LEGO Ideas Mineral Collection Brings Geology to Your Shelf

LEGO has just announced the Mineral Collection (21362), and it's certainly one of the more unusual Ideas sets we've seen in a while. Landing on 1st October with 880 pieces for £54.99, this isn't your typical LEGO fare - but that might just be what makes it interesting.

The set recreates six different minerals in brick form: golden pyrite, purple amethyst, blue fluorite, watermelon tourmaline, reddish-pink rhodochrosite, and tangerine quartz. Each comes with its own display stand, and there are three shelving units to show them off properly. It's essentially a geology lesson wrapped up in LEGO form.

At about 5.5p per piece, the value isn't too shabby, especially considering Ideas sets often command a premium. The real question is whether this appeals to you or your household. It's clearly pitched at adults - the subject matter and presentation scream "sophisticated display piece" rather than "toy for the kids".

What's clever about this set is how it taps into the adult fascination with collecting and displaying things. If you're into geology, crystals, or just appreciate the natural world, there's something quite appealing about having these colourful mineral formations on your shelf. The building experience looks satisfying too, with each mineral requiring different techniques to capture its unique structure.

The downside? It's quite niche. Unless you're genuinely interested in minerals or geology, this might feel like an expensive ornament. The display footprint looks reasonably compact, but you'll need somewhere appropriate to show it off - these aren't the sort of models that work tucked away in a corner.

For geology enthusiasts or anyone looking for something genuinely different in their LEGO collection, this could be a winner. For everyone else, you might want to see it in person first.