EFNIR: Diamine Shimmering Seas

[LizEF]

Extra Fine Nib Ink Review: Diamine Shimmering Seas

This is review #194 in my series.  Here's the YouTube video:

Post-recording notes: Cleaning took a little longer than usual - the ink is quite saturated and needs extra flushes to come out. It also clung to the inside of my converter. This is a dark, slightly muted blue, not quite blue-black, with gold glitter (which didn't want to be seen on camera). I could see sheen if I looked for it, but it's far from obvious.

Screenshot: Color too absent.

Scan: Pretty close

Zoom: Seems quite accurate

Absorbent Paper: Oddly enough, shows glitter really well

Copy Paper: too pale, but shows underlying color

The line width measurement is one of the lines used for dry time.  Magnification is 100x.  The grid is 100x100µm.  The scale is 330µm, with eleven divisions of 30µm each.  The line width for this ink is roughly 300µm. (For the curious, with 194 inks measured, the average line width is 292µm.)

Glitter is cool under a microscope! Three images included - there were other cool things, but they didn't photograph well.

And here is a screen of the final result, for those not interested in the video:

Scan of Completed Review:

Zoomed in photo:

Absorbent Paper Closeup (top is puzzle paper like thick newsprint, bottom is old 20lb copy paper):

Line width measured via microscope at 100x:

Microscope slide at 100x (crowd of glitter in thicker ink):

Microscope slide at 100x (less crowded glitter in thinner ink):

Microscope slide at 400x (closeup of one of the "flowers"):

Images also available on Instagram: @zilxodarap.

Previous Review: Noodler's Revolution Blue.

Want to influence the inky sequence?  Take the "next ink" poll.

Need to catch up on The Adventures of Quin and Makhabesh?  Find the whole story here.

Hope you enjoy.  Comments appreciated!

[yazeh]

Great job @LizEF 

This was my first bottle of shimmering ink and quite a disappointment colour wise (or lack of it). With wide nibs it looks almost black. I used to pour drops of inks Christmas cards to create the glitter magic. On the plus side, it was a very nice ink to write with, well lubricated and wet enough. 

If Makhabesh could throw a couple of thunderbolts at my bottle to make it as jazzy as your microscope shots, I would be much obliged

 

[Sailor Kenshin]

The color of the ink is right up my alley, though I don't really use glitter inks except with glass dip pens.

 

But I love reading/watching your reviews.  Awesome flowers and story!  Thanks.  🌺

[LizEF]

2 hours ago, yazeh said:

Great job @LizEF 

Thanks!

 

2 hours ago, yazeh said:

With wide nibs it looks almost black.

It probably needs a dry nib to show the blue well.

 

2 hours ago, yazeh said:

On the plus side, it was a very nice ink to write with, well lubricated and wet enough. 

Yes!

 

2 hours ago, yazeh said:

If Makhabesh could throw a couple of thunderbolts at my bottle to make it as jazzy as your microscope shots, I would be much obliged

[LizEF]

2 hours ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

The color of the ink is right up my alley, though I don't really use glitter inks except with glass dip pens.

You can always not shake the bottle.

 

2 hours ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

But I love reading/watching your reviews.  Awesome flowers and story!

Thanks!

 

2 hours ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

Thanks.  🌺

You're most welcome!

[amberleadavis]

Great job! Now that I've seen glitter under the microscope, I'm scared to use it in my pen. 

 

So, did you have any clogging?

[LizEF]

5 hours ago, amberleadavis said:

Great job!

Thanks!

 

5 hours ago, amberleadavis said:

Now that I've seen glitter under the microscope, I'm scared to use it in my pen.

Looks alive, doesn't it?

 

5 hours ago, amberleadavis said:

So, did you have any clogging?

Not a bit!  This ink has done better in that regard than even  Diamine Blue Lightning.  Maybe I just didn't get as much glitter in this fill, or maybe Diamine have improved glitter, or maybe the gold is different from the silver - I have no way to know, but I had zero problems with this ink.  (And now I'm looking forward to whenever the next glitter ink gets voted to the top! )

[Sailor Kenshin]

20 hours ago, LizEF said:

You can always not shake the bottle.

 

Thanks!

 

You're most welcome!

I know, I know, let it settle…but when it's a teeny InkVent bottle there's really no way to fill a pen without picking up some dastardly glitter.  And anyway—-I don't always use glitter ink, but when I do, I want it in all its full, sparkly glory.  💥 😝

[LizEF]

2 hours ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

I know, I know, let it settle…but when it's a teeny InkVent bottle there's really no way to fill a pen without picking up some dastardly glitter.  And anyway—-I don't always use glitter ink, but when I do, I want it in all its full, sparkly glory.  💥 😝

Didn't realize this was an Inkvent ink.  Fortunately, there are lots of inks in this range.

[Sailor Kenshin]

33 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Didn't realize this was an Inkvent ink.  Fortunately, there are lots of inks in this range.

I don't know if your ink is specifically an InkVent, but there were tons  of them in this latest edition.  And they all seemed to be blueish blackish.  😜

[LizEF]

10 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

I don't know if your ink is specifically an InkVent, but there were tons  of them in this latest edition.  And they all seemed to be blueish blackish.  😜

I don't know either!  It was one of the ones Dill sent me.  And yes, the latest edition did look rather enticing. 

[Detman101]

I like the ink...the color, the tone and the shading.
But I will have to wait until I get another EF flex nib before I can use shimmer inks again.
My flex-stub just doesn't process the shimmer properly.
Thank you for the review!

[LizEF]

5 minutes ago, Detman101 said:

I like the ink...the color, the tone and the shading.
But I will have to wait until I get another EF flex nib before I can use shimmer inks again.
My flex-stub just doesn't process the shimmer properly.
Thank you for the review!

You're very welcome!

[Licue]

The microscope slides look amazing 🤩 like a sea of alien flowers.

 

 

[LizEF]

1 hour ago, Licue said:

The microscope slides look amazing 🤩 like a sea of alien flowers.

 

 

[namrehsnoom]

Nice colour - I like it. And although I don’t like shimmer inks, the shimmer flowers themselves also look beautiful.

[LizEF]

3 hours ago, namrehsnoom said:

Nice colour - I like it. And although I don’t like shimmer inks, the shimmer flowers themselves also look beautiful.

[A Smug Dill]

On 7/14/2022 at 2:00 AM, Sailor Kenshin said:

I don't know if your ink is specifically an InkVent,

 

Shimmering Seas isn't.

[InesF]

Hi @LizEF. Thank you for THIS review!

 

Stunning images on the glass slide! I almost regret being off-grid during my vacation and almost missing this post.

[LizEF]

41 minutes ago, InesF said:

Hi @LizEF. Thank you for THIS review!

You're very welcome!

 

42 minutes ago, InesF said:

Stunning images on the glass slide! I almost regret being off-grid during my vacation and almost missing this post.

Glad to provide some images to rival your vacation!   (I provide those "previous review" links just for those who take vacations, or are forced away for other reasons - wouldn't want you to miss out.)