I fell in love with the Aurora 88 Minerali Azurite the moment I saw it at the Chicago Pen Show. It was a very early preview, and I wasn’t able to share it at the time. I got the go ahead a few weeks back and shared it on Instagram, and now the same pen has returned to my hands for this review thanks to Kenro Industries.
When talking about this pen on the podcast I mentioned how if I were designing a pen for me that it would look a lot like the Minerali lineup. All five of the upcoming models have a clear demonstrator barrel with one of five color accents - Azurite, Diopside, Amber, Cinnabar, Amethyst - and each are limited to 388 units.
Azurite is up first, and the blue accents are wonderful. The acrylic has great depth and brightness, taking after the mineral it was named for. Each end of the pen is adorned with the color, along with a thin belly band around the middle of the pen.
Aurora’s nibs are what made me fall in love with them initially, and the medium nib on this 88 is perfect. Even as someone who loves finer nibs, I find the medium to have a narrower line than comparable European medium nibs. It was perfect out the box and is smoother than my two extra fine Aurora nibs that I love so much.
As perfect as this pen is for me, I do have one big hangup with it: The price. Street price from retailers that have it up for pre-order (available July 31st) is $716. That is a steep price to pay - too much for me in fact. I didn’t blink when I saw the Aurora 88 Nebulosa launch at the same price, but it is a much more impressive pen design in my mind. The purple acrylic and rose gold trim are breathtaking.
The Minerali pens don’t offer that wow factor with the price factored in. My Optima is nearly identical, with flat ends swapped out for round ends, and I was able to pick one up in the secondary market for under $500. As much as I want one of these, I’ll be waiting to see if I can pick one up down the line at a better price.
The want is there, but waiting is the right thing to do. If you can't wait, Vanness Pens has them available for $795.
(Kenro Industries loaned this product to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, which I am very grateful for.
Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!
