Monteverde Gemstone Sapphire Ink Bottle, Dark Blue - 30ml

Monteverde Gemstone Sapphire Ink Bottle, Dark Blue - 30ml

The “Sapphire” ink is part of the Monteverde USA Gemstone Collection — a series of fountain?pen inks inspired by the colours of precious gemstones. According to Monteverde’s own description:

“Traditionally used as a form of jewelry or other adornments, gems have captured the eye of men and women alike … With this in mind Monteverde USA® has created the Gemstone Ink collection: a line of brilliant fountain?pen inks that are rich in color and vibrancy.” 
This positions the Sapphire ink not just as functional, but also expressive — the idea being you write with more style and personality, channeling the depth and richness of a sapphire gem.

The bottle size is 30?ml, which strikes a nice balance: large enough to give plenty of usage, yet compact enough not to feel overwhelming if you use a variety of inks. Product listings list it as “Sapphire (30?ml)” and describe it as “Deep, vibrant blue … inspired by the brilliance of the sapphire gemstone.”

One of the distinguishing features of this ink is Monteverde’s proprietary Ink Treatment Formula (ITF). Key details:

• The product specification lists: “Ink Treatment Formula Technology, Lubricated, Nontoxic” for the Sapphire version.

• Monteverde states that the ITF “drastically improves ink?flow quality, extends cap?off time, and lubricates and protects the ink feeding systems from corrosion or clogging.” 
  What this means in practice:

• Improved flow means potentially fewer dry starts or skipping with certain fountain pen feeds.

• Extended cap?off time means you may be able to leave a pen uncapped for a short time (though best practice is always to recap!) and still get decent performance.

• Protection of the pen’s internal feed from clogging/corrosion is a plus — especially if you rotate inks or occasionally let a pen sit with ink inside.

For many fountain pen users this is a selling point: the combination of colour and performance.

Colour: The “Sapphire” shade is described as a dark blue (or “deep ultramarine blue”) — inspired by a sapphire gemstone. For example, one listing says: “Monteverde Sapphire is a deep, vibrant blue fountain pen ink …”
Another retailer lists it simply as “Dark Blue (Sapphire)”.
From user commentary (on fountain?pen forums), one review states:

“The ink is strongly saturated. It’s a killer blue actually — intense, strong, vivid.”
In summary: it is quite saturated and bold for a blue ink.

Writing behaviour:

• According to reviews, it behaves well: “well behaved and strong blue ink.” 

• The JetPens product listing reports that it “works awesome on regular low-end notebook paper, copy paper and higher end paper. Not watery like cheap inks, no blotting or feathering.” 

• One comment:

  “I love this ink… it’s a dark blue and even when it dries it stays that way … this is a great choice in ink, works awesome on regular low?end notebook paper."
  These comments suggest that in many cases the ink is robust and reliable across paper types.

Limitations / caveats:

• Although reviews mention “no blotting/feathering” on regular paper, as with all inks, the actual performance will vary with the pen nib size, feed, paper quality, climate/humidity, etc.

• One discussion on fountain pen forums raises some concern about pH and long?term effects, so while many users report great performance, it’s worth being attentive (see “Things to Consider” below).

Why It’s a Good Choice

• Strong colour appeal: The “Sapphire” blue offers a richer, more saturated blue than many standard “safe blues”. If you’re looking for a step up in colour while still usable for many writing contexts (signature, journaling, correspondence), this fits nicely.

• Pen?friendly formula: With the ITF layer, the ink is positioned not just for looks but for durability/flow performance. Especially beneficial if you use fountain pens that are sometimes left idle, or you like a smooth “wet” flow.

• Bottle size & presentation: 30?ml in a glass bottle—elegant, gift?worthy. The gemstone theme adds thematic appeal.

• Versatility: Based on user comments, it appears to perform well even on lower?grade paper in some cases. That gives more flexibility (though always test!)

• Collectible appeal: For ink enthusiasts, being part of a “Gemstone” series adds a layer of fun—collecting different colours, matching to moods, etc.

Things to Consider / Potential Limitations

• Water resistance: The product listings specify “Water?Resistant iNo” (i.e., not water?resistant) for this ink.  So if you need archival permanence or heavy water?exposure resistance, this may not be the right pick.

• Paper & nib sensitivity: While the general user feedback is positive, performance on very cheap or absorbent paper might still degrade (feathering, bleed, show?through). Always test with your preferred pen/paper combo.

• Quality?Control / Storage Issues:
  Some fountain?pen community reports highlight problems with some bottles (including the Gemstone series) of Monteverde inks. Notably:

  “I recently opened an older bottle of Monteverde sapphire ink and it had a terrible smell, and when I dumped it … there was almost a gelatin like consistency to the ink at the bottom of the bottle. I assume this was mold.”
  “I’ve got a bottle of Monteverde Sapphire … The ink smells INTENSELY of steamed broccoli … If it smells like Sulfur … then it’s likely that you got an old bottle that was affected by the contamination issue.” 

  “More than 7 bottles of Monteverde inks have gone bad with very foul smell.” 
  So while many users have no issues, there is a documented risk of bad batches or improper storage leading to mold/contamination. If you purchase a bottle:

  • Inspect on opening (smell, clarity, floating particles)

  • Store in cool/dry place, out of direct sunlight

  • If you notice strange behaviour in a pen, flush it promptly.

• Colour expectation vs reality: While described as “deep vibrant blue,” reviews also note that the appearance may vary with nib width/paper. For instance, one user expected a more “purple hint” but felt it leaned more blue.So if you’re after a very specific tone, view swatches or sample before committing.