Gray Spinel

Gray Spinel is a rogue Gem residing on Mars with her "best friend," Benitoite. The two are currently fused, forming Sillimanite.

## Appearance

Gray Spinel is a typical Gem of her type; she's about a head taller than the average Ruby, with long, thin, noodly limbs. Her Gemstone is on her left cheek, and is in the shape of a heart. She has a pudgy face with no visible lips, dark gray eyes with jagged lashes, and a rounded button nose. Her hair is dark gray with a neat hairline and is put up in two ponytails, which seem to move with her head so they are always in full view. She wears a dark gray top with darker gray shorts, puffy sleeves, and shoes, and white gloves and socks. Her top has a four-pointed star on the front.

## Personality

When first given to Benitoite, Gray Spinel was a Gem typical of her type. She was high-energy and friendly, always looking for an excuse to play and clinging to her "best friend." Over the years, though, her experiences in the wasteland have turned her into a twisted version of her original self. Similar to Benitoite, she generally acts calm and collected, though in a way that makes her seem smug. While she is still playful, she has developed a warped sense of humor, and has a tendency to make cruel jokes in combat. Gray Spinel is known to see the wasteland as a boring place, and aims to bring a little silliness to her home while she works, even if at the expense of the other residents of Mars.

## History

Gray Spinel was given to Benitoite not long after Howlite arrived on Mars. This was no coincidence; Howlite had used her status to request that the overseer be given a "best friend" under the pretense of helping reduce stress. However, even Benitoite herself knew that the Spinel was given to her not as a token of goodwill, but to keep her busy while Howlite continued her work. Despite this, Benitoite realized that her loyalty could be a boon, and took her when she snuck out of the outpost, convincing the Spinel that it was a new game she had invented to keep her from messing things up. As the years went by, the two have stuck together. Gray Spinel remains loyal to her owner, despite now being fully aware of the very serious nature of their "game."

## Abilities

As an Era 1 Gem, Gray Spinel has standard Gem abilities.

### Fusions

* When fused with Benitoite, they form Sillimanite.

### Unique Abilities

* **Elasticity:** An ability typical among Spinels, Gray Spinel's entire body behaves similarly to that of a cartoon character; without shapeshifting in the traditional sense, she can alter the shape and size of any of her body parts on a whim.

## Relationships

### Benitoite

Gray Spinel was made for Benitoite, and became her partner in crime when she went rogue. The two share a mutual friendship, and Gray Spinel is willing to not only entertain, but protect her best friend. They are close enough that they can fuse with little effort.

## Trivia

* The original Gray Spinel was drawn up in mid-2016. However, her design was drastically different, and she was not going to be more than a hypothetical character.
	+ At the time, Mamaluigithedonutgal imagined that Spinels would be representatives for elites such as Sapphires, mirroring their real life use as imitations for more popular gemstones.
	+ After the release of *Steven Universe: The Movie*, a new Gray Spinel was drawn up as practice. This character would shortly after be turned into the current Gray Spinel.
	+ Coincidentally, the original, hypothetical Gray Spinel has the same Gem cut as the current Gray Spinel's owner.
* Gray Spinel's color was chosen to reference the often black-and-white cartoons that Spinel's design draws inspiration from.
* Mamaluigithedonutgal considered giving Gray Spinel a diamond-shaped Gemstone with elaborate faceting, but eventually switched to the already-seen heart-shaped facet because the diamond shape looked ugly.

## Gemology

* Spinel is a rare magnesium aluminum mineral (MgAl2O4) that is a member of a mineral group sharing its name. It has a hardness of 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs hardness scale, and occurs in nearly every color imaginable.
* Historically, spinel has been confused with corundum, with red spinel especially being well-known for being confused with the far more valuable ruby. It is still used as a simulant for more expensive colored stones to this day.
	+ The famous Black Prince's Ruby, for example, is now known to be a red spinel (though it is still valued for being the largest uncut spinel in the world).
	+ Even after the distinction was made between spinel and corundum, some red spinels were still marketed under the name "ruby" (i.e. Balas ruby), presumably to inflate the price.
* Despite being known as a simulant, spinel is still valued and even coveted by gem connoisseurs, since it tends to look better than some other colored stones, generally costs less, and, unlike corundum, is never treated to enhance its color.
* Spinel is a non-traditional zodiac stone for Gemini and is associated with the planet Mercury.
* Metaphysically, spinel is seen as a calming and soothing stone.
	+ Blue and gray spinels are believed to help with social situations and spiritual communication.

## Gallery

Gray Spinel alongside her Benitoite (right) and the MGC Benitoite (Nov 2019)The original, hypothetical Gray SpinelConcept art for Gray Spinel, post-*Steven Universe: The Movie*