Diamine Inkvent Fountain Pen Ink Advent Calendar Review

Diamine Inkvent Calendar Review

Advent calendars aren't filled with just chocolates anymore.

Adults and children alike can countdown to Christmas with a calendar specific to their interests. There are advent calendars filled with coffee, wine, whiskey, nail polish, jerky, and (our favorite) fountain pen ink.

In this post, we unbox and explore the entire range of colors in the Diamine Inkvent "Green" edition calendar.

These days, part of the fun in opening an advent calendar is sharing the daily surprise with a community of like-minded individuals online. And, that's exactly what Goldspot Pens, as well as a number of social media influencers in the fountain pen community, did in the month of December.

Unboxing the Diamine Inkvent Fountain Pen Ink Advent Calendar

There isn't a right or wrong way to enjoy the Inkvent calendar. Much like with a fountain pen ink review, many writers would want to know what the ink looks like when it is applied to paper. Some may write it using a fountain pen, some might use a dip nib, while others might swatch it using a paintbrush.

Which are your favorite ink colors?

While the actual unboxing of each ink can be frustrating - the shrinkwrap plastic around each bottle was a pain to remove - my favorite part of this calendar is exploring the color of the day. Diamine delivered variety in both hue and depth. In the 2022 Green edition, there were standard colors, scented, sheening, shimmer, and "chameleon" colors (a first for the Inkvent calendar).

Some colors, like Arctic Blast, combined 2 ink characteristics, in this case, chameleon and sheen, into one fountain pen ink. While the "standard" inks do not sound as exciting as "shimmer" or "chameleon," they are enjoyable for writers who prefer inks that shade.

Diamine makes a new distinction between "chameleon" and "shimmer" inks in this collection. In "chameleon" inks, writers can expect a brighter-than-usual shimmer that shifts color depending on the angle of the light. As with any shimmer ink, chameleon inks should be shaken vigorously before filling your fountain pen or dip testing to ensure proper distribution of the shimmer particles.

Also new to this year's advent calendar are a couple of scented inks. "Spruce" and "Pick Me Up" have a noticeable fragrance when the bottle is opened. However, the scent fades once the ink dries on the paper. Spruce has a woodsy aroma while Pick Me Up has a chocolatey vibe.

Here are my favorite colors of the 2022 Inkvent Calendar:

• Spruce - This dark evergreen is a color that I closely associate with the season. Plus, the scent is quite appealing to me.
• Spiced Apple - This chameleon color has a rich, velvet red base with gold shimmer and greenish-gold sheen.
• Jingleberry - I love the name. Plus, this magenta ink is one of the most vibrant in the collection.
• Cardinal - If you're looking for a red that reminds you of Santa's suit, then this is the color you need to fill in your pen.
• Dusted Truffle - I enjoy in-betweener inks that defy definition. Dusted Truffle is a tan, light-brownish grey ink with shading and a silvery shimmer like powdered sugar.
• Arctic Blast - I know there are many bright blues with electric red sheen out there on the market. Yet, I'm a sucker for how bold they look on paper. This chameleon ink glistens with a light blue shimmer and deep violet sheen.
• Best Wishes - To wrap up the calendar, day 25 contains ink that combines both shimmer and sheen. Best Wishes is a deep, dark green with reddish sheen and shimmer that sparkles blue & green.

Is the Diamine Inkvent Calendar worth the price?

Diamine has one of the most economical costs per milliliter for a standard fountain pen ink. If you wanted a color that is part of their everyday range (like Marine), an 80ml bottle costs $17 ($0.21 per ml) A "standard" Inkvent color from 2021 costs $17 for a 50ml bottle ($0.34 per ml). A shimmer + sheen Inkvent ink costs $22 for a 50ml bottle ($0.44 per ml). Despite the higher price for the extra shimmer, it is still half the cost per ml compared to a Sailor Ink Studio color at $18 for 20 ml ($0.90 per ml).

The 2022 Diamine Inkvent Calendar contains a total of 318 ml of fountain pen ink (24 x 12ml bottles + 1 x 30ml bottle). Considering that the calendar contains a variety of standard, shimmering, sheening, scented, and chameleon colors, we could average the price per ml between the low end ($0.34 per ml) and the high end ($0.44 per ml). So, if we apply $0.39 per ml to the 318 ml total volume of ink, the overall ink value of the advent calendar is $124.02

While most producers of advent calendars will put less value into what's behind each door in favor of the elaborate packaging presentation, Diamine offers this calendar at a bargain of $115. Since the total cost of the calendar is less than the value (per ml) of ink inside it, you can consider the calendar a good value, especially if you enjoy sampling a variety of fountain pen inks.

Will there be a Diamine Inkvent Calendar in 2023?

Diamine started the Inkvent Calendar back in 2019 ("Blue" Edition), did not produce one in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic, and now has made the 2021 "Red" Edition as well as the 2022 "Green" Edition. Barring any unforeseen global crisis (there's always one of those brewing somewhere), we believe Diamine will have a new Inkvent Calendar ready by the fall of 2023.

Call me biased, but my money is on the packaging being GOLD in 2023. Sign up for our e-mail newsletter and you'll find out as soon as we do. Whatever color packaging they choose, I do hope that the plastic shrink wrap on each bottle will be perforated for easy removal.

Summary of the Diamine Inkvent Calendar

Pros
+ Diamine delivers great variety of unique colors and ink characteristics
+ Color names are festive and fun
+ Price per ml of ink is better than buying the full bottle
+ Great for fountain pen enthusiasts who love variety and a little surprise every day

Cons
- Plastic shrinkwrap on each bottle was painfully tough to open

POLL: Which Inkvent color(s) did people on social media like best?

We took an informal poll on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter to find out which ink colors everyone liked the best. The results came after two days of users leaving comments on our posts. There were a total of 160 comments across all the social media platforms.

Of course, we couldn't expect most people to just pick one color. In fact, out of all who responded, half only picked one color as their favorite. 43 chose two colors. 21 had three favorties, and 16 picked four or more colors.

Below, you'll find the vote tally for each color in the 2022 Green Edition.