One of the most strikingly colored of all cats, the Smoke Persian has a jet black coat with each hair grading to silver at its roots. As the cat walks the white shows through. The face, ears, and legs are intensely black, but the ruff, ear tufts, face frill, and skirt along the sides of the body are silvery. The tail is a mixture of black and silver hairs. The large, round eyes are copper. Kittens are all black at birth, the full color not appearing until they are several months old. As with all longhaired cats, the Smoke must be groomed regularly to keep its coat in good condition.

The Blue Smoke is a lighter version in which the black is replaced with blue. It is handsome but less impressive than the Smoke Persian. Both are much less popular now than they were half a century ago. A shorthaired Smoke, with a coat of black-tipped white hairs, has also been developed.