(Most of this is under a cut because it is a lot longer than I planned. There’s a TL;DR summary at the bottom as well]

So Greg Universe is a great dad. He cares very much about Steven but he also cares about his gem education and seems like he would much rather not interfere with what the Crystal Gems can teach him. He seems uncomfortable with gem stuff in general though, as he’s expressed multiple times how he doesnt like Amethyst’s shapeshifting, is very hesitant to tell Steven about the Gems’ history in The Return, and he keeps a pretty big distance from them except for on special occasions. He’s more comfortable nurturing Steven’s human side than his gem powers.

Which makes me wonder– if he and Rose were so close, she must have told him about gem stuff. He must have been surrounded by gem history for however long he knew Rose and the others. It’s clear he has a history with them and must know more than he’s said out loud thus far–but why hasn’t he shared much of that with Steven? Pearl is extremely adamant about Steven being ignorant of a lot about gem history on Earth/in general until he’s “ready” and most of the other gems seem to comply with that directive in what they reveal to him, when, and how they do. So it doesn’t seem far fetched that Greg would have been told (threatened?) by the Gems not to tell Steven anything about his mom’s past until they thought he was ready for it. But what if he’s been dropping subtle hints all along?



I’ll start with Steven’s name–who picked it? Clearly Rose and Greg must have decided on it together, but where does it come from? Assuming they were naming him from Earth standard meanings (and assuming the name goes any deeper than Rebecca Sugar’s brother’s namesake) Steven is generally listed as “The name Steven is an American baby name. In American the meaning of the name Steven is: Crown; wreath. Greek Meaning: The name Steven is a Greek baby name. In Greek the meaning of the name Steven is: Crown; victorious.” (Thanks, google).

Then, we come to Steven’s birthday king costume in So Many Birthdays. “Dad made me this outfit and it brings me special birthday luck every year”- while it’s not exactly odd for a kid to be treated “like royalty” on their birthday, Greg sure put a lot of time and effort into making Steven feel like a king.

Later, in Watermelon Steven, Greg spontaneously decides to crown Steven “your Watermelogesty” (spelling on that?) after winning their seed-spitting contest. The watermelon Stevens in that episode directly mirror Rose’s abilities to command semi-sentient plant life as her guardians, and in this episode Steven learns how powerful that ability can be and also how he must take a leadership role to keep his plants from getting out of control.

Then there’s Lion. While his origins and purpose have yet to be revealed, it’s clear he is the keeper of Rose’s secrets/important things for Steven and in part a force of protection or guardianship over Steven. Whether he is directly related to Steven or yet another teaching figure for him, lions have historically (on Earth anyway) been associated symbolically with royalty, strength and leadership, the whole “king of the jungle” deal.

Steven inherited Rose Quartz’s gem. Quartz is very common, at least on Earth and is often spiritually and symbolically linked to unconditional love, healing, emotional balance, self-worth and self-esteem, and inner calm. Multiple times throughout the series so far, Steven’s job has been to “keep the peace”. To balance the gems and, as he is shown to be very mature for his age in later episodes, help them and understand their grief.

Diamonds, on the other hand, are a much harsher stone very often associated with indomitable power, royalty, and protection. It is referred to as the “king of gems”. Some stars have cores made of diamond. It is often cited to have symbolic meaning relating to spiritual progress and victory in battle.



Greg mentioned in The Return that the gems are originally invaders and “ All they do is try to make up for it. They just can’t forgive themselves. You understand? Look, they were doing something awful to the planet and your mother couldn’t stand it anymore. She told me that’s why she had to turn on her own kind”. Jasper, thinking she’s talking to Rose later in the episode, says “ At the first war for this garbage planet. I fought against your armies. I respected your tactics”.

I’m sure if you’re read this far down you can see where I’m going. TL;DR Rose Quartz was pink diamond.

This is a bold statement, and there are a few obvious holes. For one, Jasper calls Steven Rose Quartz–meaning she knew Rose from 6000 years ago as Rose Quartz. Rose Quartz’s reputation in the rest of gem history is as Rose Quartz, not any sort of diamond. Plus, it makes just as much sense if a Quartz class of gem would be very high ranking but perhaps generals or lieutenants in the Gem war machine, not necessarily the Big Bads. Rose would still be affiliated with diamonds and have diamond iconography if she was working under a Diamond authority without being a Diamond herself. I don’t deny those things and I don’t have anything to refute them either. If it turns out Rose was just very high ranking under a diamond and not literally a Diamond herself I will not be disappointed.

However. Let’s not forget Pearl. As seen above, her holopearl (that I’m sure has been around for a very, very long time) and her space suit (reflecting a Pearl longing for the past and willing to do anything to go back to it) from Space Race depict pink diamonds. In Rose’s Scabbard we learned Pearl was very close to RQ; her second in command, her confidant, her most loyal soldier and friend. Jasper and Peridot have yellow-themed diamond shapes on their gems/clothing and presumably (Jasper at least) reports to Yellow Diamond. Pearl is loyal it seems strictly to Rose Quartz and in later iterations of her outfit she adopts the five-pointed star associated with the Crystal Gems. It isn’t much of a leap to assume Pearl was loyal to RQ long before she decided to turn on Homeworld gems in the (first?) battle for Earth, before they were exiled to the planet and before the Crystal Gems were officially formed. It is possible, then, that RQ was a Diamond before anyone but Pearl (perhaps Garnet as well) knew of her as a tactical master/invader of Earth/defender of Earth.

In addition to small hints about RQ’s past from her shield (indestructible, protection) and her door (responding only to those who carry the gem she inhabited) and Pearl’s love for the past, it is a great statement politically and symbolically to “step down” from a gem of high importance and reverence that exists at great cost (at least on Earth) to the landscape and people surrounding it to an exceptionally common gem associated with a much gentler, much more peaceful spiritual meaning. If you’re into Jesus (alternately, Siddhārtha Gautama) allegories, it would be a very humbling move on her part, almost hiding in obscurity and living a simple life of unconditional love perhaps to try and mend the scars of what her past had brought to the planet and its inhabitants. The Temple (which many have theorized depicts a fusion of all the Crystal Gems) certainly gives off a much more peaceful image of the “tactician” RQ depicted in the ancient upside down pyramid temple from Serious Steven.

As a sort-of refute to the idea that RQ could have just been a high-ranking gem under Diamond authority and not a Diamond herself, it is possible to maintain the “RQ was Pink Diamond” theory if Diamond is merely a title, not a literal Gem. Perhaps Diamond is a fusion (but who or what do you fuse with?) or just a name reserved for the highest ranking gems, no matter what stone or mineral they possess. How you gain the title of diamond (by force? by accomplishments? by election?) I couldn’t say, but I don’t feel there’s any evidence against that idea thus far.



Now, back to Greg: it’s no secret the writers/artists of the show have been throwing in little hints/foreshadowing to major plot points (ie Garnet is a fusion) way before they’re revealed. What’s to say Greg’s way of making Steven feel special and successful as a human kid isn’t also a subtle way to reminisce about RQ’s past and foreshadow Steven’s role on Earth and with the Crystal Gems in the future?



SUPER TL;DR SUMMARY:

1. RQ was Pink Diamond.

Evidence: pink diamond iconography in BG of temple scenes, RQ’s weapons and room, and pre-Earth iterations of Pearl’s outfits; huge symbolism relating to royalty in lion/Steven’s name/things Greg makes for Steven; spiritual attributes of diamonds mirror her weapons and history as a battle leader and invader of Earth.

2. Greg doesn’t want to (out of fear or respect) tell Steven anything about Gem history on Earth or otherwise before the CG’s do, but he does want Steven to know he is important and strong and may be dropping subtle hints about RQ’s past and Steven’s future the entire time with the king stuff.