{"title":"Diamine","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"diamine-nutmeg","title":"Diamine Nutmeg - 4ml Fountain Pen Ink Sample","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHue:\u003c\/strong\u003e A muted grey-brown with gold shimmer. Retailer descriptions vary from \"warm, spiced brown\" to \"cool-tone brown\". In my swatches it reads cooler and more olive-khaki than a warm spice brown, especially in writing. Heavier pools show a mauve-brown centre with dark greenish-grey edges. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShading:\u003c\/strong\u003e Medium, with a crisp, darker edge where the ink pools. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSheen:\u003c\/strong\u003e None. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShimmer:\u003c\/strong\u003e Gold. It is subtle in fine lines and much more visible in wider strokes and pools. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFlow:\u003c\/strong\u003e Medium \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe interesting bit:\u003c\/strong\u003e Nutmeg was day 22 of Diamine's 2024 Inkvent calendar, the Black Edition, and was later released in full-size bottles. It is named after the festive spice. Nutmeg and mace come from the same fruit: nutmeg is the seed and mace is the red lacy covering around it. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is a hand-decanted 4ml sample vial from my own bottle. Photos are my own swatches on Tomoe River Paper. I'm a collector and I'm always happy to talk ink, so please message me if you have any questions.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Diamine","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57254553977158,"sku":null,"price":2.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1020\/9696\/1862\/files\/DiamineNutmeg1.jpg?v=1789851374"},{"product_id":"diamine-pine-needle","title":"Diamine Pine Needle - 4ml Fountain Pen Ink Sample","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHue:\u003c\/strong\u003e A bright, yellow-leaning sap green. Diamine's retailers describe it as a deep forest green, but my swatches read noticeably lighter and yellower in the dip-pen bar and handwriting. It only reaches that deeper forest green where the ink pools heavily, and the pooled edges carry a very dark, almost black-brown rim.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShading:\u003c\/strong\u003e Medium. It moves clearly from light to dark green within strokes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSheen:\u003c\/strong\u003e None.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShimmer:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes. It's a chameleon shimmer that shifts with the angle of the light. Mine shows mostly green-gold, with a cooler blue-green flash at a tilt.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFlow: \u003c\/strong\u003eMedium\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe interesting bit:\u003c\/strong\u003e Pine Needle was Day 23 of Diamine's 2024 Inkvent calendar, and it was later released in full bottles as part of the Black Edition. Real pine needles lean blue-green, so this is a warmer, sappier green than the name suggests. It's one of the more festive inks from that year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis is a hand-decanted 4ml sample vial from my own bottle.\u003cbr\u003ePhotos are my own swatches on Tomoe River Paper.\u003cbr\u003eI'm a collector and I'm always happy to talk ink, so please message me if you have any questions.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Diamine","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57254569083206,"sku":null,"price":2.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1020\/9696\/1862\/files\/DiaminePineNeedle1.jpg?v=1789850942"},{"product_id":"diamine-winterberry","title":"Diamine Winterberry - 4ml Fountain Pen Ink Sample","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHue:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ruby red. My swatches lean cooler and more berry than a straight ruby, reading as a raspberry-crimson in the dip-pen bar and handwriting, with deeper wine-red where it pools.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShading:\u003c\/strong\u003e Medium. Clear light-to-dark variation in the bar and swabs, with darker edges where the ink collects.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSheen: \u003c\/strong\u003eNone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShimmer:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes. It's a chameleon shimmer, so the colour changes as the paper moves. In my swatches it shows mostly pink-magenta, with gold flashing at some angles. It is strongest in pooled ink and subtler in the written line.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFlow:\u003c\/strong\u003e Medium\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe interesting bit: \u003c\/strong\u003eWinterberry was Day 17 of Diamine's 2024 Inkvent Black Edition calendar. The name comes from winterberry holly, a deciduous holly that drops its leaves in autumn but keeps its red berries on the bare branches through winter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis is a hand-decanted 4ml sample vial from my own bottle.\u003cbr\u003ePhotos are my own swatches on Tomoe River Paper.\u003cbr\u003eI'm a collector and I'm always happy to talk ink, so please message me if you have any questions.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Diamine","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57254783058246,"sku":null,"price":2.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1020\/9696\/1862\/files\/DiamineWinterberry1.jpg?v=1789851906"},{"product_id":"diamine-x-blueblack-english-milk-tea","title":"Diamine x BlueBlack English Milk Tea — 4ml Fountain Pen Ink Sample","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHue:\u003c\/strong\u003e A warm mid-brown tea-stain — think strong builder's tea with the milk in. Official and reviewer descriptions pitch it lighter than my swatches show: a light-to-medium milky sepia tan with hints of yellow and a touch of light orange. On Tomoe River my swab bar and writing sample sit noticeably deeper and cooler than that, a proper walnut brown, with the pale golden tan only appearing in the thinnest, driest strokes. Where the ink pools, a cool grey-black separates out at the edges and gives the drops a stormy, slightly smoky rim.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShading:\u003c\/strong\u003e Strong and one of the main attractions. The swab bar runs from pale tan through to dark walnut, and the writing sample shades clearly even in a narrow stroke without becoming patchy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSheen:\u003c\/strong\u003e None.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShimmer:\u003c\/strong\u003e None.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFlow:\u003c\/strong\u003e Wet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe interesting bit:\u003c\/strong\u003e This one is made by Diamine in the UK but it isn't a Diamine catalogue colour — it's a store exclusive for BlueBlack Pen Shop in Seoul, who commissioned the inks and did the design and packaging. English Milk Tea is one of ten in their City of London set, alongside names like Piccadilly, Mayfair, Harrods Green, Union Jack Blue and Roast Beef. BlueBlack ran three of these City sets in total: Seoul, London and New York, each built around the landmarks and everyday things the city is known for. So the name is exactly what it says on the tin — the British cup of tea with milk, picked as a London icon by a Korean pen shop and then mixed in England by an ink house that has been at it since 1864.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis is a hand-decanted 4ml sample vial from my own bottle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003ePhotos are my own swatches on Tomoe River Paper.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eI'm a collector and I'm always happy to talk ink, so please message me if you have any questions.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Diamine","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57266211062086,"sku":"INK-016","price":3.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1020\/9696\/1862\/files\/DiaminexBlueBlack-EnglishMilkTea1.jpg?v=1789218381"},{"product_id":"diamine-x-art-from-the-heart-damp-squib","title":"Diamine x Art from the Heart Damp Squib — 4ml Fountain Pen Ink Sample","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHue:\u003c\/strong\u003e Officially described as a dark chocolate brown with a vivid green sheen. On my swatches the written colour reads as a very dark olive green-black rather than an obvious brown — the brown base only shows clearly where the ink runs thin at the start of the dip-pen bar and around the edges of the drops. In pooled areas the green sheen is so dominant that it takes over entirely, with dark plum-brown patches showing through underneath and a coppery-brown halo at the rim. Buyers expecting a brown on the page should know it writes much closer to a green-black.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShading:\u003c\/strong\u003e Moderate. Highly saturated, so line-to-line shading in handwriting is subtle; the more striking effect is the chromatic separation between the brown base and the green in swabs, washes and broad wet strokes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSheen:\u003c\/strong\u003e Strong metallic green sheen, clearly visible on Tomoe River even in the writing sample and overwhelming in pooled areas. Needs good coated paper to show fully.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShimmer: \u003c\/strong\u003eNone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFlow: \u003c\/strong\u003eMedium.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe interesting bit:\u003c\/strong\u003e Damp Squib is one of a pair of Diamine exclusives made for the UK stationer Art from the Heart, released in spring 2023 alongside the teal-and-gold Throttle Bottom — the shop releases these inks in twos, named after British comic turns of phrase. A damp squib is a firework that has got wet and fails to go off, hence the idiom for anything that fails to live up to expectations. Fitting for an ink that looks like an unremarkable near-black in the bottle and then dries to a sheet of metallic green.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis is a hand-decanted 4ml sample vial from my own bottle.\u003cbr\u003ePhotos are my own swatches on Tomoe River Paper.\u003cbr\u003eI'm a collector and I'm always happy to talk ink, so please message me if you have any questions.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Diamine","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57266211193158,"sku":"INK-019","price":2.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1020\/9696\/1862\/files\/Diamine-DampSquib1.jpg?v=1789217975"},{"product_id":"diamine-x-art-from-the-heart-fluster-cluck","title":"Diamine x Art from the Heart Fluster Cluck — 4ml Fountain Pen Ink Sample","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHue:\u003c\/strong\u003e Officially a deep blue. On my swatches it reads very differently – the written line and swab bar come across as a dark plum-maroon, because the heavy sheen covers much of the blue base. The blue shows through as a periwinkle halo at the edges of swabs and in thinner areas. Expect blue in lighter-laydown pens and on absorbent paper, and plum-burgundy where the sheen takes over. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShading:\u003c\/strong\u003e Moderate. It moves from blue at the edges to red-brown in the pooled areas, with visible separation where the ink thins out. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSheen:\u003c\/strong\u003e Heavy. A rusty cola-brown to copper sheen that covers most of the swab and appears even in handwriting on Tomoe River. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShimmer:\u003c\/strong\u003e Silver. Fine and clearly visible in the swab bar and larger swabs, especially where the ink pools. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFlow:\u003c\/strong\u003e Medium \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe interesting bit: \u003c\/strong\u003eDiamine made this exclusively for the UK stationer Art from the Heart, released in November 2022 alongside its crimson partner, Failing Upwards. The name is a polite rearrangement of a much less polite phrase for total chaos. It fits a range that also includes Damp Squib and Throttle Bottom. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is a hand-decanted 4ml sample vial from my own bottle. Photos are my own swatches on Tomoe River Paper. I'm a collector and I'm always happy to talk ink, so please message me if you have any questions.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Diamine","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57266211225926,"sku":"INK-020","price":2.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1020\/9696\/1862\/files\/Diamine-FlusterCluck3.jpg?v=1789845878"},{"product_id":"diamine-2024-inkvent-black-potpourri","title":"Diamine Potpourri - 4ml Fountain Pen Ink Sample","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHue:\u003c\/strong\u003e A dusky, greyed mauve-rose, and more muted than some retailer descriptions suggest. Where the ink pools, it gives a dark blue-black edge that the official copy doesn't mention. In writing, it reads as a pale, soft mauve.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShading:\u003c\/strong\u003e Strong. There is clear light-to-dark variation in both the swab bar and the handwriting, with crisp darker edges where the ink collects.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSheen:\u003c\/strong\u003e None.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShimmer:\u003c\/strong\u003e None. This is a standard ink.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFlow:\u003c\/strong\u003e Dry\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe interesting bit:\u003c\/strong\u003e Potpourri was the Day 20 ink in Diamine's 2024 Inkvent advent calendar, the Black Edition. It was later bottled on its own in 50ml. Despite the name, it isn't scented, even though that same calendar did include two scented inks. The colour suits the name: it looks like the faded, dried petals of a potpourri bowl rather than fresh flowers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis is a hand-decanted 4ml sample vial from my own bottle.\u003cbr\u003ePhotos are my own swatches on Tomoe River Paper.\u003cbr\u003eI'm a collector and I'm always happy to talk ink, so please message me if you have any questions.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Diamine","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57266211979590,"sku":"INK-041","price":2.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1020\/9696\/1862\/files\/Diamine-Potpurri3.jpg?v=1789854509"},{"product_id":"diamine-x-cult-pens-maple-leaf","title":"Diamine x Cult Pens Maple Leaf — 4ml Fountain Pen Ink Sample","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHue:\u003c\/strong\u003e A deep burgundy that leans distinctly plum-purple in washes and pooling, drying to a warmer maroon-brown in ordinary writing. Worth knowing before you buy: the standard online description is \"purple-leaning red brown\", and the bottle label shows a bright red maple leaf — my swatches read cooler and more purple than that label suggests. The written line is the browner, redder side of the ink; the swabs and drops are where the plum comes out.\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShading:\u003c\/strong\u003e Strong. The swab moves from a light mauve-pink at the thin end through mid-burgundy to near-black at the heavily loaded edges. Broader and wetter nibs will show this off best.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSheen:\u003c\/strong\u003e None.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShimmer:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes — gold, and generous with it. It collects heavily in pooled areas and around drop edges, as you can see in the photos. Give the vial a gentle roll before filling, and expect it to perform best in a medium or broader nib.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFlow:\u003c\/strong\u003e Medium.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe interesting bit:\u003c\/strong\u003e Maple Leaf is one of three inks in the Autumn Tones Shimmer set that Diamine made exclusively for Cult Pens. Diamine have been making ink in Liverpool since 1864 and produce a fair few one-off batches for retailers, but this trio is worth a mention for the naming alone: Cult Pens went with \"some of the more pleasant things you find during Autumn.. like a muddy puddle!\" — and duly named the other two Muddy Puddle and Murky Bucket. Maple Leaf got the dignified name and the prettiest label of the three. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis is a hand-decanted 4ml sample vial from my own bottle.\u003cbr\u003ePhotos are my own swatches on Tomoe River Paper.\u003cbr\u003eI'm a collector and I'm always happy to talk ink, so please message me if you have any questions.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Diamine","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57266215027014,"sku":"INK-122","price":2.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1020\/9696\/1862\/files\/Diamine-MapleLeaf3.jpg?v=1788631612"},{"product_id":"diamine-celadon-cat","title":"Diamine Celadon Cat — 4ml Fountain Pen Ink Sample","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHue:\u003c\/strong\u003e A cool, muted grey-green. Diamine and retailers describe it as a light grey-green or pale jade, and some list it as a pale teal. On my swatches on Tomoe River it reads noticeably greyer than that — a soft slate-grey body with the green-teal showing mainly where the ink concentrates at stroke edges and pooled areas. The written line is a pale, dusty grey with only a faint green cast; the jade note is far more obvious in a swab than in handwriting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShading:\u003c\/strong\u003e High. Marked light-to-dark variation, and a pronounced chromatic separation — the grey body separates out to a much darker blue-teal at every edge and pool, which is the ink's main visual character.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSheen: \u003c\/strong\u003eNone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShimmer:\u003c\/strong\u003e None.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFlow:\u003c\/strong\u003e Medium.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe interesting bit:\u003c\/strong\u003e Celadon Cat came out of the Diamine Reddit Ink Project, an ongoing collaboration in which members of the r\/fountainpens forum vote on a new Diamine colour and then name it. The 2022 vote was close enough between two candidates that Diamine released both for 2023 — Celadon Cat and Sailor's Warning. Earlier rounds of the same project produced Earl Grey, which went on to become one of Diamine's best sellers. Celadon is a Chinese ceramic glaze known for its cool, milky grey-green finish, and the ink is a fair likeness of it, particularly the darker tone that gathers in the crazing and crevices of the pottery.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis is a hand-decanted 4ml sample vial from my own bottle.\u003cbr\u003ePhotos are my own swatches on Tomoe River Paper.\u003cbr\u003eI'm a collector and I'm always happy to talk ink, so please message me if you have any questions.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Diamine","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57266215158086,"sku":"INK-125","price":2.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1020\/9696\/1862\/files\/Diamine-CeladonCat3.jpg?v=1789164493"},{"product_id":"diamine-marley","title":"Diamine Marley — 4ml Fountain Pen Ink Sample","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHue:\u003c\/strong\u003e A muted grey-violet. Officially described as a grey with violet undertones, but my swatches read noticeably more purple than grey: a dusty plum-mauve in writing, with deep navy separating out at the edges and wherever the ink pools.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShading: \u003c\/strong\u003eStrong. Soft transitions from pale mauve to deep plum, with dark edging where the ink collects.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSheen:\u003c\/strong\u003e None.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShimmer:\u003c\/strong\u003e None.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFlow: \u003c\/strong\u003eMedium.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe interesting bit:\u003c\/strong\u003e Marley was the Day 8 ink in Diamine's 2024 Inkvent calendar, the Black Edition. Diamine hasn't said where the name comes from, but it's widely taken as a nod to Jacob Marley, the chain-rattling ghost in A Christmas Carol, which suits a shadowy, smoky purple-grey. It's a multi-shader, so it splits into several tones when it pools. Reviewers disagree on whether it looks grey or purple, and paper and nib seem to decide which one you get.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis is a hand-decanted 4ml sample vial from my own bottle.\u003cbr\u003ePhotos are my own swatches on Tomoe River Paper.\u003cbr\u003eI'm a collector and I'm always happy to talk ink, so please message me if you have any questions.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Diamine","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57266215289158,"sku":"INK-129","price":2.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1020\/9696\/1862\/files\/Diamine-Marley3.jpg?v=1789846504"},{"product_id":"diamine-salted-caramel","title":"Diamine Salted Caramel — 4ml Fountain Pen Ink Sample","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHue:\u003c\/strong\u003e A warm mid tan-brown — genuine caramel in the writing sample and dip-pen bar, which is where the true written colour lives. Retailers describe it as a golden or amber caramel with a warm, uniform glow. My swatches diverge in the heavy pools: the ink separates out to a distinctly olive-green edge with near-black outlines, and the flooded centres drift towards a dusty rose-brown rather than gold. So it's warmer and simpler when written, more complex and cooler-toned when pooled.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShading:\u003c\/strong\u003e Medium to strong. The dip-pen bar and writing sample both show a crisp step between light tan and deeper brown rather than a soft gradient, and the swab pools go considerably darker at the edges.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSheen:\u003c\/strong\u003e None. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShimmer: \u003c\/strong\u003eHeavy and evenly distributed. Officially gold; other reviewers have called it bronze or copper. On my Tomoe River swatches it reads as a green-gold or antique gold, closer to old brass than to warm copper, and it stays visible right down into the thin strokes of the writing sample rather than dropping out.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFlow:\u003c\/strong\u003e Medium.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe interesting bit: \u003c\/strong\u003eSalted Caramel was Day 24 of the Diamine Inkvent Black Edition — the 2024 calendar, opened on Christmas Eve, the penultimate ink of the set. Diamine have run the Inkvent calendars since 2019, and the inks that land well go on to full 50ml bottles in the ongoing Black Edition range, which is where this one came from. It was the second brown shimmer in the same calendar, arriving two days after Nutmeg, and reviewers at the time were fairly vocal about the brown fatigue — Salted Caramel generally came out the better of the two. Diamine themselves have been making ink in Liverpool since 1864.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis is a hand-decanted 4ml sample vial from my own bottle.\u003cbr\u003ePhotos are my own swatches on Tomoe River Paper.\u003cbr\u003eI'm a collector and I'm always happy to talk ink, so please message me if you have any questions.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Diamine","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57266215321926,"sku":"INK-130","price":2.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1020\/9696\/1862\/files\/Diamine-SaltedCaramel3.jpg?v=1789309746"},{"product_id":"diamine-x-cult-pens-wonders-of-the-world-chichen-itza-4ml-fountain-pen-ink-sample","title":"Diamine x Cult Pens Wonders of the World Chichen Itza — 4ml Fountain Pen Ink Sample","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eHue: Pale, muted blue-grey. Cult Pens describes it as blue-grey and my swatches agree. Written lines lean very slightly teal, and heavier pools deepen to a slate grey with dark teal edges.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eShading: Moderate. Light-to-dark variation shows in the swab and at the ends of strokes, and pooled ink dries with dark tidelines.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eSheen: None.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eShimmer: None.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFlow: Medium.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe interesting bit: A Cult Pens exclusive made by Diamine, from the Wonders of the World series. The series has seven inks named after the seven sites voted the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007. Chichen Itza is a Maya city on Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, and the colour takes its cue from the grey limestone used to build its pyramids, temples and columned arcades. At the spring and autumn equinoxes, the afternoon sun casts a serpent-shaped shadow down the steps of its main pyramid, El Castillo.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis is a hand-decanted 4ml sample vial from my own bottle.\u003cbr\u003ePhotos are my own swatches on Tomoe River Paper.\u003cbr\u003eI'm a collector and I'm always happy to talk ink, so please message me if you have any questions.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Diamine","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57330387779910,"sku":null,"price":2.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1020\/9696\/1862\/files\/Diamine-ChichenItza2.jpg?v=1789069547"}],"url":"https:\/\/thepensmuggler.co.uk\/collections\/diamine.oembed","provider":"The Pen Smuggler","version":"1.0","type":"link"}