This past February Monteverde released a brand new line of inks – the Gemstone Collection. Featuring inks that match various gemstones, the collection brings ten new shades to the fountain pen world. My very first ink review (eek!) features the lovely Olivine from this lineup.
I tested the ink in my Pilot Elite 95s*, which in retrospect was probably not the wisest. The nib is a soft extra-fine, and it’s very, very thin. Had I chosen to put my sample in a wetter pen, I think I might have achieved some different results in different categories. However, the review was still a success, in my opinion.
Olivine is a gorgeous color. Even in the super fine lines of my Elite, the ink’s color carried through. It’s a deep, dark, and soft green that shades gently as you write. I’d definitely say it’s an olive green, but it’s not as desaturated as a lot of olive greens are. It’s a very rich hue, if dark. It’s almost a dark moss green. Truly hard to describe – if you think of an oversaturated olive green, you’re probably pretty close. I’m picky with green ink and I really, really enjoy the hue of this one.
Featuring Monteverde’s lubrication technology, the ink always wrote as soon as my pen touched paper. When used in a fine or extra-fine tip, the ink is much darker, and I had no issues using it at work (which, admittedly, is incredibly casual when it comes to what colors I write with) or for readback of extended writing. It’s very soft on the eyes. Some inks shade drastically, with the light and dark portions separated almost by a hard line. Not so with Olivine – it gradually changes between light and dark, making a full page of text very relaxing.
While it never dried out in my pen, I never felt like it was a very wet ink. I’d honestly probably put it on the dry side, though it’s closer to the middle than either end of the spectrum. I’ve definitely used drier inks and I have zero complaints about its performance – I just love me some wet ink, and this wasn’t quite to my preference.
Still, it’s a fantastic ink. It performed flawlessly and is reasonably priced. I definitely recommend it and I’ll be picking up a bottle when I next get the chance.
| Ink Company & Name | Monteverde Olivine |
|---|---|
| Pen Used | Pilot Elite 95s – Soft EF |
| Paper Used | Tomoe River (Seven Seas Crossfield V2) |
| Dry Time | 20 seconds |
| Saturation | High |
| Flow | Moderate |
| Shading | Moderate |
| Sheen | None |
| Shimmer | None |
| Water Resistance | Moderate |
| Value | 5/5 |
| My Rating | 4/5 |
| Recommended? | Yes |
*Note: The American version of this pen is simply the e95s. My pen came from Japan, however, so it utilizes the full name of Elite 95s. The pens are otherwise identical.
