London Gold is the second of ten inks in the City of London set, a store-exclusive from BlueBlack in Seoul. This is a beautifully presented set (one of three including previously reviewed New York City and Seoul) with inks from Diamine. BlueBlack has both a Korean site and English site, but you’ll find more exclusives on their main site.

London Gold is a delicious amber yellow. It has the syrupy glow of lightly buttered popcorn in lighter areas. On some papers, golden tones strengthen and give it a brighter appearance. On others, darker mustard yellows add an earthiness that I find appealing. In all examples, it is highly readable.

On coated papers, shading is plentiful and brings movement and variety. A strong, dark stroke edging makes it crisp and sharp in profile, too.

In writing, it’s neutral to slightly wet in flow and very smooth on the page. It’s consistent and reliable, very much like you expect from a Diamine ink. I didn’t find any feathering, and spreading was a problem on even cheap copy papers. Show through wasn’t much of an issue at all. In drying, it was average or better in all cases. This is a solid, versatile writing ink.

You can find London Gold in the City of London set at BlueBlack. They have a wonderful store in Seoul that you really should visit if you have the chance. The City series sets make fantastic gifts and offer a nicely balanced selection.

Special thanks to BlueBlack for surprising me with the gift of this set. It doesn’t influence my review in any way, but it is appreciated!