Here is a very interesting article:
YORKY CLUB MAGAZINE #11 -- December 2008
"
More about Color and Texture" by Hugo Ibanez
Yorky Club Magazine - United by passion for Yorkies.
An excerpt about eye shine and texture:
Yet, another take to detect correct texture comes from my friend, veteran breeder Bernice Unden (“Debonaire”, Sweden), “If you look at the reflected light from the eyes of a Yorkie (using a flashlight), you will find out three colors: green, yellow or red. These colors are connected to coat texture. Green reflection, always correct – silky texture. Yellow, is a toss-up, either correct or wrong texture and red, always wrong texture.” Bernice assures us that this is not a scientifically proven theory, it is simply an observation from a long experience in breeding.
Betty Anne Durrer says that silky coat “always lays perfectly flat and has the feel of almost human hair, more like the hair of a young straight haired blond child” and then she adds “but don’t think for a minute that silky hair has to be sparse to be silky” “Silky coat should resemble human hair and it should be thick not sparse. Sparse can be silky but going by the old standard – quality and quantity were to be desired”, reflects Mrs. Gordon.
... and ...
An excerpt about color:
Richard Haynes (Eburacum,UK) - a nut as I am about Yorkie history - says “You judge the whole dog – I want the whole package. I will forgive some unevenness of color, whether light or dark, but I want it natural not artificially enhanced (Richard is a breeder/judge).”
Talking about being nuts about history, it seems appropriate to inject a bit of history here. Richard just found out details of the original Standard (1886) not known before that states “A bright steel blue” was required for the first 25 years by the Kennel Club in England. This was written by the first Yorkshire Terrier Club, The Halifax Yorkshire Terrier Club.
According to Richard’s research, Mary Ann Foster showed Ch. Ted year after year until he probably was nearly white (Ch. Ted was one of our founder fathers).
The Yorkshire Terrier Club was formed in 1898 – still the bright blue was in effect. But by 1911 (Richard’s research) the standard required “a dark steel blue”. This was a reaction to the light colored dogs that were being shown in the North of England. The implication here, as I understand it, is that “bright” in those days was equivalent or similar to “light”.
Needless to say the repercussion of that trend of showing light dogs until 1911 is tremendous, but more about it at the conclusion of this article. Richard also found out something very interesting that in both cases when “light blue” was required and “dark blue” later, both required that “a darker end of the tail was asked for”.
Here is another article, for those interested:
Yorky Club Magazine - United by passion for Yorkies.
YORKY CLUB MAGAZINE #9 - April 2008
"
The complexities of COLOUR" by Jacqui Reddin-Williams