The Pyraminx Crystal is a dodecahedron-shaped twisty puzzle. It can be essentially thought of as a deeper-cut variation of the Megaminx. It was initially displayed in 1982 as a cardboard model made by Uwe Meffert and stayed that way for about 23 years! Even though the design of the puzzle was already patented in 1987, the first known working prototype was only created in 2005 by Japanese puzzle inventor Katsuhiko Okamoto, who modified a Megaminx mechanism to create it. The version we know and love today was independently invented in 2006 by Aleh Hladzilin and has been mass produced by Meffert's since 2008.
Much like the Megaminx, the Pyraminx Crystal has 20 corner pieces and 30 edge pieces. However, the deeper cut of the Pyraminx Crystal (which goes through the center of each of the faces) completely eliminates the need for the Megaminx's 12 center pieces while also allowing very interesting rotations, similar to those found on a Pyraminx. With 50 moving parts and only 2 different types of pieces, this puzzle boasts roughly 1.68 unvigintillion (1.68x1066) different combinations! This is a huge number compared to most puzzles, but it only makes up about 1% of the possible combinations of the Megaminx.
A common approach to solving the Pyraminx Crystal is to first solve the corners like you would a Kilominx, then solve the edge pieces in a similar way to solving the edge pieces of a Pyraminx. Trying to solve this puzzle one face at a time proves a lot harder than it looks. Give it a try!
The Pyraminx Crystal is NOT an official WCA event. The unofficial record for fastest solve is 2:18.87, set by Simon Westlund.