Aurora: Mare V. Optima Blue Auroloide

[Deirdre]

To continue a question on a thread in the marketplace, I thought I'd show the difference in color I mentioned. Now I don't happen to have a blue auroroloid pen (thanks, apparently, to US Customs or the post office), but I can show the analogous difference in the Primavera LE (second from left) and the Green Auroroloid (to its right).

 

The Mare (and Primavera and Fuoco) are auroroloid like the marbled Optimas.

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3278/3035836861_f438c62868.jpg

 

From nibs.com, here's the blue auroroloid Optima:

 

http://www.nibs.com/www/WEBSITE%20PICS/Aurora/OptimaAuroloideBlueGFTCapped.jpg

 

And here's his photo of the green:

http://www.nibs.com/www/WEBSITE%20PICS/Aurora/OptimaAuroloideEmeraldGreenGFTCapped.jpg

 

And the burgundy:

http://www.nibs.com/www/WEBSITE%20PICS/Aurora/OptimaAuroloideBurgundyCapped.jpg

 

So dark pictures of the Mare are similar to light pictures of the Optima, but one difference is that the predominant color on the Mare and there are some chunks that appear lighter (highlighted), where there is no single predominant value on the Optimas, but instead related hues at different values.

 

In other words, the Mare and family are more monochromatic.

 

Make sense?

Edited November 17, 2008 by Deirdre

[Opus104]

Thanks. Those pics (to my eyes) are perfect!!

[Jersey Diabolo]

Nice job. I have a green Auroloide and have seen both the Mare and Primavera in person. The top photo looks spot on in color to me.

 

Nibs.com could use your help, Deirdre .

[petra]

OOOH, nice collection of Optimas, Deirdre! I think they're really beautiful. I'd love to have the sterling silver version. Sigh...

[Deirdre]

Nice job. I have a green Auroloide and have seen both the Mare and Primavera in person. The top photo looks spot on in color to me.

 

Nibs.com could use your help, Deirdre .

He's way better at photographing detail, but the color's somewhat off in his pictures. Not so much that you'd get the wrong pen, though, and he has a number of pictures, which makes nibs.com one of my favorite window-shopping sites.

[omasfan]

He's way better at photographing detail, but the color's somewhat off in his pictures. Not so much that you'd get the wrong pen, though, and he has a number of pictures, which makes nibs.com one of my favorite window-shopping sites.

Some of these pictures look as if nibs.com would put their pens on a scanner. I think your photos show the true colors of the pens much better. By the by, that Aurora Mare has been on my wish list for a long time now. I must resist, must resist.....

[FredRydr]

OOOH, nice collection of Optimas, Deirdre! I think they're really beautiful. I'd love to have the sterling silver version. Sigh...

Petra,

 

Have you held it? I like sterling as well, but wonder as to the weight.

 

Fred

[wspohn]

OOOH, nice collection of Optimas, Deirdre! I think they're really beautiful. I'd love to have the sterling silver version. Sigh...

 

 

Got one. Not heavy.

Here:

 

 

Edited November 27, 2008 by wspohn

[Vicary]

Here's my spread of Optimas, with a close-up of the LEs and the regular colors. In the big pic the 88 Demo is a place holder for the grey marbled Optima, which I finally added at this year's Ohio Show. I guess I need to plug it in and re-take the pics. In any case, I think the colors are pretty true on these...

 

best,

Doug

 

 

[Pjake]

WHOA!!! Doug...what is that brown Optima all about...I might have been sleeping, but I don't recall ever seeing an Optima in that color...

 

I applaud your collection!

 

Peter

[Vicary]

WHOA!!! Doug...what is that brown Optima all about...I might have been sleeping, but I don't recall ever seeing an Optima in that color...

 

I applaud your collection!

 

Peter

 

Peter-

 

The Optima was originally released in four colors- the marbled blue and green that are still offered, and a marbled brown and grey. The grey and brown marbled pens were created from Aureloide (Celluose Nitrate? Cellulose Acetate? No one seems to know for sure) that was less stable. I've not handled any examples of these pens that don't show some evidence of shrinking at the cap and barrel ends. Perhaps that's why those materials were discontinued. They're not common but do come up for sale from time to time.

 

I picked up the brown one at a swap meet over the summer, and finally added the grey at the Ohio Pen Show. I'll have to post pictures of that one soon.

 

You can tell the early production pens because they're slightly shorter- you can see it in the early bright red pen and the brown one I have. They also have a more simple nib engraving...

 

best,

Doug

[diplomat]

Peter-

The Optima was originally released in four colors- the marbled blue and green that are still offered, and a marbled brown and grey. The grey and brown marbled pens were created from Aureloide (Celluose Nitrate? Cellulose Acetate? No one seems to know for sure) that was less stable. I've not handled any examples of these pens that don't show some evidence of shrinking at the cap and barrel ends. Perhaps that's why those materials were discontinued. They're not common but do come up for sale from time to time.

 

I picked up the brown one at a swap meet over the summer, and finally added the grey at the Ohio Pen Show. I'll have to post pictures of that one soon.

 

You can tell the early production pens because they're slightly shorter- you can see it in the early bright red pen and the brown one I have. They also have a more simple nib engraving...

 

best,

Doug

 

Doug, thanks for the pic and the interesting story. Can't wait to see the grey one. And a pic of this early nib would be welcomed too... I don't recall ever seeing one.

 

It's a pity you don't like the plain resin models.

 

(just kidding...) :embarrassed_smile:

 

Cheers,

[Majorbill11]

Really great collection of Auroras. Thanks for sharing.

 

Bill

[Pjake]

Doug...Thanks for the info...that relly is a great looking pen!

 

Peter

[GenoJ]

With Asia, Afrika and Europa out, you will need a bigger display case when they come out with the Americas. It will be interesting to see what colors they use for the North and South continents. I have a blue Optima and a Europa. Wonderful pens. I look for excuses to write with them plus they always get some envious looks from my colleagues.

[Vicary]

Here's a shot of the old versus new nibs. Forgot that there were also differences in the profile of the section. Threw in a picture of the brown and grey marbled pens. Not great pics- I'll post some better ones when the light improves...

 

 

 

[jjb_13]

Great collection. The Optima has always been one of my favorites - especially with that neat medium italic nib Aurora makes.

Seeing your pictures has inspired me to try and complete my own collection - I'm just a few behind you - but so far, the Sole and Primavera have remained elusive at anything like a price I could afford at the time. Of course, up to now I didn't even know the grey marble existed. Ahh, the joy of pen collecting, the horizon keeps receeding as fast as we approach it.

Regards

[diplomat]

Here's a shot of the old versus new nibs. Forgot that there were also differences in the profile of the section. Threw in a picture of the brown and grey marbled pens. Not great pics- I'll post some better ones when the light improves...

 

Doug, thank you very much for the pic. The old nib is really... vintage, for how minimalistic is it.

Thanks for the grey Auroloide pic too. How strange it's got an 18k nib... it's the original one? I understood the grey was in the regular serie not the LE.

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

 

 

[JonB55198]

Here's my spread of Optimas, with a close-up of the LEs and the regular colors. In the big pic the 88 Demo is a place holder for the grey marbled Optima, which I finally added at this year's Ohio Show. I guess I need to plug it in and re-take the pics. In any case, I think the colors are pretty true on these...

 

best,

Doug

 

What is the bright blue optima 4th from the left?

[EGdaTarHeel]

The light blue is the Mare Special Edition. I was lucky enough to find one last year for a very good price (love bargains) and it's one of my daily use pens (it was in disrepair and had no box or papers otherwise it'd stay in the box.