What Are Gems?

"What Are Gems?" (full title: "The Classroom Gems: What Are Gems?") is a short released on Cartoon Network's site. The short has Pearl teaching the viewer and Steven about Gems.

The video can be watched here.

Synopsis
Steven learns about Gems from Pearl.

Plot
The episode is set in a classroom-like setting, featuring Steven as a student and Pearl (along with Garnet and Amethyst) as the teacher. She teaches Steven what Gems are.

Pearl teaches that the Gem's simplest form is just their gemstone, and they use light to project a human figure, "like a hologram, but with mass." She then explains that when Gems are injured they will retreat back into their gemstones to regenerate a new form. It is revealed though that if a Gem gets cracked they cannot retreat into the gem to be fixed (rather, they'd have to be healed like in "An Indirect Kiss"). It is also revealed that if the gemstone is shattered, the Gem ultimately ceases to exist.

While Garnet chases Amethyst around, Steven asks a question about what happens if a Gem is half-human. Pearl replies with, "The answer is you!" She then tells Steven to write an essay about himself, to which he asks what an essay is. Pearl then quickly announces that class is dismissed, and the episode ends.

Characters

 * Pearl
 * Garnet
 * Amethyst
 * Steven
 * Ruby (gem only)
 * Sapphire (gem only)

Trivia

 * A Steven Universe bumper that Cartoon Network regularly airs features the scene where Garnet chases Amethyst. This bumper has been shown on the network for several weeks prior to the actual short's release, confusing fans.
 * Every character in this short is portrayed as a small, "chibi-esque" version of themselves.
 * This is the first (and currently only) time any Steven Universe character has, officially, been portrayed as a "chibi-like" version of themselves.
 * At the beginning of Pearl's lesson, Ruby and Sapphire's gems are shown (before combining to form Garnet).

Cultural References

 * The short is an homage to the Gunbuster OVA Omake "Science Lessons".