MindJewel

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MindJewel is yet another interesting puzzle released by the Dutch company Recent Toys. Invented by Alexander Polonsky in 2012, MindJewel is an Assembly colorful puzzle where the idea is to dismantle it and then reassemble it into a closed shape, a dodecahedron jewel.

The concept used in the MindJewel is similar to another one used in the Elastic Cube, where an elastic rope is used to join the pieces together into a continuous string. After the puzzle is disassembled, which is not that difficult, you need to figure out how to connect the pieces into the original shape, which is a little more challenging and fun.

Mindjewel is composed by 12 pentagonal pyramids, all connected by an elastic rope from one end to the other. The puzzle comes in its original state, so its easier to visualize how it's supposed to look like when solved. At first, it might look like the puzzle doesn't come apart, but when you study it in more detail, you'll discover that the first piece comes off pretty easily, followed by the others in quick succession. In no time, you'll have the dodecahedron shape undone and all the pieces laid out in a zig-zag line. Now the real fun begins, as you struggle to put the puzzle back together.

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The design of the puzzle is also quite interesting. Measuring about 9cm in diameter, each of the 12 pyramids is made from a transparent plastic in three different colors (red, green and blue), giving the puzzle a shiny and translucent appearance, reminiscent of a real jewel.

This puzzle looks a little more challenging than the Elastic Cube, but not that much actually, as both puzzles can be easily solved with a little patience. With the exception of the two pieces at both ends, in each of the remaining 10 pieces you can change the direction or the angle at which the elastic can be connected with other pieces. This makes the task of reassembling the puzzle a little more difficult, unless you don't change its directions when you disassembled it. Each pentagonal piece also has a tiny hole and a protuberance on its five edges, facilitating the connection between the pieces and keeping them in place, avoiding that they slide off from the original shape.

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Closing Comments:

MindJewel by Recent Toys is a nice addition to any collection. It won't be challenging enough for an experienced puzzler to feel satisfied, but as a fun puzzle to keep around and entertain you while you wait for a doctor's appointment or a meeting, is a great acquisition.

Availability: You can find the MindJewel puzzle at PuzzlesdeIngenio.com. Click here for other designs by Recent Toys.