The annual announcement detailing Pelikan’s newest Edelstein ink has become one of the more anticipated tidbits of news each year. This is in part due to the fact that we all love a good ink, but it is also because the revelation heralds a future M2xx release if history is to be any guide. Last evening, news broke of the next limited edition Edelstein Ink Of The Year and the newest hue for 2024 will be Golden Lapis. With it, Pelikan revisits the shimmer effect that we last saw with 2021’s Golden Beryl, making it just the second ink in Pelikan’s line-up to do so. Like its namesake gemstone, Golden Lapis takes a base of vibrant blue and adds a golden shimmer. This brand new release will be the thirteenth special edition gemstone inspired ink to grace the Edelstein line along with a small selection of standard bearers. Limited editions that have come before include Turmaline (2012), Amber (2013), Garnet (2014), Amethyst (2015), Aquamarine (2016), Smoky Quartz (2017), Olivine (2018), Star Ruby (2019), Moonstone (2020), Golden Beryl (2021), Apatite (2022), and Rose Quartz (2023). Pelikan, at least at the outset, intends to produce this ink for one year therefore it will only be available for a limited time and while supplies last. Golden Lapis is slated for a March 2024 release, just in time for the Spring.
Lapis is the shortened name of Lapis lazuli and is derived from a Persian word meaning blue. It is a metamorphic rock, long coveted for its intensely blue color. Lapis has been used as a semi-precious stone since the days of antiquity with examples of artifacts dating as far back as 7,570 BC. In Europe, it was finely ground and turned into the pigment ultramarine, a consequential hue for some of the major artists of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The rock itself it composed of lazurite, pyrite, and calcite. It is the pyrite that gives the rock its golden inclusions. Pelikan has employed the lapis color just a few times in their history of pen making. It was first seen as a binde on their 101 Lapis (1395-37) and in the barrel of their M101 Originals of their Time 1935 Lapis (2001).
When it comes to ink, I find that the proof is in the pudding. Pre-release product photos cannot adequately convey how this ink might look when applied to the various papers out there so a real-world ink swab will be eagerly awaited. Pelikan describes the color as a “vibrant blue hue refined with a golden shimmer” which has me very excited about the potential that this one holds. In my mind, I’m envisioning something between a Jacques Herbin Emerald of Chivor and a Diamine Shimmering Seas. The shimmering effect will probably keep this one out of the work environment but could certainly add a fun flare to personal correspondence and journaling. Pelikan’s shimmer inks are specially formulated so as not to jam up the feeds of our beloved pens, but some extra care is required to prevent the ink from drying in the pen and feed. Pelikan tells us, “When using this ink, please shake well the closed flacon before use and the fountain pen likes to be rinsed with warm water after writing so the joy of handwriting will last on.” I have not had any issues with Golden Beryl so hopefully Golden Lapis will be similarly well behaved. Golden Lapis will come in 50mL bottles topped with a gold cap. Regarding their newest ink, Pelikan’s promotional literature states;
“An enchanting color combination of a vibrant blue hue refined with a golden shimmer. The golden Lapis gemstone was once considered a jewel for kings and was associated with strength, wisdom and protection against negative influences. To this day, gold lapis is also a symbol of inner peace and emotional balance. This balance between a powerful and calming color effect gives the handwriting a special appearance. The golden glittering elements in the ink flow randomly, giving the handwriting different color expressions.”
I don’t know that I have been this excited for an ink release since 2013’s Amber. Perhaps more exciting than the ink itself is the direction that they could take with an M2xx release. With the golden shimmer, I’m almost certain that we are looking at an M200 with gold-plated furniture. If they can create a barrel and cap colored similarly to what we see in the first photo of this article, then I’m all in. Information about the corresponding special edition pens has dropped in August for the past few releases so it will be several months still before we are likely having any word on that. What are your thoughts on the new Edelstein Golden Lapis? Are you excited for another shimmer ink or is that simply not your thing? Would a pen that emulates this look be to your liking? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
If it is really a shimmer I may have to pass. I had read the word sheen in something I saw this morning on Instagram IIRC. I was excited as a sheening ink. Less so as a shimmer. I guess we will see soon enough.
All of the promotional stuff that I’ve seen from Pelikan indicates that this is a glitter ink, just like Golden Beryl.
Joshua- found it. It was an Instagram post by Appelboom. Same photo Pelikan used, looks like one or the other changed it. One says sheen, the other shimmer.
I would definitely go with shimmer on this one, otherwise Pelikan wouldn’t tell you to shake the bottle and rinse the feed. Pelikan has shimmer all over their literature. https://www.pelikan-passion.com/int/inks/edelstein.html
Looks amazing. However I always like a certain degree of water resistance so will have to see.
While there is clearly no details about this aspect of the ink yet available, I’d be surprised if this one was particularly water resistant.
I’ve been resistant to shimmering inks but that color is tempting.
I did pick up Golden Beryl ink but have yet to put it in a pen.
I have been very skeptical of them as well but this one might be the one that really draws me in.
Debra, it’s a beautiful ink! I put it in the matching M200. It’s quite stunning. The gold is so pure. You should start using it!
I’ve drifted away from shimmering ink for the most part.. However….if this is a good blue color I’m so in on this one.
I find them to be a little gimmicky myself and not practical for my day to day purpose. Still, like you, if the color is right, the glitter doesn’t really put me off that much.
I don’t use shimmering inks very much, mostly just Diamine Snowstorm and Golden Beryl. I’ve found both of these to be fairly trouble free for what they are. I will probably try this when it comes out, but I’m much more excited for the pen! Blue is my color.
I wasn’t familiar with Diamine Snowstorm before your post. Lovely looking ink. Really like that sheen.
Made me think what M2XX is going to look like. 🤔
My worry is that I bet the M200 could look awesome if done in a solid resin. I’m thinking it is going to look a bit less awesome as a demonstrator. Only time will tell. I’m envisioning an M200 with gold trim, done as a blue demonstrator, with gold glitter embedded in the material. We’ll just have to wait and see.
My thoughts exactly: a solid colour would be amazing, and I can see myself going for it, whereas a demonstrator is likely to disappoint (me). And yet I am willing to bet that a demonstrator it will be.
If it comes out as a straight demonstrator, I would envision a blue translucent resin with gold glitter inclusions which would be fairly ho-hum to me. I think they could make a much more striking pen with this color scheme using solid resin components but we’ll just have to wait and see.
I love shimmer inks in my M2XX pens with stubs; they handle them with no problem. And I am in love with this combo of the deep blue with the golden accents. I can’t wait to see how it looks in real life. I’d love to see it swabbed, drip-dropped, and in writing through a nice, fat stub. I think it’s going to be GORGEOUS. And I can only imagine what the pen is going to look like! Kudos to Pelikan for coming up with an unusual and beautiful color combo while still carrying out the gemstone theme of the series. If the ink and future pen are anything like my expectations, I’ll be adding them to my collection.
Yes, nice fat nibs are definitely the way to make these inks stand out. I really only use this type of ink with stub or broad nibs. I find that the effect is greatly diminished otherwise.
So nice to see Edelstein series taking this direction. As many of their past colors became favourites for pen community members (e.g. Topaz, Smoky Quartz), Edelstein shimmerings seems to be absolutely astonishing. Not many examples though. Just Golden Beryl. I’m really excited for Golden Lapis release.
You forgot Amber which I think is one of the top pas favorites. I figured it would be a matter of time before we saw another shimmer release and this looks like a smart choice.
I’m not excited about the glitter ink, but the potential matching pen could be a must-have if done right.
For me, I think these colors would rock in a solid resin. I’m worried that the effect will be watered down when realized as a demonstrator. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
I’m not usually very excited about new ink releases, shimmering inks in particular, but this one is an exception. Definitely on my radar for a quick purchase upon release. Can’t say I’d rule out a matching pen purchase as well. We’ll have to wait and see about that.
Always good to keep an open mind.
Hola Joshua y a todos los Pelikano Fanáticos.
La Golden Lapis en la piedra se vé genial. Nunca hé tenido una tinta brillante y la verdad cuando salió la Golden Beryl quise agenciármela y no hubo oportunidad.
No se rían por favor, pero estoy pendiente de recibir la Pelikan 4001 Dark Green, pues ya tengo la Edelstein Olivine.
Creo firmemente que la Edelstein Golden Lapis no nos defraudará.
El tema que me tiene con algo de duda es que realmente la pluma M200 que la acompañe, no sea realmente una pequeña Pelikan M800 Blue Ocean Limited Edition, la que pienso que le iría muy bien.
Les envío un fuerte abrazo.
P.D. Magnífico el reporte tan completo de los papeles secantes.
I like 4001 Dark Green as a color though it is not one that I use routinely.
Lapis lazuli is one of my favorite semi-precious stones, and when I was in graduate school my parents had a ring containing a carved lapis made as a birthday gift. The sparkling inclusions in the blue base are fascinating. If the Ink of the Year approaches this charm, the ink will likely become as sought-after as the Golden Beryl.
I agree and really hope the swab doesn’t dissapoint.
Sorry, I’ll wait and see how it really looks like. Some photos of last pelikan products, not only inks, were a tiny bit too saturated. I was sure m205 marble green was vibrant but “in person” it was more grey-ish, so much that I had a panic attack. Because it had to be fake, right? And bought a marble blue instead. A green marble would look better next to a brown marble m200 I think. Unfortunately clear demonstrator price was close to 1,5x price of ordinary marble version, white special editions close to 1,8x – so it had to be the cheaper edition.
Ok, I admit, it was silly, but my m200 was so lonely. It needed another cousin.
I totally agree about the pre-release photos. I’ve never been a fan of how they are done. Would love to see more realistic photography but I guess that doesn’t sell the sizzle.
A shimmering blue ink with a matching pen sounds like a perfect combo.
Not necessarily a fan of gold color, but blue and gold a quite nice combination. I’m curious to see what it’ll be like Maxgoldwood@yahoo.com
I think the two colors pair very nicely. The cooler blue with the warmer gold tones really are very complimentatry.
This might be the ink that convinces me to try a shimmer ink. The colors sound lovely together. As for a corresponding pen: after seeing the M200 Orange delight in person, my imagination goes beyond either a solid color or a pure demonstrator…I look forward to seeing what the designers have in mind (I look forward to eventually seeing the Copper Rose Gold for that matter as well)….
Yes, the imagination can run wild with this one but I am trying to exercise some restraint. I find that I tend to get disappointed when the actual product doesn’t match what my mind had conjured. The Copper Rose Gold is now available and the pics are interesting. I’m gonna have to see this one in real life and next to some others to make a fair assessment. I am loving the Orange Delight though.
Will release Pelikan a M200 with this same colours?
That is the expectation but we are still awaiting news to confirm. I would be surprised if they bucked such a long standing tradition at this juncture.
Having received the Golden Lapis ink at the Pelikan Hub event last fall, I was very hesitant to load it into a pen with all the gold particles, and for months I only drew the Lapis ink from the top of the bottle without shaking or mixing it. The basic ink has a nice bright shade of Blue and not bad absorbancy and drying time.
A few days ago, I received the new Monteverde MP1 fountain pen, and decided to try the full effects of the Golden Lapis. Well, it’s pretty disappointing! It does not stay in suspension for more than a minute, and even shaking up the pen barely helps. The end result is also not terribly impressive, with just a very slight sparkling effect… In short, total fail as far as I am concerned.
It is one of the reasons that I’m not a huge glitter ink fan. I do think pen and paper combos factor prominently in how the ink looks on the paper. I like juicy, broad nibs to help paint the ink in its best light.