This week’s ink review and giveaway is Crystal Topaz ink from Lamy. This German manufacturer of fine writing instruments and inks believes that a pen and its accompanying accessories are personal items like a watch or a piece of clothing. The new Lamy Crystal ink line presents an array of stunning, gemstone-inspired colors that are hard to ignore. Count yourself lucky that you’re going to get all the details and that you have a chance to enter to win this gorgeous bottle of loveliness through the link below. Good luck! Now read on for all the details.

All About the Ink Maker: Lamy

Lamy, a well known German pen company, creates their Crystal ink line in historic Heidelberg Germany. Their completely new line of ink colors comes in a bottle that we would describe as both functional and beautiful (more details below), and sticks to a gemstone theme. Every ink in the Lamy Crystal ink line is designed to reflect the color of a gemstone – and they are stunning.

This week’s ink, the Lamy Crystal Topaz ink, is named after (and designed to reflect the color of) topaz. Many people think of topaz as a blue-colored stone, but it can come in a relatively wide variety of colors: light pink (a rare gem), natural blue, yellow, gray, violet, milky green, orange, and golden brown. This last version of the topaz is what Lamy chose to reflect in their Crystal Topaz ink.

All About This Week’s Chosen Ink: Lamy Crystal Topaz Ink

Lamy’s Crystal Topaz fountain pen ink is one of ten amazing, new colors released recently as part of an entirely new line of Lamy ink colors: the Lamy Crystal ink line. This week’s ink, Lamy Crystal Topaz ink, is a golden-brown color that is somehow simultaneously warm, inviting, dark and professional. It’s an intriguing combination. The other gem-stone inspired inks in the Lamy Crystal ink line include: Agate (gray), Amazonite (turquoise); Benitoite (blue/grey); Ruby (red); Obsidian (black); Azurite (purple); Rhodonite (pink); Peridot (green) and Beryl (berry).

** Don’t stop now. Keep reading for a chance to win the bottle of Lamy Crystal Topaz ink used for this week’s Pen Chalet Ink Review. (Or if you’re still cultivating the art of patience, scroll down to the bottom where you’ll find the link to enter this week’s giveaway).

Lamy Crystal Topaz Ink Review

Our review of Lamy Crystal Topaz ink had us searching for all the standout characteristics you want to know. Run through the list below, so you have all the info you need to make an informed purchase when you’re trying to choose a fountain pen ink brand or a new ink color.

Ink Review Testing Factors (just to keep things scientific):

In an effort to keep things scientific…this is where we’ll share the hows and whats of our ink review. For our review of Lamy Crystal Topaz ink, we used a French-made J Herbin glass dip pen on Rhodia dot pad paper. The glass dip pen’s tip is similar to a fine-medium fountain pen nib. Don’t forget – different papers and nib sizes often produce different results!

What Sort of Ink Bottle Does Lamy Use for their Crystal Ink Line?

Lamy Crystal Topaz inks come in the new, redesigned Lamy 30 ml. glass ink bottle. The new design is triangular and has simplistic labeling. The minimalist-style labeling does not even have the name of the ink printed on the bottle. The ink’s color name is printed on the box. The packaging is well designed and includes built-in ink bottle protection. The lid on the new Lamy Crystal ink bottle is a large-mouthed aluminum lid with a “Lamy” crystal embossed on the top. The lid is placed on top of a plastic liner that matches the color of the ink inside.

How Much Does Lamy Crystal Topaz Ink Cost?

Lamy’s Crystal ink line retails for slightly more than the Lamy regular line of ink when you compare the price by ml. Even at the marginally higher cost, Lamy Crystal Topaz ink and other inks in the Lamy Crystal line fall into the mid-range price for fountain pen inks.

How Fast Does Lamy Crystal Topaz Fountain Pen Ink Dry?

Lamy Crystal Topaz ink had a reasonable dry time during our review – approximately 5-6 seconds. As a result, we consider it an excellent choice for everyday use. (We generally recognize any dry time under 10 seconds to be reasonable for day-to-day use for a fountain pen ink).

Does Lamy Crystal Topaz Fountain Pen Ink Bleed Through?

During normal use, we saw no bleeding of Lamy Crystal Topaz fountain pen ink. The Crystal Topaz is a very dark ink, but we found no bleeding during normal use, even during the cotton swab test. We saw no bleed through during the review.

Was There Any Feathering While Using Lamy Crystal Topaz Ink?

During normal use, we found absolutely no feathering. During the water test, we did notice some slight feathering, although the lines remained legible and distinct.

How Does Lamy Crystal Topaz Ink Stand Up to Water?

We included a water test in the review of Lamy Crystal Topaz Ink. (For the water test, we run a soaking wet cotton swab over an ink sample after letting the ink sample dry for about 3 minutes). Our water test results were typical for non-waterproof ink. Results were typical for a non-waterproof ink, with significant color smearing expected.

Does Lamy Crystal Topaz Ink Have Good Shading Traits?

Lamy Crystal Topaz ink is a beautiful, dark, golden-brown that comes to life with the right touch. You can find anywhere from a dark, deep brown to a very light, dusty brown. It all depends on your penmanship, and what nib you use. During our cotton swab test, we noticed a green metallic sheen of the ink even though, technically speaking, it is not labeled a sheening ink.

Pen Chalet’s Final Conclusion on Lamy Crystal Topaz Ink:

We all know Lamy Pen Company. They are very well known worldwide for their functional and modern fine writing instrument design. But they’re also becoming more and more well known for their high quality, affordable fountain pen inks. The Lamy Crystal ink line is new and exciting! Not only did they update their bottles, and their colors, but they updated their overall style. It’s a fabulous choice for many different projects from the home to the office. Make all your pen-loving friends green with envy, and pick up a bottle of Lamy Crystal Topaz ink today!

Or make your friends go downright crazy and pick up a few different “Topaz” fountain pen inks from Pen Chalet: Lamy Crystal Topaz ink (brown), Monteverde Topaz ink (orange), and Pelikan Edelstein Topaz ink (blue). Then when they ask you what color ink you’re working with, you can keep telling them it’s Topaz. Since “topaz” covers a wide range of completely different colors…it can be your new favorite game. Check back and let us know how many friends you drove away crying. And, of course, happy writing from Germany!

Enter to Win the Bottle of Lamy Crystal Topaz ink used for this week’s Pen Chalet Ink Review:

Enter to win the actual bottle of Lamy Crystal Topaz ink that Pen Chalet used in this week’s ink review, click here:

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