Fountain pen, Aurora Mare, 2001

AURORA "MARE" FOUNTAIN PEN, 2001. Blue and black auroloid resin barrel and gold plated appointments. Limited edition. Exemplary nº3421. Nib in 18kt yellow gold. M point. Screw cap. Piston loading. No box. Measurements: 12,50 cm. length; 19 mm. diameter. The Aurora brand manufactures one of the finest Italian pens.

It was founded in 1919 by a former fabric manufacturer who dreamed of building an all-Italian pen and who has continued to produce high quality fountain pens in the same old Turin factory ever since. Some of his models, such as those from the 1930s - see the entry on the Afrika model - have become true myths of fountain pen collecting. At the time, Aurora's catalogue had never been very extensive, but it was very select. In 1994, Aurora launched its first limited edition, the 75th Anniversary, a pen based on the Optima model, in a beautiful coral red colour. In view of the success of the 75th Anniversary, Aurora launched its second limited edition in 1996, this time in bright yellow.

The third special edition came in 2000 with the Primavera in jade green and finally, in 2001, the Mare in blue. All these Aurora limited editions were based on the well-known Optima model, a fountain pen of great quality and extraordinary, classic beauty. Each special model had its own unique details, but they all shared the brand's in-house mechanics, namely its fantastic piston-loading system and its fabulous 18K nib instead of the 14K offered by the Optima. The charging system also incorporated a special ink reservoir which, by activating the nozzle, allowed for a little more writing once the normal charge had been used up. This is a unique solution from Aurora.