DaYan Gem Cube IV

DaYan Gem Cube IV

DaYan Gem Cube IV is a puzzle from the Gem series, designed by Daqing Bao and released by DaYan in 2011. It is shaped like a truncated octahedron, a solid with 14 faces: 8 hexagonal and 6 square. Only the hexagonal faces turn. They sit in opposite pairs, so the puzzle has 4 axes of rotation. The cuts are deep, so you can also turn the layers that pass through the centre of the puzzle. The version available in our shop has a black body.

How the Gem IV works

In terms of mechanism, the Gem IV is a face turning octahedron with three cuts on each axis. Its shape, however, is different from a classic octahedron. The puzzle does not jumble: every turn always ends in the same, predictable position, with no odd piece alignments. People who have solved it compare it to a 4x4 cube. You first need to group the pieces into blocks and only then move them to their correct places. If you know commutators, you can often manage without a ready-made guide.

Gem III or Gem IV?

From the outside, the two puzzles look almost identical, but each one turns differently. On the Gem III, both the hexagonal and the square faces turn. The Gem IV has deeper cuts, but only its hexagonal faces turn. So if you already own the Gem III, the Gem IV gives you a completely different puzzle, not a repeat of the one you have.

How it turns

This is a fairly large and rather heavy puzzle (diameter approx. 9.5 cm), so don't expect turning like on a speedcube. The Gem IV is made for relaxed solving, not for speed. The pieces have stickers. According to one distributor, on some units the middle layer turns more loosely than the outer layers, so it is worth breaking it in for a while, and sometimes adding some lube.

Who is it for?

For someone who can already solve the 3x3 and 4x4 and is looking for an unusually shaped puzzle that does not jumble. The Gem IV also looks great on a shelf alongside other puzzles. It is not a good choice as a child's first puzzle, as solving it requires some techniques you need to know already.

Specifications

• Manufacturer: DaYan
• Type: face turning octahedron with three cuts per axis
• Shape: truncated octahedron (14 faces: 8 hexagonal, 6 square)
• Axes of rotation: 4 (through pairs of opposite hexagonal faces)
• Jumbling: no
• Dimensions: approx. 97 x 95 x 80 mm
• Weight: approx. 255 g
• Body colour: black, with stickers