| “ |
What do our guests look like, Pearl? |
” |
| —Carbonado[1] | ||
Carbonado is an unaligned Gem, and an original character created by KJD. Carbonado was formerly a member of the The Great Diamond Authority, but was sent to shattering by the Diamonds because of her compassioned demeanor toward her subordinates, although surviving it and managing to escape.[4]
Carbonado and her Pearl are currently on a wasteland planet that's already been harvested, they figured it would be the best place to make sure no one from Homeworld discovers them since there's no reason for them to return there.[5]
Appearance
Carbonado has grey-ish purple skin, plump lips, and two (hidden) eyes with black sclera. She has a thin build with a round chest, thin waist, and wide hips. Her gemstone is embedded in her midriff.
She wears a black mask covering her eyes, a flowing black floor-length skirt, and a black crop top with pointed shoulders. She wears black boots, and black bicep-length gloves.
Personality
Carbonado is beautiful, caring, kind, strong, powerful and somewhat intimidating upon first meeting. Never judge a book by its cover - she's a big believer of this as well as treating every Gem she meets as an equal.[1]
History
A long time ago, when the Diamonds were still new and the Gem race had only just begun to flourish - a fourth Diamond emerged.
She was strong, the most powerful yet, but something was wrong with her…
She was compassionate to the Gems she was supposed to dictate. Her kindness made her weak in the eyes of her sisters, so with a heavy heart and much debate, the decision was made to destroy her, salvage her shards and try again.
But, things didn't go as planned. The new Diamond survived the ambush by her sisters and fled. Her gem was cracked, her sight gone.
After managing to stabilize the chip in her Gem, she resigned to the fact that this was her new life. Hidden far away, damaged, but not broken. They would not win. Their betrayal would not make her heart cold like theirs. She would not be bitter or seek revenge. She would live her life out here, on this lifeless wasteland of a planet that had already been harvested to its core, and continue to help those Gems in need.
She would be better than those that wronged her. She will stand tall, proud, compassionate and powerful still.
No longer as Black Diamond, but as her other name - Carbonado.[4]
On top of that though nobody really knows what happened to her, the Diamonds just didn't address it and just let her be forgotten. Gems still tell stories in secret about what might have happened to Black Diamond, but it's a bit of a taboo subject and amongst Off-Colors and deserters there are murmurings of a Wasteland Queen that offers sanctuary.[6]
A few Gems have managed to find her from her old court, she regrettably had to leave them all behind when she escaped. Anyone that finds her she's happy to accept into their "home".[7] The Gems that were under her court were delegated to the other Diamonds and forbidden to talk about her under threat of being shattered.[8]
Abilities
Carbonado possesses standard Gem abilities, bubbling, shapeshifting, fusion, regeneration, agelessness, and superhuman strength/durability.
Fusions
Fusions with KJD's Gems
- When fused with Albite and Orthoclase (or Moonstone), they form Merlinite.[9]
- When fused with Black Pearl, they form Black Aura Quartz
Fusions with Fanon Gems
- When fused with Gaartes's Red Diamond, they form Cherry Diamond.
- When fused with boringartists Black Star Sapphire, they form Black Star Diopside
Relationships
Followers
Black Pearl
Black Pearl is Carbonado's Pearl, which she took with her and does treat her as an equal and a trusted friend.[10]
While they have never fused, neither of them would be opposed to it, it just never came up.[11]
Shungite
Shungite is one of the Gems from Carbonado's original Black Diamond court and was among the first group to escape Homeworld after she was rumored to have been shattered. She sensed their presence and drew them to her so she would be able to protect them.
Shungite is a skilled technician similar to Peridot and is one of a handful of Carbonado's most trusted friends that help in keeping the off-colours, fusions and defective Gems that come to find refuge with them safe. She also goes on scouting missions to find Gems in need of help.[12]
Past Subordinates
Onyxes
During her Black Diamond era, Carbonado received a large group of Onyxes to be part of her own court as a gift from White Diamond.[13]
After Carbonado was driven away they were transferred to White Diamonds court. Some of them defected with other members of the Black Diamond court amidst rumors she was still out there somewhere.[14]
Moonstone
If Carbonado ever met Moonstone, she'd probably be happy for her much like all the other Gems that come to her, that she's free to exist and be herself away from Homeworld.[15]
The Great Diamond Authority
Carbonado loved them like sisters, in a way she still does.[16]
White Diamond
In her early years, Carbonado was misguided and influenced by White Diamond who tried to make her a more ruthless leader. Unfortunately for White, Carbonado only grew to love and care for the Gems that relied on her more.[13]
Trivia
- Carbonado has two eyes with black sclara that can appear pretty jarring to others due to the crack in her gem, making her mostly blind, so she covers them. She can see things as shadowy figures though.
- KJD describes it as a combination of severe retinitis pigmentosa and nyctalopia.[17]
- Carbonado's attempted murder was near the beginning of Gem society, way before Pink Diamond's demise. Because of this, most Gems these days have no idea there ever was a Black Diamond.[18]
- The crack on her gem is stabilized, so it's not causing her any further harm. She's someone that would think of it as a more of a scar to bear that made her who she is.
- Carbonado is strong, which is probably a big part of how she survived the shattering attempt and also why the crack in her gem was able to stabilize instead of getting worse.[20]
Gemology
- Carbonado, commonly known as the "black diamond", is the toughest form of natural diamond.
- It is an impure form of polycrystalline diamond consisting of diamond, graphite, and amorphous carbon.
- It is found primarily in alluvial deposits in the Central African Republic and in Brazil.
- Its natural colour is black or dark grey, and it is more porous than other diamonds.
- Carbonado diamonds are typically pea-sized or larger porous aggregates of many tiny black crystals.
- The most characteristic carbonados have been found only in the Central African Republic and in Brazil, in neither place associated with kimberlite, the source of typical gem diamonds.
- Lead isotope analyses have been interpreted as documenting crystallization of carbonados about 3 billion years ago.
Gemstone
| Image | Description |
|---|---|
| Black Diamond's gemstone is located on her midriff, featuring an octagonal facet, and a diamond shape overall. It is slightly cracked |
Gallery
