I checked with the mods a few days ago and I believe this type of post is allowed on Sundays. A few years ago I was into crystals, but my interest has waned and I've moved on to new hobbies, so I'd like to unload my stones onto someone who might get more enjoyment from them. They were originally purchased from eBay, Etsy, rock & mineral shows, or stores specializing in crystals/minerals. I don't have prices in mind (except for a couple of the slightly more valuable ones) so make me an offer. I'm in Canada, so keep in mind that any shipping anywhere within Canada or US is likely going to be in the range of $10-15, depending on what you'd like and how I'm able to package it (maybe a bit more if someone wanted to buy everything, for example). I'm wiling to refund excess shipping. I didn't think it was worth posting these to eBay. Obviously some of the tumbled stones are not worth the shipping fees, but if you wanted to take several I think there's opportunities for good deals, and I'm motivated to sell. My ideal situation would be if someone wanted to offer me a price for everything. Alternatively, I can see it being worthwhile if people are interested in some of the individual more "special" crystals if the other still go in large groupings. Make me an offer! I am reasonably confident in my IDs, but it's possible I have something wrong. Where I'm unsure of a stone, I've identified it. Photos I know the photos aren't the greatest, I had 3 light sources but still got some shadows. I didn't want to artificially enhance the photos. If there's something you'd like a better photo of, please let me know. Larger, or "special" stones:
Hollandite in quartz
Fluorite obelisk. 6.91 oz
Fluorite point - 1.5"
Amethyst point - 2"
Rose quartz point - 2"
Black stone point - I honestly have no clue what this is. It's a bit iridescent in the light. Pictured in my 4th photo
Aqua aura quartz point
Gold star muscovite
Cactus quartz cluster
Red amethyst cluster
Small amethyst cluster
Small rough stones (not tumbled):
Honeycomb calcite
Bismuth
Blue calcite
Orange kyanite
Citrine point
Sugilite
Hiddenite
Herderite
Tumbled stones (all approx 1" diameter or under):
Cinnabrite
Scolecite
Icelandic spar
Tiger iron
Blue calcite
Stichtite
Strawberry quartz
Lepidolite
Serpentine
Blue apatite
Stilbite
Dumortierite
Citrine (tumbled) - I'm reasonably sure this is a natural citrine, but it could be a clear quartz. Pictured next to the citrine point in my photos.
Green aventurine
Tigers eye
Carnelian
Selenite
Rose quartz
Amethyst
Bumblebee jasper
Garnet
Magnesite
Cassiterite
Apache tears
Luxullianite
Onyx, obsidian, black tourmaline -- I'm fairly sure these are the black stones, but unfortunately, I cannot tell them apart.
edit: Because I've had questions via x-post and DM, I'd say the retail value of the entire collection is about $220-250USD (in terms of what I paid).
Steven Universe and the commodification of media representation.
It's no secret that the show's biggest claim to fame has been "diversity" or "inclusion" or "progressivism" or whatever you want to call it. It's a show famous for its queer characters, and its fat characters, and its disabled characters, and also its main character -- a wholesome, friendly, unproblematic Soft Boy specifically defined within the fiction by his empathy, and his kindness, and his near-total willingness to be openly vulnerable -- a very deliberately un-toxically masculine dude. Millions of words have been written about this, and not coincidentally, the moment that really put the show on the map, the moment that went viral and practically doubled the size of the fan base overnight, was the moment where it was revealed that one of the other lead characters was literally the physical manifestation of glorious lesbian love. It's a Thing. And it's the backbone of the show. The series' creator is a bisexual woman who's specifically talked about how the driving message, the entire purpose, of the show's existence is to speak to kids who feel like they don't belong and tell them it's okay to be different. But. Let's be honest. Do we -- and when I say "we," I mean the fan base at large, collectively -- do we actually care? Like, do we actually give a shit about marginalized voices and marginalized issues? Or do we just use that as an excuse to pat ourselves on the back and praise the show whenever it's convenient? More and more, I feel like it's that last one. I remember a thinkpiece from a while back, written by a Black person, about how the show fails its Black-coded characters, how almost all of the show's most prominent Black-coded women -- Garnet, Jasper, Bismuth, Sugilite -- are all portrayed as physically much bigger, much more violent, and much more stoic than their most immediately comparable non-Black counterparts, feeding into and stemming from dehumanizing and defeminizing anti-Black misogynistic stereotypes. That piece was posted here, and the fan base was having none of it. We didn't just disagree. We refused to listen to begin with. And began to attack the author of the piece. Now, I myself am a non-binary person, and I've had a bit to say about the way the show approaches non-binary representation. I like Stevonnie. I like Smoky Quartz. They are both beautiful and perfect for what they are, I'm glad to have them, and they're certainly better than nothing... But at the end of the day, if it really came down to it, I would trade them both, in a fucking heartbeat, for an actual, human non-binary character. See, the representation is muddled by the fact that our only non-binary characters don't really exist on their own terms. They only exist for moments at a time, and only as literal fusions of other characters, and mostly only in fight scenes. They never get the chance to grow into their own people, and they just don't...get to...live...their own lives. Hell, even the basic fact that they use "they" and "them" pronouns is muddled by the fact that they're each literally multiple people. Stevonnie using "they" becomes less significant when they also use "we" half the time. They're plural people, and that blurs the message at least sometimes to the point of unrecognizability. I love them for what they are. But if there was just one Beach City citizen who quietly used "they" and "them" -- or, dare I suggest, even neo-pronouns -- that would mean so much more to me and be so much more of a clear step forward. Cue those posts immediately being downvoted into the negatives. Cue the personal attacks. Cue the accusations that I'm "trying to get the show canceled." Cue the "attack helicopter" memes. Cue the cries of "go back to Tumblr." And cue wave after wave of cis people telling me to sit down, shut up, and be grateful to have what little I have. More than once, people have told me, "How dare you attack the most progressive show on television?" Well, I'm here to tell you that critique is not an attack -- and that if it was actually the most progressive show on television, it would be open to criticism because part of being "progressive" is understanding that you do have blind spots in your point of view and that there's always going to be more progress yet to be made. It's not about slapping the "progressive" label on yourself and using it as a shield -- or a cudgel. It's about making that commitment to improve continuously. To make progress. And this brings me to my bottom-line point: We love to talk about how much "representation matters" when we can use that to lift the show up and make it sound important. But we don't genuinely value the voices of the people affected by this stuff. Right around the time I made that post about the show's non-binary representation could be better, there was another thread by another talking talking about how good the show's non-binary representation was. Predictably, mine was downvoted into oblivion. Theirs was openly applauded. We only care about marginalized voices when they're saying something we already agree with, or something that makes us feel good. In a more just world, that wouldn't happen. The users on this sub wouldn't separate us into good enbies and bad enbies, or tell the "bad enbies" to "shut up" and "be grateful." They would equally value the input of enbies on enby issues regardless of whether or not we happen to be praising the show you like. But, no, I'm the bad enby. I'm the shit-stirrer. I'm the one you have to send hateful DMs to and try to chase off the sub. It's amazing how, when praise is happening, "representation matters," but when critique is happening, "it's just a show." Anyway. We only care about the voices of the marginalized when they validate what we already think and feel.
Episodes 1-2Episodes 3-4Episodes 5-6Episodes 7-8Episodes 9-10Episodes 11-12Episodes 13-14Episodes 15-16Episodes 17-18 Hey guys! Back with episodes 19-20. I’m going to try to get these out when the new episode isn’t airing, so either a few hours before or after it. I guess you guys will already know, but I don’t yet, so… There’s that. Also, please keep your discussion spoiler free! I’m trying to go into this show with as little knowledge about it beforehand as possible, so as to keep my reactions as, well, reactionary as they can be! Anyways, let’s get into the episode!
Episode 19- Rose’s Room
A new room is unlocked in the Temple that grants Steven's every wish, but such power threatens to teach him a lesson. Written and Storyboarded by Joe Johnston and Jeff Liu
A-already? Didn’t we just get one of these? Oh man.
Also, Rose’s room? Are we going to learn more about Rose? Watch this episode be something entirely different.
Creamed corn? What kind of terrible parent even buys that for their child?!
I tried to find a man vs food video about corn but not even Adam Richman eats creamed corn. When Adam Richman eats better than you, you know you have a problem.
5 Dollar coupons? That can costed a dollar, at most! That’s terrible business!
Oh, he subjected himself to cream corn for the gems. That’s pretty cute, if still unsettling because seriously creamed corn is nasty.
So, the gems do seem to genuinely want to be able to spend time with Steven. I like that. A lot of shows would just have the “adult” figures be unwilling to play along with the kid. Hell, minigolfing is fun as hell! I’ll go with you, Steven!
That was the secret ending? That kind of sucked. What about Operation FLOG? Where did that go? Is this just sequel-bait?
I guess he can’t eat food in here. Makes sense, I suppose. None of this is real, so he can’t digest energy that doesn’t exist. I wonder about the physics of this whole place, though. Once again, z-space theories seem to pop up everywhere. Weapon summoning, fusion (though now disproven), that cave that had those weapons, Lion’s head sword, and now this place.
Also, this is how you do a fucking jumpscare. You don’t need to execute an entire orchestra simultaneously every time something scary happens. Just show it to us!
This whole place really feels like a glitchy computer. This, especially, feels like a videogame thing, with characters doing the same thing and objects overlapping.
This episode had some unexpected horror! You know how I feel about horror, so this episode was really fun for me. The music was fantastic. It had this constant glitchy vibe going on, with musical cuts and distortion, and the song that plays when Steven is exploring the town is absolutely serene. I loved how the town was drawn in this episode! I hope we get to see more scenes in the nighttime, because I love how it looks in this show. This episode was really good, one of my favorites so far! It’s definitely on my top 5. Let’s move on, shall we?
Episode 20- Coach Steven
Steven is resolved to get super strong and takes physical training to a new level after witnessing Gamet and Amethyst's fusion into Sugilite. Written and Storyboarded by Raven M. Molisee and Paul Villeco
“This was once a communication hub for gemkind!” I don’t know what to think of this, but it’s definitely important.
“It’s hurting television.” NOOOOOO!
Oh my god Steven said the exact same thing as me I’m dying
“I got hit by a rock!” Man, this kid is super resilient! Makes sense for the team tank, though.
Oh! I’ll assign each of the gems a role! Steven is the Tank Cleric, Garnet is a Melee Bruiser, Amethyst is the Middle Range DPS, and Amethyst is Debuffer.
Combined into their fusions, Opal is Debuff/DPS, Sugilite is Debuff Bruiser, and PearlNet is DPS Fighter.
“Hey, Pearl. Come to check out some buff studs?” “No.” This is actually Pearl’s best line ever I’m dying.
“Imma get supa strong!” Pearl blushes “Like Sugilite!” Pearl frowns
Man, this whole dynamic between Pearl and Sugilite is really interesting. There are some very sexual tones in the formation of Sugilite, and it really seems like she’s not too worried about what happens to the people around her. I can’t wait to see where they go with this!
“But I want to be strong in the real way!” That’s the interesting thing, too. Pearl doesn’t disagree with Steven working out. She’s just worried that Sugilite is a role model for him.
SONG?
SONG!
Oh, shit! She’s a good singer, too!
Wow, this song is really good so far. I love that Pearl sees the glasses and instantly understands, too.
“Can’t you see that she’s out of control and overzealous? I’m telling you for your own good, and not because I’m-” Oh wow that is clever as shit!
Also I love that she follows the piano there.
Oh. Strong in the real way. That’s actually super clever. They’re both using that phrase to describe entirely different types of strength, but neither is necessarily wrong. They both have faults in their thinking.
“I want to inspire you! I want to be your rock, and when I talk, it lights a fire in you!” This song is really creative with it’s rhyming!
And God damn Deedee Magno is a good singer!
Oh! Steven singing as well! Let’s get it rolling!
It’s pretty good. I like that they use the microphone as a voice effect. Also, Steven has a pretty high range!
Man! This song fucking rocks!
“Hey! Steven! Maybe,uh, you can work a bit too?” Oh my god has he actually been singing this song to them?
Does that mean that Pearl was also singing? I can imagine her singing to herself as she cleans up after Steven.
“I’m switching to 4 wheel drive!” Pffff
I feel for Steven. Being sore in the morning is actually the worst thing on the planet.
“I don’t understand! Amethyst and Garnet still aren’t back yet!” I mean, Sugilite did destroy the teleporter, right? They could be anywhere on the planet.
Yeah, Pearl and Sugilite talking really has a lot of subtle hints as towards their relationship. Pearl is clearly afraid of Sugilite, and Sugilite is using her fear as a weapon of intimidation.
“You’ve been fused for too long! You’re losing yourselves!” So, if gems stay fused for too long, they lose themselves in the fusion? That’s really fascinating.
I just noticed that Sugilite’s arms split at the elbow. That’s pretty cool.
“You...Ain’t...Nothing!” What horrifying line delivery.
Man, poor Pearl. She feels like she doesn’t have the ability to protect any of the people around her. We’ve gotten some interesting characterization this episode. She doesn’t think she’s able to be enough for Steven. Earlier, when I was making my theory that the Cool Kids are, in terms of character, related to the Crystal Gems, I brought up Sour Cream’s insecurity, and how I felt that we might see some of that in Pearl. Well, here we are! As a reference, in case the other character traits carry over, Amethyst’s counterpart, Jenny, doesn’t get along with her family, while Garnet’s counterpart, Buck, thinks that emotional distance makes them who they are. Moving on.
“I can’t…” I think Pearl’s voice actor might be my favorite for scenes like these. She really puts a lot of emotion into her lines.
Oh, man. Holy shit that hit hard. “You’re strong, Pearl! Strong in the real way!” with the chords from Strong in the Real Way playing… I didn’t expect to cry here, but I definitely did.
I’d also like to add that we see this through the music in an interesting way. For the first time in the episode, we see Sugilite without her musical themes. In other words, the music, which is a song about the strength of the bond between Steven and Pearl, has finally overpowered the harshness of Sugilite. I love this episode so much.
“You’re no match for me!” This is so wonderful! Pearl is finally confident and in charge.
I love the song that’s playing during this section. It’s got such a wonderful tone.
I’m so happy that Pearl’s first words after beating Sugilite are, “Amethyst! Garnet! Are you okay?” She really does want to protect them. She’s such a maternal figure to the people in her life.
“Yeah! I was right!” I was gonna say something like, “Back to normal, Pearl…”, but this feels different somehow. Before, she would have used her “rightness” to make fun of Amethyst, or to prove something to Steven. Now, she’s just enjoying being right. She’s internalized it, and is evolving as a person into a more confident character. Deedee really poured her heart out into Pearl, and I can absolutely feel it in these episodes.
“We deserve it.” Wasn’t it more Sugilite, though? I guess she means because they didn’t listen when Pearl suggested against Sugilite fusing.
I love when they mess around with the star gag at the end of the episode!
Closing thoughts-
This episode was, start to finish, incredible. The animation was fantastic, the music was unbelievable stellar, and the voice acing… the voice acting! MMMM! The song, which was wonderful sounding, was used as a motif throughout the rest of the episode, and it was so powerful! I loved Sugilite; Nicki Minaj was born to voice act for that role. Pearl’s acting, too, was absolutely incredible. She put so many different and complex emotions into her lines, and it’s really incredible to watch. Let’s get into the episode ranking! My top five episodes are-
Coach Steven
Laser Light Cannon
Giant Woman
So Many Birthdays
Rose’s Room
That’s right! Laser Light Cannon is officially, for real this time, actually dethroned! As for my musical list, it goes as follows-
Strong in the Real Way
Giant Woman
Let me drive my van into your heart
Cookie Cat Rap
As always, thanks for reading! Please, please, please keep your discussion spoiler free! I want to go into this show as blindly as I can. I’m already very irritated at the sub. Even though I have subreddit style turned off, I can still see the reddit alien variation for Steven Universe, so now I know that there is going to be both a blue and a red gem. Still, I’m looking forward to meeting them! Finally, a question- [EDIT] I had originally asked for what episode you guys were most excited about me seeing, but then realized that it might get spoiler heavy, so I changed it to-
What is your favorite crossover between series, one of which must be Steven Universe, using the characters we've met?
Edited 05/08/2018: Now that The Truth Is Out, I wrote a formal version compiling foreshadowing on The Geekiary here!
I HAVE UPDATED THIS IN A SEPARATE POST HERE. I'm keeping this one up so that we can all have a good laugh about it once the full truth comes out. But as of today, Jan. 25, I will no longer be updating this particular post.
THEORY: Rose Quartz was Pink Diamond, former member of the "Diamond Authority" (ruling entity of Homeworld) Note: There are many variations on this theory, the most common being "Diamond is a title, not the name of the gemstone." Most of these points can be used for most RQ = PD theories, but I will specifically be presenting evidence on the veracity of Rose (and now Steven) being a literal Diamond. In addition, I am conflating Rose = Royalty (or whatever the Gem equivalent is) with Rose = Pink Diamond theories, as I believe they go hand in hand. manny_funk on the variations of this theory:
We don't know if she was called Pink Diamond or Pink Debbie. Pink Diamond is just a name that stuck with fans because of Ronaldo. Ignoring the names... the main crux of the theory was that there used to be 4 ruling parties of the Homeworld, one of them being pink and post war, now there is 3, with pinky erased from the symbol. Who do we know whose distinguishing color is pink in the show? Rose. Thats what we're debating is true or not. Whether she was called Diamond, Betty, Sue or whatever are details we don't know yet.
1) The "Diamond Authority" symbols from various episodes seem to indicate there once was a pink component, but now there is not (say if she rebelled against her Homeworld...)
It's true there are pale pink diamonds and dark rose quartzes. But do a google image search, and the pattern is pretty clear.
3) (Pink) diamonds are rare and very hard, like Rose's shield.
I'm not arguing Rose's shield is made of literal diamond. I think the shield is made of hard light construct, like everyone else's Gem weapon. I'm saying it's known for being particularly hard, which is something diamonds are also known for.
It's true diamonds are also brittle (which I'd say fits nicely into this theory from a meta level). But ask your average layperson on the street, "what are diamonds known for?" and I bet they'd say: rare, and hard ( ͡° ͜^ ͡°)
4) In the original pilot, Steven's Gem has a gold ring around it.
In light of canon confirmation that there is in fact a class system on Homeworld, I would say this is particularly strong evidence that Rose is not a literal quartz.
5) Several pieces of clothing have pink diamonds on them
Note also that Peridot and Jasper have yellow diamonds on their forms.
6) Rose is bigger than any Gems we've seen except for Yellow Diamond.
There is debate about whether size means anything in terms of Gem "caste." Based on the Gems we've seen so far I believe evidence supports that it does matter.
7) Pearl is kneeling before Rose in her holo-flashback in Rose's Scabbard. Pearl tells Connie to bow to her "liege" in Sworn to the Sword.
Also I mean, Rose had enough clout to get a whole army to follow her. Knowing what we do about her personality, I believe she gave the option to all of her soldiers (a la Pearl in Rose's Scabbard) to fight with her or go back home.
8) The sparklies at the warp pad are pink diamonds in Rose's Scabbard.
Greg's van - Remember, foreshadowing comes in many flavors. It could well be the Crewniverse chose this type of van because the diamond window is a common feature.
Lighthouse. I bring this up because look at the lower window--does that remind you of someone's Gem?
13) Royalty foreshadowing in Watermelon Steven
Greg calls Steven "Your Watermelajesty" (ty, fennric)
Steven wearing a crown, Lion as a symbol of royalty. "Towards the end of the episode the scene where he is laying against Lion wearing his crown and cape seems like something off of a tarot card predicting that he will be gem royalty." -MonstrousGiggling
16) The pink stuff all over the space ships in Friend Ship (ty, argentarachnids) 17) Pearl calls Rose "one of a kind" in the Guide to the Crystal Gems
Now that multiple Gem types is confirmed, this is suspicious. What makes Rose so special there's only one of her?
18) Rose doesn't have much in common with the other confirmed quartz types, Jasper and Amethyst
Her natural abilities are defensive/protective, which is interesting if quartzes are huge, loyal soldiers
While Rose is certainly huge, the physical similarities end there. She has a different hair and a distinctly different build than Jasper. Picture
COMMON COUNTERARGUMENTS: Why would Jasper say "you have the power of Rose Quartz!" and not "You have the power of Pink Diamond!" ?
Respect for an old enemy? Rose has been Rose so long calling her anything else is weird by now? The Crewniverse wasn't planning on revealing it yet? Along with taking her symbol off the "Diamond Authority" emblem, it is now taboo to refer to her as Pink Diamond at all?
Wouldn't an actual Rose Quartz Gem exist?
Who knows? Maybe Rose named herself after a Gem type that were all crushed under the metaphorical boot of Homeworld. I don't think every single mineral has to have a Gem counterpart, though.
I don't get it. Why would Rose change her name at all?
To symbolize she was a Gem of the people? (Quartz is common, Diamond extremely rare). To honor her fusion with Pearl (also as a symbol of the Rebellion)? To distance herself from the oppression the Diamonds upheld on Homeworld? Because Earth was a "Quartz colony" ?
I think Pink Diamond is actually _____!
Great! Please feel free to write up your own theory.
Ugh, I hate hidden royalty cliches. It seems too obvious
Obvious like, Garnet is a fusion, or Pearl is one of many, or Peridot has robotic limbs? Yall, the point of this show isn't these mysteries--it's the characters, and to a lesser extent, the plot that's happening to Steven now. Plus, there's this tweet by Matt Burnett (ty, nixlheimr)
Question: Is it disheartening to the crewniverse if a fan theory predicts events in the show? Matt's response: No. What fun is a mystery if audience isn't given the clues to figure it out themselves?
My concluding point: Not only is there a lot of evidence, (some undoubtedly more convincing than others), there is a good narrative value to this theory. This show is about Steven Quartz Universe--whoever his mother was has to impact him directly. But think about it--Steven coming into his "magical destiny" as the son of an ancient alien ruler and some primitive primate joe schmo, one of a kind in a species in the whole universe, the bridge between magical and mundane, made from love <3
Hello lovelies! I've been dragging my feet about updating this post, but here I am, finally doing it. I have decided to redo the post entirely, since there is all sorts of new context for the theory, and I thought it might be fun to preserve the "original" theory for posterity.
THEORY: Rose Quartz was Pink Diamond, former member of the Diamond Authority
Note: There are many variations on this theory. Rose + Bismuth = Pink Diamond, Rose mutilated her Gem to be Pink Diamond, all Diamonds are secret Fusions and Rose is only a component--etc. To make it easier for myself, I'm still presenting the potential evidence that supports Rose (and now Steven) being a literal Diamond, but please note that this evidence can be applied to most theories if you tweak the interpretation. Quite honestly, much of this evidence can also support Rose being a high-ranking member of Pink Diamond's court. Only time will tell! Here is an excellent summary of the post-SB4 misdirection of the theory by tumblr user oathkeeper-of-tarth. ~~~~ 1) The Diamond Authority symbols from various episodes seem to indicate there once was a pink component, but now there is not. In rough chronological (in terms of Gem history) order:
It's true there are pale pink diamonds and dark rose quartzes. But do a google image search, and the pattern is pretty clear.
4) (Pink) diamonds are rare and very hard, like Rose's shield.
Not to say that the shield is made of literal diamond--just that it's known for being particularly hard, which is something diamonds are also known for.
It's true diamonds are also brittle (which I'd say fits nicely into this theory from a meta level). But ask your average layperson on the street, "what are diamonds known for?" and I bet they'd say: rare, and hard ( ͡° ͜^ ͡°)
A "Rose Diamond" is a specific cut. Definition according to google: "a hemispherical diamond with the curved part cut in triangular facets."
5) In the original pilot, Steven's Gem has a gold ring around it.
Sardonyx's shoes - note also that Garnet was formed on Earth, which means Sardonyx's affiliation with the Pink Rhombus symbol is likely post-Earth (ty, Nlolsalot)
Note also that Peridot and Jasper have yellow diamonds on their forms.
7) Royalty foreshadowing
Pearl kneeling before Rose in her holo-flashback in Rose's Scabbard
Pearl tells Connie to bow to her "liege" in Sworn to the Sword.
Greg calls Steven "Your Watermelajesty" in Watermelon Steven
Garnet calls Steven a King, also in Watermelon Steven
Steven wearing a crown, Lion as a symbol of royalty. "Towards the end of [So Many Birthdays], the scene where he is laying against Lion wearing his crown and cape seems like something off of a tarot card predicting that he will be gem royalty." -MonstrousGiggling
Greg's van - Remember, foreshadowing comes in many flavors. It could well be the Crewniverse chose this type of van because the diamond window is a common feature.
Lighthouse. I bring this up because look at the lower window--does that remind you of someone's Gem? Plus, the windows look a lot like those at the Moon Base and in Yellow Diamon'ds lair.
if Rose is a quartz, why is that she's much more friendly looking, and has protection/healing powers if she's built to fight? Ian Jones-Quartey: quartz soldiers are intended for armies, meaning some of them need defensive powers as well. they can't all be tanks. Does this mean that Rose is definitely a quartz? Ian Jones-Quartey: Yo her name is Rose QUARTZ
15) It Could've Been Great
Blue and Yellow Diamond have chest placements (picture), White has a head placement (picture). If it follows that the fourth Diamond has a placement corresponding to the Diamond Authority symbol, it makes sense that Pinkie's is lower than chest. Say, belly.
COMMON COUNTERARGUMENTS: I. Skinny mural legs! Other Diamonds have a kite cut! No one recognized her during The Answer! She's way smaller than Blue or Yellow Diamond! Jasper said: "You have the Power of Rose Quartz!"
Yes, if this theory turns out to be right, it seems very likely Rose altered her form significantly to be Rose Quartz. (Psst: revisit point #2)
II. The Guide lists Steven's Gem type as "Quartz"
The Guide is also explicitly "written by" Steven, and as far as he knows, he's a quartz.
III. Peridot calls Steven "some kind of quartz" in When It Rains
Peridot knows Steven is from Earth (a Quartz Colony), has heard him being called a Quartz, and that line is even, "you're some kind of quartz, right?" As in she doesn't actually know what he is. EVEN SO, counterarguments II and III might very well be legit if Rose/Steven is truly a quartz, and only a part of PD.
IV. Wouldn't an actual Rose Quartz Gem exist?
Who knows? Maybe Rose named herself after a Gem type that were all crushed under the metaphorical boot of Homeworld. I don't think every single mineral has to have a Gem counterpart, though. And even if she is a quartz, she's "one of a kind," according to the Guide.
V. I don't get it. Why would Rose change her name/form at all?
To symbolize she was a Gem of the people? To honor her fusion with Pearl (also as a symbol of the Rebellion)? To distance herself from the oppression the Diamonds upheld on Homeworld? Because Earth was a "Quartz colony" ?
VI. Ugh, I hate hidden royalty cliches. It seems too obvious
Obvious like, Garnet is a fusion, or Pearl is one of many, or Peridot has robotic limbs? Yall, the point of this show isn't these mysteries--it's the characters, and to a lesser extent, the plot that's happening to Steven now. Plus, there's this tweet by Matt Burnett
Question: Is it disheartening to the crewniverse if a fan theory predicts events in the show? Matt's response: No. What fun is a mystery if audience isn't given the clues to figure it out themselves?
My concluding point: Not only is there a lot of evidence, (some undoubtedly more convincing than others), there is a good narrative value to this theory. This show is about Steven Quartz Universe--whoever his mother was has to impact him directly. But think about it--Steven coming into his "magical destiny" as the son of an ancient alien ruler and some primitive primate joe schmo, one of a kind in a species in the whole universe, the bridge between magical and mundane, made from love <3
And a quick reminder that I'm new to the show, and have remained unspoiled so far - so please, PLEASE keep that in mind! Make sure to tag your spoilers in the comments below, and if you're not sure whether it's a spoiler or not - well, it's better to be safe than sorry.
Let's get this show on the road!
Season One, Episode Twenty: “Coach Steven”
So a lot of you guys have hyped this episode a bit for me; apparently some of you even claim it to be one of your favourite episodes! So I’m excited to see where this goes. The title gives me absolutely nothing to go by, though.
Oh. That sort of explains it - I think I remember these two? They (or at least one of them, maybe) tend to have sort of an exaggerated style, yeah? I could be misremembering. I’m still trying to learn the storyboarders.
On another note, love the title card. I see what you guys mean about the title card design being related to the opening of the episode - I don’t know how I didn’t catch that before. It really has a nice sort of twilight (the time of day, not the awful books/movie franchise) feel to it.
S: “Oh! What magical place of mysteries is this?”
A: “Well - “
P: “Oh I’m so glad you asked!” Yes me too Stevester. You so very rarely ask questions; it brings great pain to my fragile heart and great need for ALL THE INFORMATION PLOX.
“This was once a communication hub for gemkind. But lately, it’s begun transmitting BURSTS of electromagnetic interference!” Hmm, so I guess two things here: apparently there used to be more gems on earth. I believe we touched on this topic before, yeah? There was also the Lunar Sea Spire, which was...let me look at my notes here...yes, ahem, “It was an oasis for gems on Earth. It’s abandoned now…” There was the gem battlefield in Serious Steven, plus the pyramid temple with all the paintings of Rose and stuff that no one cares to explain; the sky arena (? I think you guys called it) in Steven the Swordfighter; all the artifacts and other gem things here and there throughout. So I guess my question is - where are all the other gems? Clearly there must have been more at some point. Where are they now? What happened to them? I have various ideas about what might have gone down, but I don’t think I have anything too concrete yet. Clearly, though, there’s something going on here. And second, how would this thing just suddenly start sending out "electromagnetic interference" without some kind of input from an outside source?
Amethyst was never this excited to be Opal with Pearl. They were incredibly reluctant to form her in the first place. What’s so great about Sugilite (I hope I’m spelling that correctly)?
“You and Amethyst can be a little...unstable, when your personalities combine. We need to be careful! Fuse with me instead!” She is so jelly right now. SO very very very jelly.
G: “We don’t need to be careful. We just need to be huge.” Ohh they’re going to be even bigger than Opal aren’t they? Holy shit I am so ready for this.
“Oh yeah! Let’s wreck this joint!” I have never seen Amethyst happier, seriously. You guys hyped this episode up a bit, but the show is hyping up this fusion pretty well on its own.
Pearl. Pearl. Pearl it’s okay. Don’t ruin this for me right now.
This beat is so fucking good, such a good mix between Garnet’s synth and Amethyst’s drumkit. I’m partial to electronic music anyway but hot damn that’s funky.
Okay that was a bit…sexual. I mean, the dance is on its own, but most dancing is - that was a little more overtly sexual. I can see why Pearl hid Steven’s eyes now.
Oh my fucking god they got Nicki Minaj. They got fucking Nicki Minaj to voice a character on a children’s cartoon. And honestly it just fits so well. Oh my god have I died?
“I forgot how great it feels to be me!” Yeah, so what happens to fusions once they split? Sugilite’s comment there makes me think that they’re something more of a new personality, more or less a bit separate than their constituent parts. It’s an interesting concept that I doubt I’ll ever be able to fully wrap my head around since I’m not able to fuse myself.
And JFC is Sugilite huge. Pearl barely reaches her knees.
Her outfit is a serious mess, though. And do her arms like, split apart? That looks painful.
Me right now, absolutely me right now and for the rest of my days
“You like that little man?” Holy shit she exudes over-confidence and cockiness, she takes Amethyst’s boisterous personality and combines it with Garnet’s raw power and this is the beautiful mess we get. I’m only two minutes and 50 seconds into this episode and I’m already done. So done.
And this music, fucking hell. I say it every other episode but the composers are brilliant, beautiful butterflies sent from the heavens above to bless us with their genius and talent. We are unworthy.
Oh and she is totally careless and wreckless. I know Amethyst is typically that way, but I would think Garnet might balance that out a bit. Garnet has been known to use brute force and punch first, ask questions later, though, so I guess it makes sense.
“If I weren’t so modest I’d whip out my six pack and show you...what a real man...looks like!” Lars I’ve seen your six pack. It’s nothing to write home about. In fact it’s basically non-existent.
And Sadie, of course, saves the day with her stronk muscals. And then Lars refuses to even thank her. Rat BASTAHD.
“Let’s do it! Let’s workout together! You could beat up Lars, and you don’t have to starve to death if Sadie divorces you!” Haha aww. But no they’re not married, Steven. Anddd I don’t think they should be. Sadie is too sweet for that string bean of mean.
“And I know just the guy to help us out!” Yes, I want all of Greg’s workout tips please. Side note, how did he get - what is apparently a permanent - sunburn on the soles of his feet?
“There are...different ways of being strong.” So is Pearl jealous of Sugilite’s strength? I mean, I know Pearl is a frail little string bean, but she’s pretty tough, too.
“But I wanna be strong in the real way!” Ohhh, sick shut down, and I don’t think Steven even realizes that he’s hurt Pearl. He basically just invalidated her by saying that, to him, she’s not strong, not where it counts.
S: “Come on, Pearl! Let’s get beefy!”
P: “I’d rather not.” See, he doesn’t realize he’s hit a nerve with her. I feel bad for them both.
OHHHH PIANO. OHHHH IS THIS A SONG? IS THERE A SONG INCOMING?
Damn her VA has a set of pipes on her. Who knew Pearl could sing?!
“I could show you how to be strong, in the real way. And I know that we can be strong, in the real way.” I understand that Pearl wants Steven to understand that there’s more to strength than just brute force, but I’m curious to know what sort of strength she’s talking about. Emotional strength, maybe? Intellectual strength? I don’t know.
Ruh-roh spaghettio. With all the music and singing and hot studs, I forgot about Sugilite being stranded for a moment. And now she’s back. And she’s angry. And she’s bored.
Oh and there’s her theme again! I didn’t realize it earlier, but it’s a little...foreboding, a bit heavy, villian-esque, if that makes sense.
There's something about this shot that’s a little off-putting. Maybe it’s the detail on her fingers? I don’t know, but it makes her more human which is a little unsettling for some reason. The star on her nails is a nice touch, though.
“Listen to me. You’ve been fused for too long! You’re losing yourselves!” Ohh, that’s interesting! So if two gems stay fused for too long, do they then have trouble separating? Would that cause some sort of problems for the fusion/gems of the fusion?
“I am myself and I’m sick of being split up! So you better get used to me, baby!” Hmm. So like I talked about before, how fusion works so far has been a bit unclear, but I’m starting to piece things together a bit. It sounds like I was right in that a fusion does have its own personality, or rather, is its own personality, its own person. It’s not just a combination of the two gems that comprise it, not just them in control, but a bit of both, maybe? And if they stayed fused too long, they begin to lose their individuality and the fusion starts to “take over,” as it were. I could be totally wrong, but that’s what I’m getting from it anyway.
Steven, precious, naive child that he is, doesn’t see that Sugi is something of a monster. He’s asking why she’s wrecking the beach, but he doesn’t seem to understand that she’s a dangerous, loose cannon.
Ohhhh the music is changing. Ohhhhhhh it’s Pearl’s piano. Ohhh they’re gonna fight. OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
DDD: that was rough. Pearl is going against someone exponentially bigger than her, undoubtedly stronger than her - she doesn’t seem to have a dog in this fight.
Also, ick. Sugi is not cute. That’s some serious...brow? forehead protrusion? going on there. And five eyes. Paired with her arms, she looks a bit like a spider.
Also also, why five eyes? Opal only had two, though she did have four arms - but Sugi has five eyes and four arms. Is there something to the law of fusion and how body parts manifest, or is it just however it goes? Also, three of her eyes have pupils while two don’t, which is...odd.
Also also also, I noticed that Pearl seems to both propel herself from the ground as well as float in front of Sugi for a moment. Is this something they all are capable of?
“I’m sorry, Steven...Garnet...Amethyst...I wasn’t strong enough...to protect you. I’m not strong enough to do anything.” Oh my god Pearl’s VA. She laid it on hard. This is a first, but I actually shed a few tears here. God damnit what have I signed up for…
“Yes you can! Come on, you always know what to do! You’ve gotta show her what you showed me - that you’re strong Pearl, strong in the real way!” Steven was the one who broke Pearl down earlier, and now he’s the one building her back up. She wanted him to look up to her, and now he’s cheering her on from the sidelines, giving her the strength she needs to push on and take Sugi down. This show is beautiful.
“You’re no match for me! Not even close!” Don’t get cocky, Pearl!
OUCH. She deserved it, though. So Pearl’s strength was her intellect, I guess - she was able to outsmart Sugi and defeat her with her own weapon. That’s some well-deserved retribution.
P: “Amethyst! Garnet! Are you okay?!”
G: “Yeah, Sugilite just overworked our bodies. It’s...a lil’ painful.” More proof to my understanding that fusions are/become more than just the gems that make them up. Pearl isn’t upset with Garnet or Amethyst, she was upset with Sugi. And I don’t think Garnet nor even Amethyst would treat Pearl the way Sugi did. Plus, Garnet says that she overworked their bodies - if that’s so, then Garnet and Amethyst were likely unable to separate of their own accord, and Sugilite was taking over.
Closing thoughts on “Coach Steven:” Holy shit this was an awesome episode! The hype you guys gave it was well deserved. This easily makes my top five of the series - maybe not number one, but definitely a contender for at least number two. There was so much to this episode - a new fusion, Nicki Minaj, a touch of lore, more understanding on fusion and how it works, some fan-fucking-tastic music, a great song, the revelation that Pearl’s VA is a phenomenal singer, character development, gorgeous animation, some humour, enough emotion to make me tear up - just damn dude. DAMN. I could have screenshot/giffed every other moment. But this episode deserved it. So much did it deserve it. Ughhhh. So good.
This episode was superb. What was there not to love? We had silliness in the beginning, then fusion hype, then Pearl's saltiness, Sugi's attitude, a song, a bit more understanding of fusion and how it works, a FIGHT, beautiful music, tears, the biggest comeback this side of the Atlantic Ocean, and so many more questions. I think I said all this already, but it was SO. GOOD. This episode is on par with Giant Woman - kind of came out of nowhere and was super engaging. I think Giant Woman might still be my favourite episode, but Coach Steven is on its heels.
So again, next three episodes are Steven and the Stevens, Monster Buddies, and Indirect Kiss. I have no idea what to expect with any of these, except that Monster Buddies aludes to something to do with the gem monsters I assume? Which I'm totally down for. I can't say when or what order they'll come out, or if all three will come out together - I'm still doing this with 3 episodes per post in mind, but that's no guarantee.
And as always, mailing list is still a thing: message or comment if you want added. And more importantly: THIS IS A SPOILER FREE BLIND REACT SERIES. Please keep this in mind when discussing in the comments below, and please tag any spoilers or anything you think might be spoilers! The less I know, the better it is for me AND you!
And since I still have plenty of room left to spare...
Link to original AMA Want it more condensed? Click here! (Thank you LadyRavenEye and dragon-elexus!) This is a table for Zach Callison's AMA that took place 13th of April 2016 on this subreddit. For the context of those viewing this in the future, this AMA took place during the hiatus after Log Date 7 15 2 aired. The table is in order of when the questions were answered, with the first answer at the top. (some questions are cut for length. Just click on Zach's answer for full context)
Question(s)
Answer(s)
RotomGuy: Hey Zach! Welcome to our little subreddit.I hope i'm allowed to ask this, but how far away is your favourite episode from airing?
Weaby: Hey Zach! First of all, thank you so much for doing this AMA and giving us all this opporunity! I have over thirty questions I want to ask, but that wouldn't be very fair of me, so here's just two. What was the audition process like? What did you think of the show before and during the audition? What was your favorite episode to record lines for?
ThePugProgrammer: Hey Zack! I have 3 questions for you: 1. What's your favourite episode that has currently aired? 2. What's your favourite video game? 3. Which meme do you feel is superior?
MKotter: Hey Zach! Was really excited when I heard you were doing an AMA so I have a bunch of questions: I'm sure you saw this question coming but how different is it for you doing on-camera acting versus voice acting? do you have a preference? Any alternate takes or improvised bits you can recall from SU that didn't make it into the final production? kind of (?) related, but I saw some video on Twitter of a joke that you did that got cut from the Goldbergs episode. I don't watch the show but I was curious what the joke was, cuz I didn't get it out of context haha I saw some interview with Deedee and Michaela laughing about "boodles of fun", and I was wondering if that's why Pearl says "boodles of fun" in Sworn to the Sword? Any other inside jokes like that make it into the show? who's your Super Smash Bros main?
Witterson: Hey Zach, thanks so much for taking the time to do this! My question is: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being full-on, starry-eyed Steven, how excited are you for us to experience everything that's to come?
uiop60: Steven's voice has changed considerably over the course of the series. How much of this change has been done deliberately, and how much is it a product of changes in your own voice (if there have been any)? What has it been like being a teenage male voice actor (i.e., while your voice changed)?
ManSpider95: Thanks so much for doing this! My question is this: Steven Universe has become something big. The show is one of the innovators of great lgbtq representation in shows, while having really great storytelling that everyone can enjoy. How do you feel about being a part of this?
OfficialCasualCat: Hey Zach, you're amazing and I'm so glad you're the voice actor for Steven. And on behalf of the MtF transgender community, would you be able to explain how you get your vocals so high pitched? Is it from singing or is it a talent you built for your voice acting? Do you have any tips? or recommendations on where/how to train our vocals?
SubwayBossEmmett: I have a quick question for you, in Steven's birthday, how close was Steven's "mature" voice compared to your regular voice? Were there anytimes that you were surprised by the script and what was happening in the story? Thanks for doing this
Acksor: Hey Zach! Welcome to the sub! My question to you is how difficult is it to maintain your Steven voice? In "Steven's Birthday", Steven's voice gets noticeably deeper while he is stretching himself out. Is there a certain "normal" voice that you use for him, and the rest is done in post-processing? "Kid/Normal" Steven has remained fairly consistent, but it's easy to tell that Steven is growing up by the way you have changed your voice for him over time. Is there a situation in the show where we hear your normal speaking voice as Zach? Keep up the amazing work!
ReallyCreative: Hey Zach! I'm so happy you're here! I have several questions I've been developing since the annoucement. 1) I know from stalking following your twitter that you are a big League of Legends fan! What's your favorite role, and what are some of your favorite champions?2) I love how you, the Crewniverse, and the other voice actors are like a big happy family on social media, what's your favorite story from the recording studio involving them?3) Do you have a favorite SU shitpost?4) Who is your dream guest star for SU? (Personally, I would give up my firstborn child for either Sia or Sufjan Stevens)5) Of the episodes that have aired so far, which one was the toughest to voice?
CookieCatSupreme: Hi Zach! I absolutely love Steven Universe and I love how endearing all of the characters are - especially Steven! Thank you so much for doing this :3 I just have two questions for you: 1. what was your favourite song to sing on the show? 2. what's your favourite subreddit?
Pickardie: Hi Zach! When you do recordings, how often do you do group recordings with the other VA's? How often do you record with Grace, Matthew, or Kate, or do a lot of the secondary characters get their lines recorded solo?
cooperklebba: Before I ask my questions, let me just say that you are an AMAZING voice actor! Steven's not only my favorite character in SU, but also my favorite character in fiction PERIOD! You've got a bright future ahead of you! Question 1: What's your process/method of creating a character's voice? (Example: How did you decide on Steven's voice, mannerisms, etcetera?)Question 2: What do you feel are Steven's greatest strengths and weaknesses?Question 3: What's the biggest difference between Steven and Rose. (Besides the obvious things like overall skill.)
confusedasterisk: Hi, Zach! I have a few questions: Best/funniest moment(s) that have happened in the studio? How often do you get asked to do the Steven voice? How much do you get told of upcoming episodes? (Not asking for any spoilers) How much (if ever) do you get to improvise?
citrusalex: Hi! I'm Alex from Russia and I'm representing Russian community of Steven Universe. Here're the questions from Russian fans, translated into English. I hope you will answer to at least some of them. 1) Which song from SU is your favorite? 2) What is your height? 3) How have you came to voicing Steven? Who found you? 4) If characters from the show would suddenly become real, with whom would you most probably make friends with? 5) In which things you're similar to Steven? 6) If you would gain ability to shape-shift like gems, what would you shape-shift into first? 7) Tell us about your first day when you came to studio for voicing Steven. 8) Do you think the show changed your life somehow? 9) How often people recognize you? Do they at all? 10) Do you have any funny or creepy stories involving fans (people, not spinny things)? 11) If you could choose a new outfit for Steven, which clothes would you pick?
randomjoshencounter: Hi Zach! 1) Do you plan on voicing Steven until the show ends? 2) Are there any other cartoons/shows that you would like to provide your voice for? 3.) Does voicing Steven affect your normal life? For instance, fans recognizig you? Have a good stay!
tintin4506: Zach I have to ask, though this might be asking for a spoiler. In just one word, what should we expect in the future episodes of Steven Universe.
Loocifer: Hey Zach, thanks for coming on here to do this. Does pitching up your voice to play Steven irritate your throat after a while? Is it difficult?
LoveBug50: What's your dream vacation? Are you ticklish? If so, top 3 most ticklish spots? If you could have a superpower, what would you choose? What's your favorite cartoon besides Steven Universe? What's your favorite number and letter?
TheHarpyEagle: Looking at the huge amount of new cartoons coming out on CN and elsewhere, are you excited about the future of animation? Are there any upcoming animation projects that you're interested in being a part of?
davidamccoy: Hiya Zach, wondering about the day-to-day job. 1) Do recordings happen daily/ what do you do when you're not recording? 2) When recording songs, do you listen to a demo, read sheet music, or what?
SyphTheMighty: These are the questions I have for you, my vocally revered friend: What advice would you give to someone who is interested in voice acting? What is your favorite scene you have recorded so far? If you were a gem, what would your weapon be? If the Gems played league, who would they main?
Here are the results for the Theory Category! 1st - Team White Diamond (Team #1) 2nd - Team Blue Diamond (Team #2) 3rd - Team Pink Diamond (Team #3) 4th - Team Yellow Diamond (Team #4) This brings the point total to... Team White Diamond - 225 Team Yellow Diamond - 225 Team Blue Diamond - 375 Team Pink Diamond - 175 Here are the users participating in the analysis category. Wish them luck! Team White Diamond - theneverendinghiatus Team Yellow Diamond - Pydyn17 Team Blue Diamond - kerfufflekerfuffle Team Pink Diamond - tyzoid
Team #1
Images being analyzed appear here: http://imgur.com/a/f3urM Symbolism in Nightmare Hospital Nightmare Hospital is one of the eposides of Steven Universe which has the most significance to the development of Connie’s character. Prior to this episode, she must keep all her activities with Steven a secret from her parents, for fear that “if I didn’t hide it, you wouldn’t let me see Steven ever again.” This episode represents Connie’s coming clean to her mother about the goings-on of her adventures with steven, and in a way, reconciling her divergent identities – ninja by night, unsuspecting student by day. There is quite a lot of symbolism in this episode, as are in all episodes of Steven Universe, however I would like to take a close look at the scene in which Connie is jumping upwards, trying to reach the sword that her mother is holding out of reach. This one particular scene is important, because this is the moment where these two divergent worlds of Connie’s collide, and her internal struggle becomes evident. I do this through the lens of Semiotic Analysis, using the groundwork laid out Ellen Seiter in her essay “Semiotics, Structuralism, and Television.” The basic premise of this type of analysis is to identify symbols in an image, and piece them together to identify how they build up meaning together. There are five categories of symbols that are commonly identified when studying imagery in Television: image, graphics, voice, music, and sound effects, and we will take a close look at each one. Image In this scene we can see two people, Connie and her mother, connie with an angry/frustrated expression on her face, and her mother with a surprised/worried expression. Her mother appears dressed in a white lab coat, with shoes, pants, and a collared shirt. Connie, wearing glasses, is dressed in shorts and a T-Shirt. Connie appears in the middle of a jump to try to grab the bag or sword. This takes place in front of a red curtain and on composite checkerboard-patterned floor. Behind the curtain on the left, we see a mirror, sink and soap, along with some sort of medical illistrutation. Graphics Graphics is usually simpler, but there are still important features to identify. The detail in the sword, the logo in the center (partially obscured) which matches the emblem of Rose, The imagery on the medical poster, which labels parts of the eye (seen more clearly in an earlier scene, included for reference). When originally aired, a small Cartoon Network emblem appeared in the bottom right hand corner. Voice The dialog of the scene plays out as follows: Connie: Mom! I really, really need that sword! Dr. Maheswaran: Connie, no. Now is not the time. * banging on door * Connie: Now is the perfect time, mom! Dr. Maheswaran: Connie! What has gotten into you! You know I never go back on a rule, young lady. Connie: There have to be some exceptions; I’m not some… rule driven robot! Music The music in this scene features a low pitched synthesizer, ominously playing two different notes close in range. A deep drum beats in the background periodically, but not in any discernable pattern. Sound Effect This scene is a haven for sound effects of many different kinds. The foley of the bag shifting around in Dr. Maheswaran’s hands, and of Connie jumping and landing on the ground anchor the scene into reality. The banging of the monsters on the door bring a sense of urgency. The instrument build up towards the end of this scene, and the screeching of the monster that comes out from behind the curtain build suspence, fear, and shock. Piecing Together Meaning The expressions in each of Connie and her mother’s faces highlight the emotional aspect of this struggle, with connie’s jumping and the sword held above her head being the physical manifestations of the struggle. The imagery in the scenery – the curtains, the poster, the sink and mirror, the floor – all point to a hospital environment. Connie’s mother is anchored into this environment by her attire, especially the lab coat. Connie appears very much out of place, owing to her T-Shirt and shorts. Connie’s glasses here represent two things: both a call back to the episode where Steven heals her eyes, showing her relationship to Steven, and her hiding this special relationship from her parents. The music and sound effects, while building a dramatic and ominous mood for the impending monster attack, also serve to build up the emotional tension in the scene, concentrating the viewer’s focus on the struggle of Connie to obtain the sword, and to a greater degree, face her mother about the training she is receiving and the secret identity she holds. The dialog plays into this, with the choice word of “robot,” as she tries to reason back the sword to no avail. This both can be in reference to the robotic nature of the gem fusion experiments, and to her regimented life. The sword as a symbol has many different possible interpretations: As a remaning physical manifestation of Steven’s Mother, of Steven’s trust to Conne, and of Steven’s respect of Connie’s swordskills. In this scene, the sword represents an aspect of Connie’s secret life that her mother finds out about, and is subsequently trying to get rid of. There are a few overarching themes to this episode, family, friends, trust, bravery, and fear (particularly of the unknown). This scene is an intense highlight of how trust and bravery in one relationship, ex. friendship, may appear completely differently in that of another, ex. family. From these symbols, we can start to understand a larger picture of the role that this scene, and more generally, this episode plays in Connie’s development as a character – both in the context for adventures with steven, but also in the context of her relationships. After this episode, and I would argue, as a direct consequence of the events of this episode, we can see this dynamic change completely, and a huge weight can be seen to be lifted off of Connie’s shoulders – she appears more relaxed and at ease with the Steven’s adventures, doesn’t wear her glasses anymore, and appears to talk to her parents in a more engaging and meaningful way. This scene represents the collision of Connie’s prior secret identity as a swordfighter and her identity as a student/daughter, and merges the two, allowing Connie the freedom to explore both herself, and her passions without the overhanging fear of being “found out.”
Team #2
Gem Harvest is an episode I feel is criminally underrated. I understand why, people were expecting something plot-heavy from their double length episode. What the episode lacks in plot, however, it makes up for by being the only episode to prominently feature a similarly underrated and quite complex character: Andy DeMayo. In this analysis, I’ll walk through Andy's part in the episode in an attempt to break down his character and show what makes him tick. Andy is introduced in the episode as a typical older conservative man. He makes such comments as: "A hobo's a man's job!" "What're you doing socializin' this fine American barn?" "You couldn't even marry an American?" "What do you mean you weren't TECHNICALLY married?" This doesn't exactly paint him in a positive light, but it is a realistic one. The people of Beach City are a very accepting bunch, but in reality there are a lot of people like Andy out there. Andy comes to visit his parents' barn in hopes of reminiscing on his past, but instead finds it defiled by Peridot and Lapis, who have been living there for some time. This makes him extremely angry, until Greg is called to the scene. Greg introduces Steven as his son, which causes Andy to immediately change his tune, bringing Steven in for a hug and insisting he call him "uncle". He then ribs Greg for ditching the family and never mentioning his son. Based on this and later interactions, it is clear that Andy values his family above all else. He will refer to various family members and things they used to do in the past. He also shows a clear disdain for Greg since he abandoned the family to pursue his music career. There is nothing more important to Andy than his family. Andy is a proud DeMayo. And then Greg basically spits on this by explaining that he has changed his (and by extension Steven's) name from DeMayo to Universe. Their family name, the very thing that ties together the family that Andy cares for so much, and Greg just threw it away like it was nothing. And to something as silly as Universe, of all things! This is about as personal as an insult can get for Andy. He denounces Greg and demands that the gems leave the barn forever... But then Steven appeals to Andy's values by offering that the gems participate in a long-held family tradition (basically Thanksgiving) with him. "you'll have to admit they're family. And would you kick family out of the family barn?" Andy melts at the request, and agrees to participate. Things seem to go smoothly for a while as Andy observes the Gems preparing the food for dinner. However he then sees what Peridot and Pearl are using to cook the dinner: an amalgamation of plane parts, including his parents' engine. This sets Andy off again.
It's TERRIBLE! That was the heart of the legendary wings of the "Daring DeMayos." I learned to FLY on this plane!
The plane had a lot of sentimental value to Andy, and they disrespected it. To him, the plane was a symbol of his parents and his time with them. And here the Gems are calling it junk. Andy leaves the situation, saying he can't look at it. Later, however, while peeling potatoes with Steven, Steven pays him a compliment regarding his potato peeling skills. This gives Andy an opportunity to reminisce on his time spend with family doing the very same thing. He softens up a bit after this, and is able to cool down enough to concede that it's ok what the Gems did to the engine, at least someone is using it. Andy opens up a bit with Steven and Greg, and this is where we first get our most important piece of the puzzle that is Andy: his loneliness. He has this to say regarding getting to travel the world:
It's really something else, you know? Just you and the hum of your engine up in that thin air, no other people, no living things around to uh, keep you company. But you know, it's not like there's much for me on the ground these days either, so...
Andy has turned to travelling the world because there’s no family left for him back at home. This is key - Andy takes such pride in his family, and yet the family as he remembers it no longer exists. This seems to have eroded away at his attitude and turned him into a bitter person. After seeing the Gems make an attempt at participating in human traditions, he is willing to try to become a part of their family by spending a thanksgiving-type dinner with them. Unfortunately, this goes horribly for him, as he is completely alienated from the rest of the group throughout the conversation. None of the gems will join him in eating, then they begin talking about events he is unfamiliar with and then cracking inside jokes amongst themselves. To twist the knife further. they begin to pass thanks around the table and completely forget to include Andy at all. Andy is now visibly bothered by this, so Peridot tries to offer him some thanks as well:
Hmm... thank you, Andy for.. showing up! Because of you, everyone came out here to the barn, and now we're all here for the first time in a while. And it's actually... pretty great! So.. Cheers!
While Peridot means this as a sincere thanks, this strikes a wrong chord with Andy. He was able to bring a different family together, but what he really cares about is his own, which has split apart. It's the last straw for Andy, he immediately removes himself from the situation and flies away. When Steven gives chase and asks him why he left, Andy has this to say:
I'm the only one who didn't! It was your goofball father who was the first one to hightail it outta here! Then after him it was Aunt Deb, she and her partner got the RV! No reason to stick around with that thing! Grandpa moved to the keys! Too old to make the drive anymore! I was the only one who tried to keep things the way it used to be! I knew what it meant to really be a family! And look what that got me, huh? NOTHING!
When Steven falls of of Andy's wing, Andy freaks out and rescues him. Steven acts like it's nothing, but Andy has this to say:
DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO YOU?! What good to are you to me as family if you're... Sorry. Look I just-I'm just glad you're safe. It just doesn't feel fair, everything got so different. I wanted everybody to stay the same, but they-they just didn't.
One by one, each of his family members have left him behind. He was happy with the status quo of his family, but everyone else moved on in their lives to different things, leaving him alone. He's taken to traveling the world alone because it's not like there's anyone to spend time with at home anyway. This has eroded away at Andy, making him a sad man who is quick to anger. Andy doesn't exactly have a happy ending here, and he doesn't learn any particularly meaningful lessons. He now knows that he has a family in Greg and Steven that he can visit whenever he wants, but he is still a bit of an outsider to their own family. He does however seem more comfortable with their presence, and he has acknowledged that he could make a change in himself, as well. In summary/TLDR Andy is a man who values his family and tradition above all else. He was very happy with the way things were when they were together, however his family eventually went their separate ways, leaving Andy behind by himself with no one to share his traditions with. He travels the world, but this does not cure his loneliness as he longs for the way things used to be. He meets Steven but is horrified by the way the gems treat his family's old possessions as junk. But in the end, he is touched by Steven's desire to become a part of his family. I find Andy to be a good character in Steven Universe because he feels so real. He doesn't line up with the type of person the average SU fan enjoys, but he has his own issues and values that he upholds. He's not a monster, he's just ignorant and is nowhere near unreachable. Andy shows us that we should think twice before judging this type of person by their cover.
Team #3
Amethyst is one of the most conflicted gems on the show. While initially she is seen as the reckless, impulsive, garbage eating comic relief, it is soon revealed how many insecurities lie beneath her surface. One major issue she dealt with throughout the series is feeling alone, as if she does not belong anywhere. This major inferiority is caused by her inability to connect to garnet and pearl, the circumstances of her birth in the kindergarten, and being defected. In fact, all of her insecurities can be analyzed through her song in “On The Run” (lyrics) It is instantly seen that this song represents Amethyst’s feelings of being alone just by looking at the pronouns. When glancing at Steven’s portion of the song, he always uses inclusive pronouns. He sings how it’s time “for us to have some fun,” that “our adventure’s just begun,” and that “We’ll be thinking ‘bout our friends as we chase the setting sun.” Yet by looking at Amethyst’s parts, she sings that “I don’t care,” “I guess there are some things,” “I wish that I could say,” and that home’s “a place I have never known.” By having these singular pronouns immediately after Steven’s inclusive ones, it strengthens the fact that she considers herself alone. And while it ends with “That’s why we’re on the run,” this use of “we’re” may only be used since Steven had sung the previous line with Amethyst; if he did not, Amethyst may have continued with the singular I. Now that it is established that the song represents Amethyst feeling alone, we have to wonder why she feels alone. The first time we listen to the song we have no knowledge of the kindergarten, and therefore must interpret it another way. Since the only previous episode highlighting one of Amethyst’s emotional problems is “Tiger Millionaire,” this reference will be in mind. Throughout that episode, it is revealed that Amethyst feels out of place with Garnet and Pearl, even leading to her telling Steven “you can't let anyone make you feel like garbage.” This implies that the other crystal gems often make her feel insecure and worthless. Even though the episode ends with the gems making up, most likely there will still be lingering feelings. With this perspective, let’s dive line by line into Amethyst’s part. First, we look at “I don’t care about what all the others say.” In this way, the “others” clearly respond to Pearl and Garnet. But by labeling them as “others,” Amethyst is distancing herself from the rest of the Crystal gems, signaling her loneliness. And what they “say” would mean that she is immature, selfish, brash, or as put before, garbage. Following this, “there are some things that will just never go away,” means she has been dealing with this problem for her whole life. This would imply that she has tried to fit in with them for the hundreds of years she has been alive, but to no avail, she still feels out of place. Next comes the line “I wish that I could say that there’s no better place than home. But home’s a place that I have never known.” By not feeling like she belongs with the other gems as a family, it would be true that she has never had a home. In which case “why” she’s on the run is to get away from the Crystal Gems that do not accept her, leaving her alone. After rewatching the episode immediately afterwards (which should be done because it is fabulous), the knowledge of the kindergarten clearly reshapes how the song is seen. Now in the first line, the “others” stay the crystal gems, but what they “say” is now them blaming her for the atrocious situation behind her birth. When Amethyst screams at Pearl “You think I’m just a big mistake,” later in the episode, it shows what terrible thoughts she assumes the other gems say behind her back. Then the following line’s “things that will just never go away” refers to her never being able to change the circumstance of her birth. It will always be lingering in her mind that she was made to destroy the Earth and the Crystal Gems, no matter how much she grows. No matter how many times she saves the world, she still knows she was meant to destroy it. Furthermore, the “home’s a place that I have never known,” would easily describe her never living in her intended home, including never knowing homeworld nor any of the other kindergarten Amethysts. This divide of everything she was intended to be further makes her feel alone. So now “why” she’s on the run is to try to run away from her terrible birth, which ironically leads her face to face with the kindergarten. Finally, rewatching the episode after the Jasper arc, the song instead shows her insecurity about her defectiveness. As seen in “Too Far,” when Amethyst finds out she is “defective,” she becomes distant and defensive, even angrily stating to Peridot “Are you saying I’m wrong!” This new insecurity intensifies as Jasper returns, representing what a perfect Amethyst could look like, act like, and be like. This feeling of inadequacy climaxes in “Earthlings” where Amethyst, defeated by Jasper, pleads to Steven “I can't win. No matter what I do, no matter how hard I work, she came out right, and I came out... wrong…” By admitting she is “wrong,” it shows that she has lost to her insecurity and let her defects define her. She became a frail, emotional mess. If it wasn’t for Steven to talk her out of this mindset, she may have never gotten over her defectiveness. Using this interpretation, the song again means something different. Now the “others” in the first line would include all other gems met, including Crystal Gems, Homeworld Gems, and specifically Jasper. They are the gems that were made correctly. In fact, this also implies that Garnet, Pearl, and Rose most likely at some point discussed her defectiveness since they all knew what a proper Amethyst looks like. If so, they would have intentionally kept it hidden from Amethyst, thinking that she could not handle the truth (which is right, she couldn’t handle it). Along with this, she imagines they would “say” that she is weak, wrong, and destined for failure, such as the time Jasper screamed “You could have been me! And what are you instead? Just a joke.” Next, the “things that ... never go away” refer to her unable to change her defections. No matter how hard she trains, she will never be as strong as Jasper; even Steven, who has been training as a crystal gem for less than two years, has already surpassed her. When Stevonnie beats Jasper without her help, Amethyst somberly declares “Oh good! You didn’t need me at all.” This further shows how she believes her defects prevent her from being good enough. Finally, the “home’s a place that I have never known” refers to a family that she feels she’s on par with. Garnet, through the unconditional love of ruby and sapphire, is more than just her parts. Pearl, through hard work and determination is much stronger than any homeworld pearl. And Steven is shaping up to one day be better than Rose. For her to fit in she would need to be Jasper, but she is not. All Amethyst can think of is all the ways she’s not Jasper, showing she is inferior to all her teammates. So naturally, she is is on the run to escape the fact that she’s flawed. Amethyst is a troubled gem that has dealt with problems that have left her feeling weak, defective, a mistake, and ultimately alone. However, through defeating Jasper as Smokey Quartz, meeting the famethyst, and growing stronger as a gem, she has grown more confident and feels accepted. She even gets to the point that she no longer needs to wrestle anymore, stating “I mean, I needed it when I felt like eh I wasn't good enough. But I don't feel like that anymore.” I don’t feel like that anymore. It seems her issues, like this analysis, is over, isn’t it?
Team #4
Hello everyone. I have decided that for my portion of the SU Olympics, I’m going to analyze Cry for Help, the first episode of the Sardonyx bomb. It was the first bomb that I ever watched lived, and it's my bomb in all of Steven Universe. I figured that it would be fun to analyze why the Sardonyx bomb worked so well, and why I feel it is when of the best things SU has ever done. Without further ado, let's begin. Cry for Help is the first episode in the Sardonyx bomb. Naturally, it needs to create the conflict that the rest of the bomb is based around. Cry for Help does more than that however. It also hints towards how certain characters are going to act once everything goes wrong. Cry for Help does this from the moment the episode starts. The first line in the episode is "I don't get this cartoon man. Why don't they just eat the ice cream off the floor? They don't have to cry about it". While on the surface this doesn't mean much (the bomb is about Pearl tricking Garnet into fusing, not eating ice cream), it does say a lot about Amethyst, and what her reaction is going to be to the conflict. She will want the conflict to end quickly, for Pearl and Garnet to quickly make up. She will not understand why they can't just move past it, and will see the others as just being dumb. So while this line doesn’t hint towards the plot of the episode, it does foreshadow Amethyst's feelings during the entire bomb. The next important moment comes when Steven says that Garnet and Amethyst should fuse. Amethyst's reaction is while at first a bit unsure, she convinces herself that it would be a good idea to form Sugilite, and gets excited. This is important for one reason. If Amethyst didn't want to form Sugilite, or didn't care, then the pain she would feel watching Sardonyx fix her mistake a lot less. However, because she does want to fuse, she is that much more hurt when Garnet rejects her. Another thing I want to bring up is the brilliant idea of using the communication hub again. This is obviously the place where Amethyst and Garnet fused. This creates an obvious parallel between the two fusions. It also allows Amethyst to view the Communication Hub as her failure. She thinks it's her fault it's still working, and it hurts that much more to watch Sardonyx fix her "Tower of Mistakes". There is a very good reason why Amethyst is the main focal point of this episode. The bomb mostly focuses on Garnet and Pearl, and how this affected them. What's sometimes forgotten about is how this whole thing affected Amethyst. She does get two episodes that talk about how she feels (Cry for Help and Onion Friend) but they're often overshadowed by other things in those episodes (Pearl's trickery and Onion's weirdness). In the bomb alone this is important because when two people fight, everyone around them is affected. It is very important to remember that. It also fits into one of Amethyst biggest problem, that her emotions are ignored by everyone except Steven. She is constantly put to the side in favor of someone else, and this bomb is no exception. Sardonyx's reveal is great. Its purpose is to drive home the idea that Sardonyx and Sugilite are very different. Everything about that scene does this. Steven's "You're so articulated", the music, the way she summons her weapon, the way she takes down the Communication Hub, to her line "Smash is the word one would use to describe what... someone else might do". This is gives Amethyst even more reasons to doubt herself. Another important line, also centered around Crying Breakfast Friends, is "I'd forgive Pear, wouldn't you?". Garnet's response to this is to basically blow it off, implying she wouldn't forgive Pear. This is hinting towards the fact Garnet does not forgive Pearl after she fucks up. Like Amethyst line from the beginning of the episode, this is foreshadowing Garnets emotions in the bomb. (As a small note, having Amethyst pick up a rock shaped like Peridot’s gem during Tower of Mistakes is a nice touch, hinting towards her "solution".) Amethyst reaction to the entire thing is interesting. While they could have shown her gleeful that she could rat on Pearl, they chose instead to have her conflict. She wants to tell Garnet, but at the same time she doesn't want to hurt Pearl. This shows a huge growth in character, as season 1 Amethyst would have no problem with telling Garnet. And not only does she not want to tell on her, she tries to stand up for Pearl. It doesn't work, but again it shows how Amethyst's character has changed. A good example from 1A is Secret Team. In that episode Amethyst wants to tell on Pearl, until it would hurt her too. The final fusion between Amethyst and Garnet changes the name of the game. For most of this episode it was all about Amethyst and how she's feeling. Now all of a sudden it centers more on Pearl and Garnet. This is what most of the bomb is going to be centered around, with a bit of Amethyst and Steven mixed in. More than anything else this episode was showing how much Pearl messed up, showing how she hurt Amethyst and Garnet. So, in conclusion Cry for Help is a great start the Sardonyx arc. The episode accomplishes its main and most important task, which is setting up the main conflict of the bomb. It also does an excellent job of foreshadowing how the characters are going to react to the future conflict. The episode also needed to focus on Amethyst more, because they need to make sure people realize that Pearl’s action’s hurt everyone, including Amethyst. Plus, by focusing on Amethyst it really shows how much her character has evolved over the entire show. VOTE HERE for which team you thought wrote up the best Analysis. See you on Sept 8 for the Fanart Category!
Please forgive me upfront, or at least be gentle rebuking me if some of the following sounds insensitive. It all makes sense in my head, putting it into words may screw up he meaning. Since the blasted Hiatus started I've been mulling over the percieved Peri-demption drama, and Peridots interactions with the Crystal Gems. To preface, I want fully on board with the Peri-demption train, but I fully acknowledge she's currently blunt, mild-to-moderately offensive at the best of times, and needs to be forced to confront the wrongness of the fusion experiments/the cluster in general. All of this led me to a thought about Garnet, or better put, how the fandom percieves Garnet. In Too Far, Peridot asks Garnet to Un-Fuse because it "makes her uncomfortable." While I think her request was her wildly over-reaching, she had the forethought to ASK. This wasn't a demand, this was a very careful request for personal comfort; selfish yes, wrong.... maybe. Garnet reacts by leashing her to a fence post. We all share a laugh, and we move on, but this has started bothering me. I'm NOT suggesting that Garnet is obligated to do anything. Garnet has every right to refuse this request, but she behaves as if unfusing for an instant is just unthinkable. I understand that Garnet is/has become an LGBT icon for the show, and some would liken Peridot's request as "have you tried not being a fusion." But as I think the fandom has general consesus on, Fusion represnts relationships in general; platonic, romantic, etc... I interpeted it more as a request for a couple to stop being so... coupley all the time. For example, if I knew two people who were dating and they were always making out, and I wasn't able to talk to one, I always had to talk to both, they were never apart, morning, noon, or night; I don't think it would be wrong to point out my discomfort at this situation. Peridot's later routine with Amethyst drives this point home. Peridot, while being very insensitive, said nothing untrue; beyond being incredibly, coldly clinically blunt. Its not that Ruby and Sapphire fuse that seems to bother her, its that they're ALWAYS fused. Thinking about all this fusing/un-fusing led me to one thought. Garnet only exists on the whim of Ruby and Sapphire. The Fandom treats Garnet as if, barring physical destruction, she will always just be around, but that is patently untrue. We saw in Keystone that a lover's spat divided her; what happens if Ruby and Sapphire just, for lack of a better term, get a divorce! Beyond lamenting wanting to see them more often, the fandom has no issue with the Crystal Gems using Opal, Sugilite, Sardonyx, even Rainbow Quartz for mere convenience or necessity, and then unfusing. Sugilite is the only fusion beyond Garnet that seems to want to stick around. The only reason we value Garnet more than the other fusions is screentime. At this point we acknowledge that Garnet is her own person, but does this mean that Ruby and Sapphire are obligated to stay fused? If they did un-fuse, and adamantly rejected ever fusing again, are we to mourn Garnet as if she died. More darkly does Garnet have some control over Ruby and Sapphire's ability to be fused and avoids the un-fusing to prevent them from enjoying their individuality. TLDR: Peridot's a jerk that I love, and Garnet's existance leaves me with a lot of questions that I don't think get asked because of the pedestal she's put on
Random Fun Facts About Familiar (Real World) Gems:
Peridots are inherently unstable. They have a lot of internal pressure that make them very easy to shatter if not treated carefully.
Opals benefit from being in contact with humans. Water is actually an important part of the internal structure of an opal, and constantly handling by humans leaves a thin layer of oil on the gem's surface that prevents it from drying out, which makes it very brittle and dulls it's shine.
Ruby and Sapphire are the same gemstone (Corundum), only differences in the impurities make them appear different (and Sapphires can come in more colors than blue depending on said impurities).
Lapis Lazuli smells HORRIBLE. Not after it's been cut and polished, but when you are actually cutting it or grinding it up for pigment, the smell is just awful. Never break one, or you won't want it anywhere near you.
Malachite is poisonous in water as it releases copper sulfate, which is highly toxic (don't worry, cut and polished malachite doesn't do this, your malachite jewelry is safe, its mostly just raw malachite that does this).
Sugilite is a very new gem, it was only discovered in 1944.
Going back to Peridot, they are also sometimes considered a "new" gem, not that they haven't been known for ages (Cleopatra loved them, and they're mentioned in the Bible as Chrysolite), but because a recent discovery of large amounts of them in Pakistan have made them much more common than they used to be.
Pearls are beautiful but irritating, in that they are formed in oysters when a piece of sand or other debris gets stuck inside the shell and irritates the oyster, which then starts covering it in nacre (the same stuff that is inside their shells) in order to smooth it over and make it less irritating to them.
In Astrology, Amethyst is believed to absorb negative energy and transform it into positive, and is believed to help cure depression.
Quartz is one of the hardest minerals on the planet. At a mohs scale hardness of 7, it is harder than steel.
Garnets weigh in on the mohs scale at a hardness of 7 to 7.5, making them as tough if not tougher than quartz.
Diamonds were once thought to be very dangerous as it was believed they contained arsenic.
Jasper has a hardness of 6.5 to 7, making it almost as tough as quartz. However, the true value of a jasper lies in the fact it often has organic inclusions that create striking patterns in it that aren't revealed until properly worked.
Astrologers believe that Sardonyx helps end negative thinking, and to help relationships be happy and successful.
Feel free to add to the list, what fun facts about real world versions of our favorite gems do you have?
Size also has little impact on value, since it is quite common to find large sugilite stones. You will often find pieces weighing as much as 10 carats. Note that it is difficult to estimate the value of translucent sugilite because the glassy form of the stone is quite rare compared to the cloudy, mottled form. Sugilite Value, Price, and Jewelry Information - International Gem Society Everything you ever wanted to know about sugilite. Find value guidelines, scientific data, expert comments, and more in our Gemstone Listings. Sugilite Value. View Price. Tanzanite Value. View Price. Titanite Value. View Price. Topaz Value. View Price. Tourmaline Value. View Price. Turquoise Value. View Price. Wulfenite Value. View Price. Zircon Value. View Price. About. The International Gem Society (IGS) is the world's top resource for gem professionals, enthusiasts, and industry Buy Sugilite Gemstones Online At Wholesale Prices. Sugulite (also sugilite) is a purple stone that is most often opaque, but occasionally translucent. Due to its rarity, the translucent Sugulite is more expensive. It was found and named in 1944 in Japan. It is also found in Canada and South Africa. What Is Sugilite Worth And Why Is It So Expensive? Sugilite is available in large quantities. However, like purple diamonds, the stone is rare and not easy to find. The most important factor when grading sugilite is the colour of the stone. As with many other gemstones, the deeper the colour, the higher the value. Sugilite will work with you until you feel like yourself again, and it will bolster you with all the lessons you’ve learned from your experiences. Sugilite will show you the meaning of unconditional love. It will give you a different and broader perspective about love. It will teach you to become more loving, patient, understanding, and forgiving. A combination of traits, such as color, Mohs hardness of 5.5 to 6.5 and chemical composition can be used to identify sugilite. Chalcedony has a lower density (2.58 to 2.64) compared to 2.76 to 2.8 for sugilite. Therefore, testing for density can separate the two or provide some indication of the chalcedony content. It is said that sugilite strengthens the heart, aids physical healing and reduces stress. It is a balancer of mind, body and spirit and encourages peace of mind, a general feeling of well-being and spiritual love. It is also suggested that sugilite seems to protect against and dissipate anger and other negative energies. The most important factor in grading sugilite is color. The deepest color receives the highest grade. A mottled appearance under close inspection doesn’t affect the overall value, provided the overall color remains deep. However, lighter areas mixed with dark purple will lower the value. Sugilite is available in fairly large sizes. Sugilite is a handy gemstone which can be used as beads, inlay, drilled-gemstones, faceted gemstones and cabochons to produce a range of beautiful jewelry. In fine jewelry, sugilite is often set in yellow gold, which provides an interesting contrast as purple and yellow are complementary to one another.