Gems

Not to be confused with the Crystal Gems, Homeworld Gems, or gemstones. "Gems" are an extraterrestrial species of magical beings that play a central role in Steven Universe. Their origins, history, and culture are at this point not well understood, although numerous small hints throughout the series imply that Gems are an interstellar race which at one point maintained several outposts on Earth, but suddenly fled and left many of their artifacts to ruin, with the only Gems currently on Earth being the Crystal Gems and the corrupted Gem Monsters.

Singular

 * Pearl
 * Amethyst
 * Rose Quartz
 * Lapis Lazuli
 * Peridot
 * Jasper
 * Ruby
 * Sapphire
 * Yellow Diamond

Hybrid

 * Steven

Fusions

 * Garnet
 * Opal
 * Sugilite
 * Alexandrite
 * Malachite
 * Rainbow Quartz
 * Sardonyx

Hybrid Fusions

 * Stevonnie

Forced Fusion

 * The Cluster

Corrupted Gems

 * Obelisk
 * Centipeetle Mother
 * Gem shards
 * Worm Monster
 * Gem Cave Creature
 * Big Bird
 * Heaven Beetle
 * Earth Beetle
 * Watermelon Tourmaline
 * Ice Monster
 * Invisible Gem Monster
 * Lighthouse Gem Monster
 * Water Bear
 * The Slinker
 * Crab Gem Monster
 * Desert Glass
 * Unknown Giant Gem Monster
 * Big Flying Manta Ray
 * Old Book Gem

Unknown Gems

 * Unnamed Gem Warrior (Sworn to the Sword flashbacks)

Description


Gems as a species are characterized by the gemstone each Gem has embedded somewhere on their bodies. Each Gem shown thus far is unique, and the gemstone seems to be analogous to the brain or a CPU.

Gems physical forms are projections from their gemstone, and Gems may change their physical form at will (although shapeshifting is not permanent and Gems will return to their "default" form eventually), with their only constant feature being their gemstone and color palette. All Gems are inherently sexless and the species lacks sexual dimorphism, although Gems physical forms typically have feminine characteristics, with the only exception thus far being Steven, due to his half human parentage.

Gems have numerous abilities, such as weapon-summoning, fusion, the power to 'store' material in their gemstones (it is unknown if this ability has a limit), and the ability to conjure bubbles. It should be noted that not all Gems are capable of summoning a personal weapon: Lapis Lazuli replaces this ability with hydrokinesis (the ability to manipulate water). All Gems seem to have the ability to harness/transfer energy through their weapons, such as Garnet using her gauntlets to charge Greg's van, Pearl firing an energy blast from the tip of her spear, and Amethyst sending bursts of energy through her whip(s). In addition, many Gems have specialized abilities as well, such as Lapis Lazuli's ability to manipulate water, and Pearl's ability to manipulate sand.

Gems are functionally immortal and do not require food or sleep (although Gems can still eat and sleep if they so desire). The only way to "kill" a Gem is to destroy their gemstone. If a Gem's physical form is badly injured, they will retreat into their gemstone to regenerate. Regeneration is special in that Gems can make permanent changes to their physical form while regenerating, the length of the regeneration process can range from minutes to weeks, but a rushed regeneration can suffer from physical deformities (such as amethyst in "Reformed"). Regeneration can be prevented if a Gemstone is bubbled or otherwise constricted.

If their gemstone is damaged, a Gem may go through glitch-like deformities. It is also noteworthy that a Gem's gemstone can be used as a power source, even if damaged. Gem Shards function similarly, which appear to be the remnants of a shattered gemstone and, as described by Pearl, were used by other Gems to create "drones" and could grant rudimentary sentience to their containers. Gem Shards that have also been fused together over time of compression will also regenerate and glitch into The Cluster.

Culture

 * There are two known groups of Gems: Homeworld Gems and Crystal Gems.
 * The Homeworld Gems wished to exploit Earth and established a foothold on the planet, by which they used to create new Gems, known as a Kindergarten. The "Homeworld Gems", whose agents include Peridot, Jasper, Lapis Lazuli and their currently unseen superior known as Yellow Diamond, are hinted to be a hostile military that invades planets, bleeds their natural resources dry, and leaves them for dead.
 * The Crystal Gems are a group of rebels who chose to join Rose Quartz in the fight against Homeworld in order to defend Earth. The only Crystal Gems that remain are Garnet (that is the fusion of Ruby and Sapphire), Amethyst, Pearl, and Steven, whose mother was Rose Quartz.
 * Over five thousand years prior to the start of the series, Rose Quartz organized the Crystal Gems to oppose the Homeworld Gems. The Crystal Gems won, as stated by Pearl in "Rose's Scabbard", and the Homeworld Gems were driven from Earth, leaving behind many relics and temples.
 * Gem civilization is very advanced, capable of creating spaceships, pocket dimensions, and teleporters.
 * Gem culture is quite different from human culture, given the Crystal Gems' confusion over seemingly everyday human cultural practices, such as birthdays and video games.
 * The Gem culture is an ancient one, predating all known human civilizations.
 * Gems have their own written language, which is inscribed on many of their temples, as first seen in Steven's Room in the "Pilot".
 * Gem architecture can be seen scattered across the Earth in the form of the structures, such as the Lunar Spire, the Communication Hub and the Galaxy Warp.
 * While there has never been mention of Gems practicing any form of spiritualism, the existence of the Moon Goddess Statue, along with the Sea Shrine and the Pyramid Temple, imply some sort of belief system.
 * While Gems are incapable of reproduction, romantic relationships do exist in their society, such as that of Ruby and Sapphire.

Gender

 * Gems do not have genders.
 * Gem culture doesn't have a gender binary or a concept of gender.
 * Gems refer to each other using feminine pronouns, but have no particular reason for doing so beyond arbitrary convenience.
 * In their default state, Gems typically appear feminine by human standards, and they can use their shapeshifting abilities to deliberately assume overtly gendered forms.
 * Steven is an exception because he is half-human.
 * Stevonnie's precise canonical gender is currently unspecified, however Matt Burnett has stated that Stevonnie uses gender-neutral they / them pronouns.
 * While Gems don't typically have gender identities, an individual Gem could identify as male or female.

Reproduction
It has been confirmed by Rebecca Sugar that Gems don't naturally reproduce and lack reproductive organs by default.

In "On the Run", it is revealed that Gems from the Gem Homeworld used what is now a canyon on Earth, referred to as "Kindergarten", to create new Gems; and that Amethyst was one such Gem. The methods used to accomplish this involved the large Injectors planting Gems in the holes they drilled in the Earth's surface, such as the hole which Amethyst claims, "This is where I was made." As they incubated, the planted gems would leach away the life from the ground. This made the process very invasive to the environment and deadly to the point where, if it were allowed to continue, it would lead to "the destruction of all life on Earth", according to Pearl in "Marble Madness". Amethyst refers to all the Gems created through the process, herself included, as "parasites".

While biological reproduction is an alien concept to Gems, it is not impossible for them; while Gems can't reproduce with each other they can create Gem-hybrid offspring. Through shape-shifting, they can perfectly replicate reproductive organs of organic beings for their "human constructs" in order to reproduce. Rose Quartz, so far, is the only Gem to have done this as she did so in order to give birth to her son, Steven. This resulted in her gemstone being passed down onto her son; an action which also caused the destruction of her physical form, "killing" her.

Corrupted Gems
In "Ocean Gem", Pearl states, "All Gems aren't necessarily good". Gem Monsters are in fact either "corrupted"/"broken" Gems which, presumably, were unable to maintain humanoid form and sentience.

Trivia

 * As early as "Jail Break" (which establishes Garnet as a Fusion), and drawing from the events of "Coach Steven" (in which Garnet fuses with another Gem for the first time in the show's run), it is established that Fusions are capable of further fusing with Gems.
 * Fusions tend to highly exaggerate whatever personality traits are shared amongst the majority of the Gems comprising the Fusion. Sugilite inherits her impulsive and irrational behavior from Ruby and Amethyst, while Sardonyx gets her haughty and self-absorbed personality from Sapphire and Pearl.
 * Fusions created by Gems with opposing personalities tend to exhibit little to no personality of their own, remaining silent for extended periods, or flipping between the personalities of the constituent Gems. Opal and Alexandrite are examples of such Fusions. Garnet herself has a strong-but-silent personality, and has occasionally lapsed into schizophrenic speech during stressful situations.
 * When Gems in a given Fusion have incompatible personalities, or have conflicting motives for fusing, and for whatever reason do not (or can not) terminate the Fusion, it results in an Unstable Fusion. When this happens, the constituent Gems risk losing touch with their individual personalities the longer the Fusion persists.
 * In "Coach Steven", Sugilite is the first example of Gems remaining as an unstable Fusion for too long. It can be surmised that this case arose because Ruby and Amethyst have many similarities in personality, while Sapphire's personality strongly contrasts with both. Sapphire's presence was enough to cause instability, but not enough to "outvote" Ruby and Amethyst and cancel the Fusion.
 * Malachite is another example. At the end of "Jail Break", Jasper is clearly trying to escape the Fusion. Either Jasper has very low willpower (not unlikely, considering her barbaric personality), or Lapis Lazuli has a great deal of mental fortitude, or a combination of both.
 * The majority of known Gem weapons are medieval: Garnet's gauntlets, Pearl's spear, Amethyst's whip, Steven/Rose's shield, Opal's longbow, Sugilite's flail, Jasper's crash-helmet, Ruby's gauntlet, and Sardonyx's war hammer.
 * Some Gems are connected to birthstones (by month).
 * Garnet - January
 * Rose Quartz - January (alternative)
 * Amethyst - February
 * Jasper - March (alternative)
 * Diamond - April
 * Pearl - June
 * Alexandrite - June (alternative)
 * Ruby - July
 * Peridot - August
 * Sardonyx - August (alternative)
 * Sapphire - September
 * Lapis Lazuli - September (alternative)
 * Opal - October
 * Tourmaline - October (alternative)
 * The gems themselves correspond with the Gems' personalities.
 * Amethyst is a stone associated with love. The stone itself is associated with Dionysus, the god of wine and intoxication. Amethyst is not a clear thinker, but is fun-loving.
 * Pearl is a stone associated with purity. Pearl is mature, wise, and perfectionistic.
 * Garnet is a stone that protects from evil. Garnet is the most powerful of the Crystal Gems and often saves the day. She is also the leader of the Crystal Gems.
 * Rose Quartz is a stone associated with love and joy. Steven is the most caring, and upbeat of the Gems, and Rose Quartz was very loving and had a joyful personality.
 * Lapis Lazuli is a stone associated with gods and power. She is a powerful Gem, nearly capable of defeating the Crystal Gems, in the midst of a cracked gem.
 * Peridot is a stone associated with the heart chakra, bringing balance and relieving stress. Peridot is shown to be level-headed and calculated, if not passionate about her work.
 * Jasper is a stone associated with compassion and maternity, ironic considering Jasper's savage and aggressive temperament.
 * However, the gemstone is also associated with fire, so this could lead to Jasper's ill-temper.
 * Their gemstone placement seems to correspond to their personalities, actions, and how they think.
 * Amethyst's gem is over her heart; she tends to be fun-loving, and often does whatever she wants.
 * Pearl's gem is on her forehead; she tends to over-think things, a perfectionist mindset, as well as being very intelligent.
 * Garnet's gems are on her hands; she tends to not talk often and respond through action instead.
 * Steven's gem is over his stomach; he tends to go with his gut instinct and is often hungry, and like his mother he is very loving and caring.
 * Lapis Lazuli's gem is placed over the center of her spine; she sprouts wings from her gem and has been shown to be very vulnerable emotionally.
 * Peridot's gem is on her forehead; she is shown to be very intelligent (a trait she shares with Pearl) and dedicated to her mission.
 * Jasper's gem is placed over her nose; she is very self-centered and primal.
 * The process for each Gem to summon their weapons depends on a different state of mind for each of them.
 * Amethyst places little effort or concentration, claiming that it "just happens" when she needs to summon her weapon.
 * Pearl claims that her process as being perfect and calculated, using the science of a flower petal dancing in the wind to describe how hard work and dedication can help master the properties of one's own gemstone and "perform their own dance".
 * Garnet claims that she summons her gauntlets by linking her mind with the energy of all existing matter, channeling the collective power of the universe through her gem(s), matching her calm and meditative temperament.
 * Steven's means of summoning his shield is still unknown, though it is thought to be caused when he experiences pure joy, having first activated his gem after taking a bite of his favorite ice-cream sandwich, his ability to summon his weapon can also be attributed to the feelings of love and the desire to protect. According to Mr. Gus in "Say Uncle", Steven's powers are maternal, meaning his powers react to his emotion, although this is questionable as the episode is considered to be non-canon.
 * Jasper may be able to summon her weapon when under a berserk mindset.
 * Ian Jones-Quartey has stated that Steven is the first Gem to use masculine pronouns.
 * Rebecca Sugar and Ian Jones-Quartey have stated that Gems use female pronouns by default.
 * Gems are said to be genderless, but in their human forms they are anatomically constructed as women and referred to as such.
 * This is demonstrated in "Ocean Gem", as Pearl called Lapis "she."
 * Pearl also referred to Rose Quartz as "she", while reminiscing in "Rose's Scabbard".
 * Garnet, Pearl, and Steven referred to Peridot as "she".
 * Garnet referred to Jasper as "she".
 * Gem's physical bodies are capable of producing bodily fluids, such as saliva, tears, mucus etc. Furthermore, in "Coach Steven", Pearl can be observed to have scrapes on her "skin".
 * Each individual Gem seems to have a blood color that matches their own color palette, with Pearl's blood being a light-blue, and Amethyst's blood being a dark-purple. This is observed based on the color of a Gem's blush.
 * Pearl referred to their bodies as "human construct(s)" in "Fusion Cuisine".
 * Ian Jones-Quartey has stated that Gems do possess DNA, and that Rose Quartz was able to pass her traits on to Steven, although this would contradict Pearl's implication that Gems are inorganic in Alone Together.
 * Gem-hybrids can fuse with humans, such as Steven did with Connie to form Stevonnie, but it's unknown if hybrids can fuse with Gems.
 * Gems cannot fuse with humans, as shown in "We Need to Talk".
 * Thus far, all Gem regenerations have reflected how their last body was destroyed.
 * Pearl has a large ribbon wrapped around her waist, much like a bandage, from when she was stabbed.
 * Garnet's color scheme is split down the middle of her, much like how she was diffused.
 * Amethyst's design is more tightened, reflecting how she was squeezed to retreating.
 * It is hinted at that there could be multiple gems with the same type of gemstone
 * Both Jasper and Pearl herself have referred to her as "a Pearl", implying there are more.
 * It is unknown if the placement and shape of a gemstone is a choice, or a default.
 * Gems' skin tones are always related to the color of their gemstones, however they don't always match precisely, for example Rose Quartz's skin tone has a lighter, peachier shade than her gemstone.
 * A Gem's physical form's size may correspond to their strength. For example, Rose Quartz, Jasper, and Garnet are extremely strong Gems, and their forms are larger than most Gems seen so far. Peridot and Pearl are also about the same size and strength, and are the "standard" Gem size.
 * In the comics, Pearl has been shown the absorb objects into her gem and has gotten sick when she absorbed too many objects into her gem, it's unclear whether other gems can do this.
 * It is implied that Gems either don't need to breathe, can hold their breath for long periods of time, or breathe differently from humans.