The charcoal is a true recessive, similar to that of violet and sapphire. Existing in either the hetero or homozygous state, the charcoal differs from ebony. A chinchilla carrying charcoal will have a white belly, where most any chinchilla affected by ebony will have a 'dirty' belly. The ebony gene also only needs to be present in one parent to appear in the offspring. For charcoal to show, both parents need to be carriers in order to produce a charcoal offspring. The charcoal has a more matte appearance to the coat, where as an ebony is generally quite glossy. The charcoal recessive is mostly found in Europe, more specifically the UK. Very few charcoals exist here in Canada. If you chose to work with this gene, please don't muck it up with ebony!