Refractor
A refractor is a type of parallel with a reflective, rainbow-like finish, most associated with chrome-technology sets. Under light it shows a distinctive shimmer that the base chrome card lacks. Refractors come in many varieties, often distinguished by color or pattern, with scarcer versions numbered to small print runs.
Because refractors look similar to their base chrome counterparts at a glance, they are a common source of misidentification. For tracking, the specific refractor type is the detail that sets the value, so it belongs in your records alongside the card's other identifying fields. Two refractors of the same card can differ in scarcity by a wide margin depending on their color and print run, so the exact type is what you record.
A chrome rookie card and its colored refractor version share a design, but the numbered refractor is far scarcer and tracked separately.
Collector reference
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