the animal of beauty, and contribute strongly to one of the main attributes of a top chinchilla - eye appeal. Tinge is a negative attribute, and is easy to spot by looking across the tips of a chinchillas fur when under show lights.
In order to understand where Clarity, Blueness and Tinge come from, we must consider the structure of a chinchilla's fur. The chinchilla fur fibre is divided into three distinct regions, these being;
The Underfur - The underfur of a chinchilla accounts for about 70% of the length of the fur fibre, from the root to the bar...
The Bar Colour - The Bar colour is a thin band of white which lies between the underfur and the tipping of the fur. The bar should be clear-white in colour and should be deep and clearly defined from the underfur and the tipping.
The Tipping - The tipping of the fur is the final constituent of the fur fibre, and gives the chinchilla it's overall colour.
Exceptions to this structure are mutation colours such as Black Velvets and Ebonies, whereby the depth of tipping swamps the bar, giving no discernible bar colour from their underfur.
If we consider Clarity, Blueness and Tinge as separate attributes, we can understand where they are derived from...
Clarity
Clarity comes from the bar of the chinchilla. If the bar is clear-white and sharply defined, the animal will show whatever the underfur colour has to offer. If this underfur is bluish-grey in colour, then the animal will appear clear and blue. If the underfur is grey, without any blueness, the animal will still be clear in colour (no brown or red tint), only not blue. If the bar colour is shaded, dull or grey, then the clarity of colour will be affected and the chinchilla may have a matt or dull appearance. This may also influence the underfur blueness..
The Clarity is described in the NCS Appraisal Sheet in terms of bar and belly colour as follows;
Clear and Sharp Bar, or White and Sharp Belly
Clear Bar or White Belly
Shaded Bar or Off-white Belly
Minimal Bar or Cream/Brown Belly
Blueness
Blueness comes from the underfur of the chinchilla. A Standard chinchilla should have a bluish-grey underfur, which when looking down into it's coat, will show through the fur regardless of the animals tipping or density. If the clarity of colour is good (meaning a sharp-white, defined bar) then a blue animal will shine. If the bar colour is shaded or greyish, the blueness will be suppressed to some extent, although may not be completely washed out.
The Blueness is a description of the hue of the underfur. This is as follows in the NCS Appraisal Sheet as follows;
Clear-blue
Grey-blue
Steely-grey
Off colour - Brown or red tint
Tinge
Tinge comes from the tips of the fur. It is present through one of three means, these being (1) Oxidation by sunlight, (2) Pen stain or (3) Breeding methods. Regardless of the reason for it's presence, tinge can be spotted by looking across the tips of the chinchillas fur when it is under a daylight or colour-matching fluorescent tube. If a brown caste or red tint can be seen, the animal is tinged and the awards made by the judge will be low...
There is an additional factor often commented on at UK shows known as Eye Appeal. Eye Appeal is the combination of deep, dark tipping, together with a sharp-white, defined bar colour. Where the two are present, the chinchilla will catch your eye, which describes perfectly the term 'eye appeal'. It is possible to have a chinchilla with eye appeal, which is tinged, and also to have a chinchilla with eye appeal which is not blue. A chinchilla with eye appeal, clarity, blueness and no Tinge will be a very attractive animal.