It was midnight and I was in bed thinking about Steven Universe, as one does, and I began to wonder if there was a connection between the Gems in SU and the metaphysical properties of gemstones. I know I’m not the first fan to think of this, in fact, the Steven Universe Wikia lists Gem properties at the bottom of their profiles and makes note of any similarities. However, after digging deeper (he he) I noticed there are more connections than they mentioned.

I’m not very knowledgable in “healing gems” and I don’t necessarily believe/not believe in their powers, but I found the connection between the Gems and their properties fascinating. So fascinating that I wanted to research all of the Gems and their corresponding properties. Are some of these connections reaches? Maybe. But some are too strong to be a coincidence and I’m sure Rebecca Sugar and her team did this on purpose.

Disclaimers:

• There will be Steven Universe spoilers in this post, especially about fusions.
• I am not an expert or even very knowledgable in alternative medicine or crystal/gem properties.
• The healing crystal meanings and properties are not prescriptions or healthcare information.
• The metaphysical properties I’ve listed aren’t comprehensive, I included the properties I found relevant to the character.
• The gem research found in this post came from Fire Mountain Gems, Best Crystals, Crystals and Jewelry, Healing Crystals for You, Healing Crystals and Steven Universe Wikia.

Singular Gems

Rose Quartz (Rose and Steven Universe)

Connection: Strong

Rose quartz is associated with all types of love, compassion and self-esteem; you can clearly see these qualities in both Rose and Steven. I also discovered that rose quartz is believed to help people develop strong friendships which made me immediately think of Steven and Connie’s friendship. They fused into Stevonie for Christ sake, friendship doesn’t get much stronger than that!

Rose quartz also carries energies of forgiveness and tolerance, enabling us to see the good in both ourselves and others. Steven embodies these qualities tenfold. He’s always the one to see the good in people, especially when it’s hard for others to see it, as he did with Centipeetle, Lapis Lazuli and Peridot.

The most interesting point I found was that rose quartz is helpful for dream recall and dream work. If you remember in the “Chille Tid” episode, Steven dreamt about Lapis Lazuli and was able to communicate with her in his dream.

Pearl

Connection: Moderate

Pearl is like a mother-figure to Steven (in addition to Garnet) and the inner glow of pearls is thought to tap nurture love. I also read that Pearls promote loyalty and no one can deny Pearl’s obsessive loyalty to Rose.

Amethyst

Connection: Moderate

The connection with Amethyst is an ironic one. Amethyst is known to be a stone of peace, sobriety and stability; which are words no one would use to describe the character. Amethyst stones are usually associated with the Greek/Roman god Dionysus/Bacchus, god of wine and intoxication. At first thought, this seems to answer why Amethyst is so impulsive and self-indulgent. However, the connection to the wine god is that amethysts actually symbolize sobriety. They were even carved into wine goblets to prevent drunkenness.

Looking at this information from a different angle, these qualities could be what Amethyst is striving for. We know her kindergarten origin is something that brings her shame and sadness. Amethyst is also the youngest of the Crystal Gems which accounts for some of her immaturity. She has a lot of growing to do, literally and figuratively. Perhaps when Amethyst is able to conquer her inner demons and mature a bit, she’ll be able to find some inner peace and stability.

Ruby

Connection: Strong

Ruby, Sapphire and Garnet have my favorite connections. Rubies and sapphires are closely related, having corundum as their base mineral. The iron pigment in the corundum makes sapphire blue, while the chrome element in rubies makes them red. The fact the Ruby and Sapphire are the Gems in a relationship is no coincidence.

Ruby is a gemstone of emotion, often associated with passion, strength and anger. We see these traits in Ruby’s emotional temperaments and overall emotional (and angry) attitude. She’s small but mighty, which we see when she shakes her cell and lifts Sapphire. Rubies have also been used to increase passion and romantic love which we see in Ruby’s love for Sapphire.

Sapphire

Connection: Strong

As you read in Ruby’s section, sapphires and rubies are related. Corundum is their base mineral and the iron pigment in the corundum makes sapphire blue, while the chrome element in rubies makes them red.

Sapphires were thought to dispel evil thoughts and to bring peace and amiability to its wearer, sort of in the same way she (literally) cools down Ruby.

Sapphire is a gemstone associated with intuition, clairvoyance, foreknowledge and wisdom. These are all attributes we see in both Sapphire and Garnet’s “Future Sight” ability.

Another testament to Ruby and Sapphire’s love is that sapphire is known as the stone of new love and commitment and is claimed to be useful in encouraging faithfulness and loyalty. What encourages faithfulness and loyalty more than fusion?

Lapis Lazuli

Connection: Strong

What I found most interesting about the stone lapis lazuli, is that it’s said to help create and maintain a connection between the physical and celestial planes. This instantly made me think of the episode “Mirror Gem” where we first meet Lapis. She was able to communicate to Steven who was in the “physical world” while she was trapped in the mirror.

Lapis lazuli is also known as a protection stone. She’s committed to protecting everyone by staying fused as Malachite in order to prevent Jasper from escaping or gaining control of Malachite.

Peridot

Connection: Moderate

Peridot the gemstone is associated with good luck, peace, and success. But in the show, Peridot has bad luck, fails often and is violent with the Crystal Gems.

The coolest fact I found about Peridot is that the stone is not only terrestrial, but it has also fallen to Earth from meteorites. Although she’s not the only Gem to pilot a space craft, she’s the predominant Gem in Steven Universe to do so.

Jasper

Connection: Weak/Unknown

We don’t know much about Jasper except that she has a temper and is prone to violence. The stone is known to bring balance, comfort, relaxation, grounding, protection. None of these seem to match with the character, but perhaps when we learn more about her, we’ll find some similarities.

Gem Fusions

Garnet (Ruby and Sapphire)

Connection: Strong

The connection between the stone and character are as strong as Ruby and Sapphire’s love. Garnet is known for love, loyalty, stability and commitment which is basically the embodiment of the Gem fusion. Garnets are also gemstones associated with strength, bravery, determination and self-confidence which are all characteristics that fit Garnet’s personality.

It’s also said to bring order to chaos whether internal or external. It’s clear that Sapphire and Ruby balance each others temperaments and the fusion Garnet is a blend of just that. On the external side of that, Garnet is the leader of the Crystal Gems and is the one who typically keeps the group in order. Another cool fact is that Garnet is not a single mineral, but a group containing closely related, isomorphous minerals that form a series with each other, which fits with the fact that she a fusion of two Gems. My favorite connection is that garnet symbolizes a quick return to a separated love. I mean, come on, how sweet is that?!

Opal (Pearl and Amethyst)

Connection: Weak/Unknown

Opal is known for sparking intuition, personal power and removes fear. Opal is also a stone of inspiration which enhances imagination and creativity. Because we don’t know much about Opal, it’s difficult to tell what connection there is between the fusion and the stone.

Sugilite (Garnet and Amethyst)

Connection: Moderate

Although all we really know about Sugilite is that she’s a powerful and uncontrollable fusion, there are some interesting correlations I found. Sugilite is associated with the resolution of existential problems, self-awareness, incarnation and identity which could be why she’s always so reluctance to unfuse. 

Sugilite is also known to alleviate negative/destructive emotions and improve confidence. It lowers hostility, anger, jealousy and prejudice and gives a sense of freedom. These all seem like polarizing characteristic of Sugilite the character, but perhaps the fact that Sugilite is uncontrollable and impulsive eases those feelings in Garnet and Amethyst; because they can use Sugilite to get those feelings out of their system.

Sardonyx (Garnet and Pearl)

Connection: Moderate

Even though we only just met Sardonyx in the “Cry for Help” episode, there are some similarities I found in the fusion and stone. Sardonyx is known for amplifying charisma, and although Amethyst might not agree, Sardonyx does have strong charisma.

Sardonyx embodies a vibration of happiness, optimism and confidence which we see in her personality in just one episode. The gem also helps to boost your self-control and your level of personal power. The main reason Sardonyx was fused in “Cry for Help” was because Sugilite was uncontrollable and they needed a powerful fusion they could control to destroy the Communication Hub.

Alexandrite (Garnet, Pearl and Amethyst)

Connection: Weak/Unknown

The only connection I found was that alexandrite is a stone of courage, allowing one to face change with no fears. Since Alexandrite is a fusion of Garnet, Pearl and Amethyst, I could see it being used in dire circumstances; hence, the courage aspect.

Rainbow Quartz (Rose Quartz and Pearl)

Connection: Weak/Unknown

The stone is associated with hope, optimism, communication, meditation and healing. We don’t know much about Rainbow Quartz, she hasn’t even spoken yet, so I can’t find a lot of similarities. However, the healing aspect could be connected to the Rose Quartz part of the fusion.

Malachite (Jasper and Lapis Lazuli)

Connection: Strong

Malachite has a strong connection in a unique way. It is known as the “stone of transformation” because it helps reveal and heal emotional pain by absorbing the pain into itself. It also tends to draw negative energy and disharmony into itself. Lapis Lazuli fuses with Jasper as a way to control Jasper and protect everyone. We see in the episode “Chille Tid” that she’s constantly fighting to stay fused as Malachite in order to control Jasper. The negative energy and disharmony going on inside of Malachite is clear to the viewers.

Thoughts on the gems and the similarities in their properties, or just wanna gush about your love for Steven Universe? Comment below!