The Color of "Money" Is Smoke Pearl

The hubby's shaded English Angoras have been growing up. I do love seeing the different colors and how they develop with the shaded varieties. 

The smoke pearl buck, named Money (as in "Lots O' Money") by hubby, has gone through the most changes.  He is my first smoke pearl
English Angora and I've enjoyed watching his coat grow out. 

I think his color is quite striking in person, although my photography skills are less than desired and don't show it very well.

I've come to really like his smokey blue coloration. Maybe one day, some more little smoke pearls will come my way. Until then, I'll just enjoy my Money. 
 

Time & Money

L to R: Time, black tort,  Money, & 2 blues

Hubby and I have a breakfast date every Friday morning.  I love our time together because we get to talk about all kinds of things without either of us being distracted by homework, cooking, laundry, rabbit chores, house chores, or dogs.  

This week's topic was about our new litter of rabbits for the 2013 show season.  We have 5 pretty kits from Cimmerian and Princess Grace.  Last year, we decided that we would divide our rabbits into two lines: a shaded gene line and a line of REWs, torts, and self.  This all started because my hubby felt that since he helped finance my rabbits, he should get naming rights.  So, in the spirit of compromise, hubby names the shaded rabbits and I name the others.  

The kits are so far (I think) are 2 blues, 1 black tort, 1 pearl of some sort, and a smoke pearl.  I mentioned that hubby should start thinking about names for his two shaded rabbits.  Without hesitation, he said, "I've already picked out names.  One will be called User of Time.  The other will be called Lots of Money."  
Ugh.  I think he got me.  

What color am I?

So I had this little mystery kit...

11 days old

3 days old

Cooperative bunny

Sorry...doing this one-handed.  

15 Days Old

 who has sable, smoke pearl, lilac pearl, REW, a variety of torts and an assortment of self colors in her pedigree.

Dam is lilac tort.
Sire is black.

I have asked my buddies, asked my FB friends (the English Angora ones), and posted on Rabbit_Genetics group.  I have one answer for almost every possibility so far...that pesky C locus!  I originally wanted to focus on blacks, but I am liking the puzzle (and the color) so far.

I'm not the best photographer so I've started over from scratch and took more pics with a black background and full spectrum lighting.

I thought it was a lilac pearl at first.  I had it on some mighty good authority that it looks like chocolate pearl (depending on camera lighting), but there were some pretty knowledgeable votes for lilac tort as well.  In real life, the kit's body was not really orangey-beige enough for lilac tort, though.  BUT, it does have chinchilla light in its background so pearl was a real possibility.  I thought the kit was one of the pearls (angora term for sable point)...I just was not sure which one.  Rats!  So I had to wait for it to grow a bit.
     
So...after Terri on the FB English Angora Breeders page passed along this great kit color ID site...
Northeast Lionhead Kit Color Guide Plus
and checking out this link about a similarly colored angora on another web site Wenut Angoras Kit Lilac Point/Cream, I think we've finally got it.

THE VERDICT:  
CHOCOLATE PEARL! ....OK, I was really a LILAC PEARL...go figure :)