Author's Note: I've been fascinated by pearls ever since Peridot talked about how they were on Homeworld. This is my take on the thoughts and conditioning experienced by them.
A pearl has no inherent worth, their only value comes from how their behavior reflects on their owner.
A pearl must obey their owner without question, through obedience they can have worth.
A pearl is to remain silent unless told to speak, to speak out of turn is to imply individual though which a pearl can not have.
Pearls do not have the capacity to think or learn, they have no skills of worth outside of decoration.
A pearl must be beautiful in appearance at all times, their physical forms are a reflection of their master.
A pearl must never show emotion outside of a staged performance, to be anything besides demure and passive is going against their master's design.
A pearl is not a true gem, gems have value to the empire pearls are simply decoration.
Every pearl comes out of the ground with these tenements burned into their mind until they can recite them from memory. From the very beginning they know their lives matter only so long as they can be useful to their masters. In their rare moments alone pearls practice their dances and courtly manners knowing their first slip up will likely be their last. A pearl knows that they only have their position because one of their sisters failed in her duties and paid the price. Many do not last more than a few cycles before the pressure gets to them and they mess up. Some wonder if they fail on purpose but that's impossible, to do that would mean a pearl could think. Homeworld's resources are dwindling, luxuries like pearls are becoming harder and harder to find. No one really feels the loss, no one except the pearls but they can't feel anyway.
Author's Note: Well there we go guys, if you like it I might do one of these for all of the major gems we know.