Baroque Pearl

Baroque Pearl a Homeworld Gem and is White Zirconia's Pearl. She, much like her owner, lives in the Crucible on an unknown Gem-controlled planet.

## Appearance

In stature, Baroque Pearl is slightly shorter than the average Pearl, though she has the exact same build a normal Pearl would have. Her skin is a silvery white, and she has a short pointed nose, thin lips, and only four fingers on her left hand. Her eyes are sky blue and lavender, and have different-sized irises. Her hair is pale gray and in a short bob on one side, and long and lavender on her right side. Her Gemstone is on her chest.

Baroque Pearl wears a yellow leotard with one long sleeve, one transparent white sleeve, and a long, blue, open skirt. She has one long pink glove on her left hand, a shin-high pink boot on her right foot, and a light yellow slipper on her left foot.

## Personality

Baroque Pearl behaves like a typical Homeworld Pearl, doing as she is told and not speaking unless spoken to. She is uneasy around most other Gems, anticipating mistreatment based on her defectivity.

## History

Baroque Pearl was made in the Reef at some time during Era 2. Before she was activated, her Gemstone was found to be misshapen, and she was set to be shattered and recycled. It was at this moment that White Zirconia arrived at the Reef to claim a Pearl; upon discovering the defective Gem, she opted to take her instead of a "proper" Pearl. Baroque Pearl has served White Zirconia ever since.

## Abilities

As an Era 2 Gem, Baroque Pearl has most standard Gem abilities. According to White Zirconia, her defectivity does not affect her abilities.

### Natural Abilities

* **Item Summon:** As a Pearl, Baroque Pearl can easily store items in her Gemstone to pull them back out later.

### Unique Abilities

* **Holographic Projection:** As a Pearl, Baroque Pearl can summon holograms from her Gemstone.

## Relationships

### White Zirconia

Baroque Pearl, as White Zirconia's servant, carries out the Greater Zirconia's orders without hesitation. She genuinely admires her owner, and has been known to gush over her. However, she is confused as to why the Zirconia treats her as a friend rather than a servant, if only in private.

## Gemology

Gemstone Information

* "Baroque pearl" is a term used to refer to any pearl that is asymmetrical. While the term is often used to refer to any pearl that is not a perfect sphere, in the pearl trade, "baroque" is used exclusively to refer to asymmetrical pearls.
	+ Since pearls are formed from an organic process, baroque pearls are more common than other shapes. However, their irregularities can make them just as if not more appealing than round pearls.
* A pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk. Pearls are composed of the same substance as the shell of the mollusk that created them, deposited in concentric layers.
* In order to be considered a true pearl, a pearl needs to contain a substance called nacre. Nacre gives pearls the luster they are known for. However, non-nacreous "pearls" are still referred to as pearls for convenience, and can still be valuable.
* Pearls are relatively soft, with a hardness between 2.5 to 4.5 on the Mohs hardness scale. However, they are extremely compact, which makes them durable and resistant to being crushed.
* As organic gemstones, pearls belong to the same group as ammolite, coral, ivory, jet and amber. These are all formed as a result of biological processes.
* Pearls are traditionally given on the third and thirteenth anniversaries. It is the official birthstone for the month of June, a birthstone for Gemini and Cancer, and the national gemstone of the Philippines.
* Pearls were historically considered the "queen" of gemstones, with diamonds serving as their "king."
	+ Coincidentally or not, pearls and diamonds are also two gemstones that commonly have curses associated with them.
* Pearls are believed to represent femininity, purity, love, loyalty, and fertility. They are also often believed to bring wealth and encourage good health.
	+ Despite this, a superstition exists that pearls represent tears, and will curse one's romance if given as a gift or worn by a bride on her wedding day, bringing sadness.
	+ Baroque pearls don't seem to have any unique metaphysical properties associated with them, but their odd shape also does not affect their alleged potency as pearls.