Dominant Industry Pearl 019 Lapis Lazuli — Cobalt Blue, Blue Shimmer & Pink Sheen Fountain Pen Ink (25ml)

Dominant Industry Pearl 019 Lapis Lazuli — 25ml Shimmer Fountain Pen Ink

Dominant Industry Pearl 019 Lapis Lazuli is a 25ml shimmer fountain pen ink built around a vivid, saturated cobalt blue — a colour that captures the depth and brilliance of the semi-precious stone it is named after, anchored by suspended blue metallic shimmer particles and finished with a striking high pink sheen. This is not a muted or corporate blue. Lapis Lazuli presents as a bold, luminous cobalt that rewards close inspection with layered optical effects: blue shimmer that catches the light, medium shading that adds tonal depth across each stroke, and a dramatic pink sheen that edges every line with unexpected warmth.

Part of Dominant Industry's Pearl Collection — also known as the Pearl Alchemist series — Pearl 019 is a pigment-based shimmer ink, a distinction that sets it apart from standard dye-based shimmer inks and contributes to its exceptional colour saturation and depth. The bottle itself reflects the ink's character: a classic teardrop glass bottle, complete with a cloth bag and ink-assist straw, finished to a standard that matches the quality of what is inside.

Available at Shosai (shosai.ca) in Gatineau / Ottawa — with in-store pickup (J9J 0K6) and Canada-wide shipping.

What Makes Pearl 019 Lapis Lazuli Different

Blue is the most competitive colour category in fountain pen ink. Lapis Lazuli does not settle for a safe interpretation. Instead, it stacks three distinct optical effects — blue shimmer, medium shading, and a high pink sheen — onto a cobalt blue base that is already exceptional on its own. The result is an ink that performs differently depending on how you use it: vivid and saturated in everyday writing, complex and gemstone-like under closer inspection or broader nib application.

The pink sheen is the detail that most users remember first. It is not a subtle or occasional effect — it is a high-intensity sheen that appears as a strong pink-to-red reflective edge on heavier ink deposits, particularly visible on smooth papers like Tomoe River under raking light. Against the cool cobalt blue base, the warm pink sheen creates a contrast that is genuinely striking. Paired with blue shimmer and medium shading, Lapis Lazuli is among the most visually complex inks in the Pearl Collection.

Colour Profile

Base Colour

Pearl 019 Lapis Lazuli is a vivid cobalt blue with high saturation and a rich, luminous character. In the bottle, it presents as a deep, brilliant blue — immediately recognisable as cobalt rather than navy, royal, or sky blue. On the page, it dries to a saturated, lively blue that holds its vibrancy across nib sizes and paper types. It is a blue that reads as genuinely blue — not grey-leaning, not purple-leaning — with the kind of colour intensity that makes it stand out on the page.

Users consistently describe it as one of the most beautiful blues in the Pearl Collection: vivid, inviting, and rich with character.

Shading

Medium. Lapis Lazuli exhibits clear tonal variation between lighter and denser areas of each stroke — a visible gradient from lighter cobalt in thinner strokes to a deeper, richer blue at pooling points. The shading adds dimension and life to the writing, preventing the saturated cobalt base from reading as flat or one-dimensional. On premium papers with medium to broad nibs, the shading is a defining part of the ink's character. Writers who appreciate tonal depth in their blue inks will find Lapis Lazuli particularly rewarding.

Shimmer

Blue metallic shimmer particles, medium intensity. The suspended blue metallic particles complement the cobalt base with a soft, pearlescent shimmer — a gentle blue iridescence that adds depth and luminosity without competing with the base colour or the sheen. The shimmer reads as a refined, gemstone-like quality rather than an aggressive glitter effect, consistent with the Pearl Collection's aesthetic. It is most visible on smooth, slow-absorbing papers at medium to broad nib sizes. At fine nib sizes, it is present but more restrained.

Shake gently before each use to redistribute settled shimmer particles evenly throughout the ink.

Sheen

High pink. The pink sheen is the most dramatic optical effect in Pearl 019 Lapis Lazuli — and one of the most striking sheens in the Pearl Collection. On premium papers, particularly Tomoe River, the ink develops a strong pink-to-red metallic reflective edge at heavier ink deposits, clearly visible under raking or directional light. The contrast between the cool cobalt blue base and the warm pink sheen is what many users describe as the defining quality of this ink. The sheen is present and pronounced enough to be a genuine design element, not a background detail — but well-behaved enough not to cause smearing or handling problems under normal use.

Ink Properties at a Glance

Flow

Average to wet. Pearl 019 Lapis Lazuli flows at a moderate to slightly generous rate — smooth and consistent, with enough flow to express its shimmer and sheen character without being prone to flooding or hard starts. As with all shimmer inks, regular pen maintenance is recommended to prevent particle accumulation in the feed.

Dry Time

Approximately 40 seconds on quality paper under normal conditions. Consistent with other pigment-based shimmer inks in the Pearl Collection. Writers who work quickly or use slow-absorbing papers may wish to allow additional drying time.

Water Resistance

Low. Pearl 019 Lapis Lazuli offers minimal water resistance — more than a standard dye ink, consistent with its pigment base, but not suitable for documents requiring archival longevity or significant moisture exposure. For archival applications, a dedicated pigment or iron gall ink is recommended.

Feathering and Bleed-Through

Minimal feathering on quality papers. On fountain-pen-friendly papers — Tomoe River, Rhodia, Clairefontaine, Midori MD — Lapis Lazuli performs cleanly with well-defined stroke edges. Moderate show-through may be visible on thinner papers; no significant bleed-through. On standard absorbent papers, some feathering may occur and shimmer expression will be suppressed.

How to Get the Most Out of Pearl 019 Lapis Lazuli

Shake before use. Shimmer particles settle at the bottom of the bottle between uses. A gentle shake before filling ensures even particle distribution and consistent shimmer expression throughout your writing session.

Recommended Paper

Pearl 019 Lapis Lazuli rewards smooth, slow-absorbing papers that allow shimmer particles to rest on the surface and sheen to develop fully at ink-pooling edges:

• Tomoe River (52gsm or 68gsm) — the gold standard for this ink; slow absorption maximises shimmer particle expression on the surface; pink sheen is most vivid and dramatic here; cobalt base reads at full saturation with the most visible shading gradient
• Cosmo Air Light — excellent shimmer and sheen expression; clean stroke edges; the cobalt blue reads with outstanding clarity and the pink sheen develops well
• Midori MD Paper — smooth surface supports good shimmer development and shading expression; a reliable everyday pairing
• Rhodia / Clairefontaine — consistent, dependable results; shimmer present and visible; sheen visible under good lighting; a practical everyday option

Avoid highly absorbent papers (standard copy paper, Moleskine). Fast absorption suppresses shimmer particles, eliminates the pink sheen, and flattens the shading gradient.

Recommended Nibs

• Medium to Broad nibs — the primary recommendation; more ink on the page means more shimmer particles deposited and a more pronounced shading gradient; the pink sheen is most visible at broader nib sizes; the cobalt base reads at its most saturated and expressive
• Stub or Italic nibs — the variation between thick and thin strokes showcases the medium shading dramatically; the contrast between lighter upstrokes and heavier downstrokes gives the ink a calligraphic depth that is particularly well-suited to Lapis Lazuli's character
• Eyedropper pens — an excellent pairing; consistent high ink volume maximises shimmer expression and ensures the pink sheen develops reliably throughout long writing sessions
• Fine nibs — the cobalt blue reads cleanly and the shading is still visible; shimmer and sheen are present but more restrained; functional and attractive for everyday use
• Extra-fine nibs — not recommended; risk of particle clogging in narrow feeds; shimmer suppressed; pigment-based formula requires attentive maintenance at this nib size

Pen Maintenance

As a pigment-based shimmer ink, Pearl 019 Lapis Lazuli requires more attentive pen care than standard dye inks. Flush your pen every 1–2 weeks to prevent pigment and metallic particle accumulation in the feed and nib channel. Do not leave the ink sitting unused in a pen for extended periods. Pearl 019 Lapis Lazuli is compatible with standard fountain pen materials, but regular cleaning is essential for long-term pen health.

Recommended Uses

• Expressive everyday writing — the vivid cobalt blue is highly legible and visually distinctive; the medium shading adds life to everyday handwriting without requiring any special technique
• Journaling and sustained writing — the layered combination of shimmer, shading, and pink sheen rewards the longer pages that journaling produces; each page has visual depth and character
• Calligraphy and broad nib writing — the medium shading is particularly expressive in calligraphic letterforms; stub and italic nibs bring out the full contrast between light and dark in each stroke
• Dip pen use — compatible with dip pens; the pigment base and shimmer particles express well with the generous ink flow typical of dip pen application
• Fountain pen photography and swatching — the cobalt blue photographs with exceptional clarity under natural light; the pink sheen is dramatic in raking-light photography; blue shimmer reads well in macro shots on Tomoe River

About the Pearl Collection

The Pearl Collection — also known as the Pearl Alchemist series — is Dominant Industry's dedicated shimmer ink line, a series of inks formulated around suspended metallic particles in richly coloured bases. Pearl 019 Lapis Lazuli represents one of the most layered and optically complex entries in the series: a pigment-based cobalt blue with blue shimmer, medium shading, and a high pink sheen — a combination that few other shimmer inks in any catalogue can replicate. Each bottle in the Pearl Collection is presented in a teardrop glass bottle with a cloth bag and ink-assist straw, reflecting the care and intention that goes into every aspect of the product.

About Dominant Industry

Dominant Industry is a South Korean fountain pen ink brand known for its Pearl Collection shimmer inks and a broad catalogue of richly formulated colours. Founded on a commitment to high-quality ink production, Dominant Industry has built a strong international following among fountain pen enthusiasts, calligraphers, and stationery collectors. Their inks are manufactured in South Korea and distributed through curated stationery retailers worldwide.

Product Specifications

Available at Shosai — Ottawa–Gatineau

Shosai (shosai.ca) is a fine stationery boutique serving the Ottawa–Gatineau National Capital Region. We carry a curated selection of premium fountain pen inks, papers, and writing instruments from the world's most respected stationery brands.

• 📍 In-store pickup: Gatineau, QC — J9J 0K6
• 🛵 Local delivery: Available in the Ottawa–Gatineau area
• 🚚 Canada-wide shipping available
• 🇫🇷 Service bilingue — français et anglais

Whether you are new to fountain pens or a seasoned collector, Shosai is your local destination for inks that go beyond the ordinary.