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FYI; Variegated plants are often natural mutations, or "sports". Some "variegation" can be caused by virus, but not to worry, its not the type of virus that is harmful or can be spread to other plants which is harmful to them, and they are not "sick". Most are simple mutations and are Somatic, i.e., very unstable in the coloration or amt of mutant tissue exhibited from plant to plant and leaf to leaf. Genetic mutations will produce identical copies of the parent plant by seed or other propagative techniques, and will most likely exhibit the exact type of variegation on the leaves, green with white margined striping for example. It is a lack of chlorophyll which causes the White. Within the 3 main layers of tissue on the leaves, it depends on where each of these mutant portions line up when growing out of the apical meristem that they lay over each other to make the shapes and shades of lighter to darker green variegated portions. This can be observed by looking at the same areas both on top and under the leaf. TC is often a problem with Somatic variegates as it produces the same percentage of plants as normal propagative techiniques, offshoots, etc. Some will be highly colored, others will be normal green, and any amt of variegation exhibited on its leaves in between. The majority of the red/pink coloration (anthocyanins) is caused by a very high sugar content in the leaves and also acts as a 'sunblock' to protect the 'white' variegated portions from burning out . This bright pink/red coloration is due to intense light. The less light you provide it, the less intense it becomes-fading to more white, or even back to light green with very low light. Because of this lack of Chlorophyll, the green functioning parts of the leaves must support the white non-functioning parts and are therefore much slower growing plants. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but for me, variegates are like living works of art, each leaf a one of a kind masterpiece!
 
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