While many people picture the iconic tan and blue coat, Yorkies actually come in a stunning array of colours and patterns. 

 

Here is a breakdown of the many beautiful variants you might encounter.

The Classic & Solid Foundations

Traditional:
The standard look features a blend of Black & Tan or Steel Blue & Tan.

Gold:
A warm, solid coat ranging from soft peach to vibrant yellow tones.

Chocolate:
A deep, rich brown that can range into lighter golden-brown hues.

Sable (Ocean Pearl):
A beautiful mix of brown and gold, where the hairs are uniquely "broken" with black tips.

The Parti & Multi-Colour Patterns

These variants typically feature a significant amount of white throughout the coat, often with specific symmetrical markings on the face.

Biewer / Parti:
A striking tri-colour of White, Black, and Tan. The body is usually strictly black and white.

Biro / Chocolate-Parti:

A tri-colour mix of White, Brown, and Tan.

Like the Biewer, the body typically remains brown and white.

Golddust / Gold-Parti:
A two-tone mix of White and Gold, where one colour may be more dominant than the other.

Adda / White Ocean Pearl:
A complex mix of White, Brown, and Tan. The brown can vary from light gold to dark chocolate, often accented by black-tipped hairs.

The Merle & Berry Variations

The Merle Pattern

The "Merle" gene creates a beautiful, mottled, or "spotted" effect by diluting certain sections of the coat's pigment.

Blue Merle:
A traditional base where the black is diluted into a blue-grey, spotted with darker black patches.

Chocolate Merle:
A chocolate base spotted with various shades of brown, ranging from light to dark.

Red Merle:
A Sable or Ocean Pearl base where the brown and gold appear "spotted" with varying light and dark shades.

Gold Merle:
Because the merle pattern is often masked by yellow tones, these dogs may look like a standard Gold Yorkie even though they carry the gene.

The "Berry" Suffix
In the Yorkie world, the term "Berry" is added to a name to indicate a specific genetic combination: a dog with a double white gene (SpSp) who also carries the Merle mutation.

Blueberry:
A Biewer/Parti base with merle dilution (grey and black spotting).

Chocoberry:
A Biro/Chocolate-Parti base where the brown is diluted to tan or light brown with rich chocolate spots.

Goldberry:
A Golddust base with the merle mutation; these are often difficult to distinguish because the gold hides the spotting.

Mulberry:
An Adda/White Ocean Pearl base where the spotting varies depending on the underlying base colour.

The Blue Diamond
The term "Blue Diamond" is an affix used for a Yorkie of any colour that possesses one or both blue eyes. While blue eyes are often associated with the Merle gene, a Blue Diamond may or may not be a Merle, as there are four distinct genetic possibilities that can result in this striking eye colour.