We have seen a release schedule upended and product slow to make its way into retail channels thanks to a pandemic which came to define 2020. Still, the show must go on and Pelikan seems ready to rise to the challenge of brightening all of our spirits, both figuratively and literally. The first new product of 2021 comes in the form of the next Edelstein Ink of the Year release. This year’s selection is nothing short of astonishing as Pelikan has decided to break new ground by introducing its first ever shimmering ink to the Edelstein line, a top request per the company’s social media accounts. The 2021 Ink of the Year will be none other than Golden Beryl. The silver-gray hue of Moonstone now gives way to a yellow-golden ink with shimmering qualities, perhaps the biggest departure from any past release to date. Golden Beryl will mark its debut as the eighteenth gemstone inspired ink in the line-up and it will be the tenth Ink of the Year, soon to be counted amongst the likes of Turmaline (2012), Amber (2013), Garnet (2014), Amethyst (2015), Aquamarine (2016), Smoky Quartz (2017), Olivine (2018), Star Ruby (2019), and Moonstone (2020). As of now, this is expected to be a limited run, in production for just one year only. Golden Beryl is slated to hit store shelves in April provided the pandemic doesn’t intervene to delay the launch.
Beryl is actually a single mineral composed of beryllium aluminum silicates from which many varieties of gemstone arise. Those varieties are predominantly distinguished by their color. Perhaps you’re not aware but you are likely already familiar with several well-known beryls such as emeralds and aquamarines. The first major deposit of golden beryl was found in Namibia in 1913 by a German mining company. Since then, other deposits have been discovered in Brazil and Madagascar. Originally named heliodor from the Greek for “gift from the sun” that terminology is seldom used these days. Golden beryl’s range of colors includes weak yellow-greens, lemon-yellows, and golden-yellows. Without an ink swab available, it’s hard to know where the ink will land but the photos make it look to be squarely in the golden-yellow column. We should not lose sight of the fact that this will be Pelikan’s first shimmer ink which could open up new avenues of ink production for the company should the gambit succeed. Of course, because of the shimmering quality, extra care will be required in order to not allow the ink to dry within the pen or the feed so this one may not be suitable for those with poor pen hygiene habits. Also, it will be necessary to shake the bottle before filling the pen to achieve the best effect. Golden Beryl will likely only be available in 50 mL bottles as I’ve seen nothing yet to indicate availability in cartridge format.
Golden Beryl could be a game changer for Pelikan and I can’t wait to see some real world examples of the ink on paper. If the promise holds, I would be interested in getting my hands on a bottle. Should history repeat itself, and I have no reason to doubt that it won’t, I also think we’ll be in for something unique with the complimentary M2xx Golden Beryl demonstrator. My guess would be that this one would mark only the second time a matching M200 (rather than an M205) would be released as I can’t imagine anything but gold plated trim accompanying this color scheme. It seems likely then that Pelikan will continue the shimmering look employed first with the Star Ruby and then the Moonstone fountain pens. As an avid fan of the M2xx series, I will be eagerly keeping an eye out for that announcement. What do you think of Golden Beryl? Is it the cure for the doldrums of the pandemic? Would you go all in for a shimmer style ink or is that just a bridge too far? Let me know in the comments below.
Golden Beryl Gemstone
Josh,
I am definitely intrigued, but I hope this Edelstein will offer a different tone from other gold shimmer inks, such as those offered by Diamine and Robert Oster, which I already have. I’m particularly looking forward to seeing what the pen looks like.
I had no idea beryl gems came in so many colours! I think “heliodor” is a much better name than “golden beryl” though. “Golden beryl” is merely descriptive; “heliodor” sounds as if there should be stories attached to the gem.
Any idea when we might see ink swatches?
I hope you’re holding up. I think of you every time I hear about the strain on hospitals and the people who work in them — which means that I think of you often.
Ruth
We probably won’t see ink swatches until we get closer to April I’m afraid. I appreciate the concern. The days are tedious and filled with lots of loss. Hoping the tides will turn soon. At least the pens and the community around them provide for a welcome respite, however brief.
Thank you for the post, Joshua. Golden Beryl looks indeed like an intriguing ink.
I am in general not a fan of particulates in my inks, so I that sense Golden Beryl might be for me a “bridge too far”. On the other hand, I would be open a pleasant, legible golden ink (I currently use Pilot Iroshizuku Ina-ho in that role, but many people I interact with perceive it as more green than golden brown).
Assuming the basic shade is dark enough to be legible in reasonable light to my 57-year-old eyes, I guess it will come down to the “bling” factor for me. If it turns out to be too shimmery/shiny, then I’ll take a pass (or pass the bottle on to someone else). If it is a bit more subdued, I _might_ be able to put up with the idea of having suspension particles in a ink in one of my pens.
It sure does seem like this ink plays perfectly into the hands of the designers of the next M20x (I agree, probably an M200 is the only answer for this one) limited edition. It would make it very easy to continue the recent “trend” (does two years in a row constitute a trend? 😉) of shimmery translucent pens.
I tend to have the same stance about particulates in the ink which is why I have not explored other shimmer inks. I will probably make an exception for this one, particularly now that I have a newly acquired ultrasonic cleaner which should help mitigate my fears of clogged feeds.
I love shimmer inks and also love Pelikan pens and inks. I will most definitely get this ink.
Sounds like a good fit for you then. Any particular shimmer ink that you prefer? I have not had much experience with them myself.
Sounds like a good fit for you then. Any particular shimmer ink that you prefer? I have not had much experience with them myself.
I love this ink already. And I just received the red tortoise pen, which is stunning. A great start to the new year!
Be well my friend. This pen friend is sending good wishes to you.
Nancy
Congrats on getting the red tortoise and thanks!
I don’t really “trust” shimmer inks as I am concerned to avoid clogging up my pen with unwanted material deposits- (for example using Herbin shimmer inks).
However, Pelikan is such a superlative manufacturer that I would most likely try this new ink out, as they will surely have created an ink that does not have “clogging” problems.
One concern I have is that the colour, while beautiful, may not be very practical. I love the Edelstein Amber (and have a few, very precious bottles of it) but it is not an ink I often use as the colour is not deep enough for a long document. It is better for art work, This new “Golden Beryl” ink may have the same problem for me.
Another concern is the name: surely it would have been more poetic and evocative to call it “Heliodor”?
Pelikan did state on their social media feeds not to let the ink dry in the pen. If you do, extra attention with water will be required to get things up and running again. This is not surprising though and what I would expect for a shimmer ink. I’ll be curious to see just how pen friendly this formulation is, particularly since this is Pelikan’s first foray into the shimmer ink arena. I also share your concerns about practicality but that can be said for a lot of the inks we use.
The nomenclature for beryl is interesting. Modern sources regard the two names, Heliodor and Golden Beryl, as synonymous, although Heliodor has fallen out of favor. Other sources contend that the Heliodor moniker should be reserved for the greenish-yellow version of beryl only. Based on the look of this ink then, Golden Beryl does seem the more accurate descriptor if not the most whimsical one.
It’s a conundrum for me…. the ink looks attractive enough and enjoy other shimmering inks that I have. In answer to your question in an earlier post I have Herbin Kyanite du Nepal and Diamine Blue Pearl… both of which I really enjoy. Because of the suspended particulate I will not however use them in any of my better pens which certainly include my Pelikans. I’ll be curious what the overall response is to this one.
Your concern is why I have avoided such inks. I don’t have many pens that I would feel super comfortable putting off the rack shimmering inks into but… If Pelikan is coming out with a formulation, than I’m more interested. They have a lot of motivation not to brick their pens so I suspect this will be a rather fountain pen friendly formulation. I guess we won’t know until it has been released.
Much as I might pooh-pooh Pelikan’s sometimes misleading promo photos, this looks absolutely gorgeous. I, too, have been reluctant to try out shimmer inks but this one may well change that.
I too have never been a fan of their pre-release photos but the look of this one, if the photos are anywhere near accurate, is pretty encouraging.
While I have come to prefer sheening and shading inks, I haven’t had problems with shimmering inks. They do, of course, work better in wetter, broader nibs (I like italics), but I’ve found most of them flush out pretty easily. I haven’t met an ink yet that didn’t give way to a bath in the sonic cleaner, even if I’ve left the ink in a pen for a while. But I do know others who have had difficulty with these inks.
I plan to try a bottle.
Good tip on the broader nibs. I’m happy that I just picked up an ultrasonic cleaner. Seems like it will be handier than I anticipated.
The cleaner will also be handy for all that bling you wear. 😉
I plan to buy a m200 gold marbled just for this ink.
That would be a nice pairing. It was the first pen that came to my mind as well when I saw this ink.
Wow, Pelikan is now making Shimmering inks. It must be a hard market for brands if they are going down this route. While I recognize the fun factor, the glitter gets everywhere, accumulates in between the nib and feed, clogs the channels. A premier brand like Pelikan walking down this path shows financial times are indeed dire.
I’m sure the market is certainly a lot more challenging for manufacturers given the pandemic. I don’t know how much we can infer about the company’s financial standing from Pelikan’s decision to introduce a shimmering ink. I feel that they have been gearing up for this for a while given that the last two M205 demos had shimmering properties. I don’t disagree that the glitter can be a mess but it’s also possible that Pelikan may have come up with a formulation that is more refined and fountain pen friendly. This is not a boutique ink and I find it hard to believe that they would court disaster by encouraging people to put an ink into their pens which could lead to all sorts of issues. Only time will tell but since this is a special edition ink and not a regular addition to the line-up, I think its refreshing seeing them embrace something they haven’t done before. If the experiment is a failure, the impact shouldn’t be particularly lasting and if it’s a success, it could open up a new avenue for them to explore. Just my two cents of course.
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Great review. I love the new color! Can’t wait to see the pen they will pair it with. I have tried several shimmer inks and appreciate that feature in my writing. Lately, I’ve tried a couple of Robert Oster Shake ‘N’ Shimmy inks (Morning Shine and Blood Rose) and have found that they perform (for me) better than some other brands of shimmer inks. I haven’t experienced clogging with any shimmer inks in my Pelikans, while I have in some of my other pen brands. I don’t hesitate to use shimmer inks in my modern Pelikans, although I do clean them out frequently. I will definitely be trying out this new ink. I’m guessing that the shimmer particles will be very small, unlike some cheaper brands of shimmer inks, which seem to almost have actual clumps of glitter. If the M200 they make to match this ink is anywhere near that gorgeous shade of golden yellow, I’ll be buying the pen, too. I applaud Pelikan for branching out further into the world of brighter colors as well as the shimmer feature.
Thank you for sharing your experiences. It does seem that not all shimmer inks are created equal but I cannot see Pelikan releasing a poorly performing ink. Their liability would be too high. I have a vision in my head what the matching pen should look like and I’m really hopeful that they can pull it off. Can’t wait to see what they come up with.
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Just curious to know if you’ve heard any word about the possibility of the m20x to accompany the Golden Beryl ink. I picked up a bottle over the summer and always have enjoyed the pens Pelikan has released to match the Edelstein line. I always pick up the corresponding pens too and I feel like by this point in the year the pen is usually on the market or there has at least been some word about an upcoming release. I know the pandemic set production and distribution behind, so maybe we’re still working or way out of that. Just thought I’d ask if you far any insider info. One way or the other, thanks for all your work and research you do to keep us all so well informed! It’s much appreciated!
You are correct. We are well beyond the time when a matching M2xx for this years IOTY should have been announced and even come to market. I do think the reason that we haven’t heard details yet is multifactorial and owes to production issues at the factory and the pandemic in general. That said, I have had some indication that another M200 is on the horizon for 2021. I have not been able to confirm that it is the Golden Beryl but I’m optimistic that it may well be. In fact, that is one of two releases I anticipate to close out the year. We should hear something sooner than later. Pelikan may choose to abandon the tradition yet but I doubt they would be so inclined given the way this series has gone for them to date. As soon as definitive news breaks, you can be sure to find it here on The Perch.
i’ve come here to ask the same as Matt W about a matching pen
There are a lot of people asking this very question. I replied to Matt W with all of the details that I know and my suspicions. Stay tuned.