we see a lapis with a chest gem in 'the answer,' and yellow diamond seems to have some thoughts on what lapises do in 'what's the use of feeling (blue)?'. if lapis is one-of-a-kind, like i'm asserting, why is there more than one lapis lazuli? let's explore.

we know from pink that the presence of a diamond alone results in a great deal of fanfare, and that their work is more typically done from a distance (as hers is in the moon base). extending this to blue, it certainly makes sense that her leadership would come first from afar. but, like pink, she is bound to want to see her colonies personally from time to time. how can she fulfill this desire, without pink seeing her as a hypocrite?

she could shapeshift, but pink seems assured that blue and yellow would not be able to guess that she'd done that. why not simply unfuse into two completely different gems?

blue diamond's gem is placed clearly on her chest; this gem belongs to lapis's fusion partner. its size and shape make it impossible to mistake, and anyone would surely attract attention with such a prominent gem. to maintain the secrecy of the fusion, this partner would not be able to venture out. but perhaps lapis can.

why not create lapises, and form a class of gems with a good reason to be anywhere under the authority's command? lapises could fulfill a supporting role, like peridot technicians or pearl decorations, but then she'd have to hide her powers. showcasing them, then, makes much more sense, and what does every planet need to sustain gem creation and presence? they must be terraformed. 'a lapis terraforms.'

these gems would do well to be able to fit into more courts than just blue's.

in this way, too, lapis is a perfect candidate.

in real-world mineralogy, lapis lazuli typically features inclusions. pyrite (which gives a lapis golden flecks) and calcite (which is white and tends to cloud the color) lower the value of the lapis. richly colored, pure blue lapis is the most prized.

our lapis is the only gem in the main cast with a completely monochromatic color scheme, and we've seen enough closeups of her gem to know that there are no inclusions of another color in it. this could translate into her powers being much, much greater than other lapises', and explain why neither jasper nor pearl can anticipate her strength: they do know of other lapises, but none like her.

but a lapis lazuli, if her gem suits mineralogy as we know it in the real world, would never be able to disguise herself as a pink gem. this is consistent with lapis's story to steven in same old world.

lapis claims she was only supposed to come to earth 'for a short time,' and was caught out where she didn't want to be. perhaps that's because she knew she didn't fit in there, and without that layer of anonymity, only meant to check in and out.

when her form is destroyed and her gem is recovered, homeworld has no reason to expect a loyal lapis lazuli to be there: there is no more terraforming to do, after all, once the war is in full swing.

they place her in the mirror.

has she seen this all before? i think so.