EAGME’s journey into the world of minerals through the creation of LEGO® model collections has just begun! The memorandum of cooperation signed between the Hellenic Survey of Geology and Mineral Exploration (EAGME) and Italian geology enthusiast Dario Del Frate — the creative mind behind the idea of building mineral models with LEGO® for educational purposes — has been sealed in the best possible way.
Specifically, in the voting process on the official LEGO IDEAS website (https://ideas.lego.com), the initiative gathered the required 10,000 supporters, enabling LEGO® to begin the necessary steps toward producing the Mineral Set. The aim of EAGME and the Italian designer is to bring minerals and geology into our everyday lives through one of the world’s most iconic toys.
In this journey, Dario Del Frate created another unique mineral model — but this time, the natural mineral specimen will also be part of the permanent exhibition at EAGME’s new National Geological Museum, which will open its doors in the near future. Both the natural and the LEGO® model of the mineral (Tourmaline var. Schorl) will be included in the museum’s educational program, ready to be discovered by visitors!
EAGME has set as a condition that the production of the LEGO® Mineral Set maintains the educational and scientific focus of the idea, with the collection inspired by mineral exhibits from the museum’s own collection. Without a doubt, this collaboration contributes to the broader effort to enhance the Authority’s outreach and promote its identity and scientific work.
It is worth noting that the Authority’s National Geological Museum is one of the approved educational destinations of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs. The reconstruction works are progressing rapidly, and the museum will soon be open to the public. The goal of this initiative is to showcase Greece’s geological wealth and geological cultural heritage using state-of-the-art technology.