The above photo was taken in direct sunlight. Ink is swatched on Clairefontaine 90gsm paper, using a glass dip pen.
Specs
Name: Jane Austen Violet
Maker: Organics Studio
Color Family: Purple
Properties: Shading
Purchased at: Vanness
What’s in a name?
The now-defunct Organics Studio created a line of inks celebrating writers of the 18th century, called the Masters of Writing. While I was unable to discover why the Jane Austen homage ink is this shade of purple, iron gall inks were used as the standard during Austen’s lifetime and often appear to be a purple/grey hue (though whether this is how they looked at the time of writing, or the effect of time and oxidation, I don’t know). I also recently learned that in the early 19th century, schoolchildren in England wrote with a purple-hued ink as it was the cheapest to mass produce.
Swatches
A large swatch of ink showcases the darkest this ink gets, as well as the maximum properties it has (when held at the right angle to show any shimmer or sheen). But what about when you’re writing a letter or notes with it?
The above was written on Clairefontaine 90gsm paper, using a Narwhal Schuylkill fountain pen with a Broad nib.
Of course, for maximum effect you want to see it in light and in motion. The following video shows the ink swatched on Skylab Letterpress 160gsm cards.
Thoughts
Yes, I know, I’m supposed to be focusing on the Diamine InkVent colors right now. But in honor of Miss Austen’s birthday, I thought it’d be fun to post a review of this ink paying homage to her genius. Interestingly, my swatches (created using a dip pen) appear more reddish and darker than the writing sample. Could I have inadvertently watered down the ink in my Narwhal pen, by filling it before the barrel was totally dry? Maybe. I can’t think of how else I ended up with a lighter hue in a Broad nibbed pen than I got in an essentially Medium-nibbed dip pen.
Overall, this ink has some lovely shading throughout. It’s a little on the dry side to write with, but behaves beautifully. I recommend it for a letter, especially a love letter (or a writing in a Regency letter LARP), in any size of nib. Honestly, even watered down (if that’s what happened in my Narwhal), it’s plenty legible, still shades, and is still a pretty hue of purple.
*All pics and vid were taken using a Google Pixel 4a and color-adjusted to best reflect the hue of that ink.
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