The mink color has been poorly understood by some Devon breeders who are working with the color. Many minks have been improperly registered as pointed cats due to having blue eyes. To add to the confusion, some European mink cats were registered as "dark points". Many full colored cats with pale greenish or yellow-greenish eyes have been improperly called mink just because of their pale eye color. Mink is not determined by eye color, mink is determined by the genetics. Devon breeders should make every effort to know the genetics of their breeding cats so all breeding cats can be registered with the proper color and pattern. If the exact genetics of a mink can not be established, then the clues come from: first - the color of the extremities and second - the color of the body. A very good identification guide for mink has been established by the Tonkinese Breed Association and at the About Tonkinese page done by the Tonkinese breed Council. A thorough explanation of the genetics is available here.
Tonkinese breeders have taken to using designer names for their colors and some Devon breeders have adopted these names as well. Natural is the designer name for Black, Champagne is the designer name for chocolate, and Platinum is the designer name for Lilac. Blue is called blue from some strange reason.
