By the time Steven brought the Diamonds to earth and used their powers to heal the corrupted Gems, he'd freed Bismuth from her bubble, discovered the truth of Rose Quartz's origins, and taught the Cluster to coexist harmoniously. Innovative thinking and ironclad empathy were the answer, in the end, from a Beach City kid who'd never even heard of Pink Diamond, Homeworld, or Kindergartens. Rose might have ended the colonization of Earth, but she was still a Gem - it took someone entirely new to break Homeworld's grip entirely. But at the center of it all was Steven: The oblivious boy with a favorite ice cream sandwich, the reluctant inheritor of his mother's misdeeds, and finally, the intergalactic leader who tore down Homeworld oppression by treating everyone, from the lowliest pebble to the mightiest Diamond, with compassion. Thousands of small meetings, battles, and reconciliations make up the story that unfolded across five seasons, from Lapis' journey to freedom and friendship to Connie's mastery of the sword. Thus proceeded the events of Steven Universe, the series. Thousands of years passed this way, filled with Pearls who never knew anything but servility, Rubies who only ever guarded those seen as more precious, and Amethysts whose entire lives were spent building for the sake of the Diamonds and their empire.

Norms became codified: Cross-Gem fusions were established as abominations, 'off-color' Gems were seen as useless blights on society, and a rigid caste system developed according to White Diamond's self-serving vision of 'perfection.' Every Gem knew their purpose, which Diamond they served, and exactly where in the hierarchy they belonged - and that deviating from any of this meant being shattered, the Gem equivalent of death.

Colonization was the order of the day, those planets brought under Gem control conquered, dismantled, and stripped of their resources to create ever more Gems.

The four Diamonds might have squabbled, Pink, as the youngest, being particularly prone to fits of temper, but they were an intact foursome and their rule was as steady as it would ever be. This epoch would come to be known as Era 1.

Pink sapphire steven universe