Originally having peach hair styled in a quiff and a much more intricate outfit, by "Gem Glow", she had the ballerina-esque design she retained before her regeneration in "Steven the Sword Fighter".

She moved on to do Broadway performances in the 1990s and 2000s, such as Miss Saigon and Wicked, but was contacted by Rebecca Sugar to portray a role in Steven Universe in 2013.

Pearl displays a strong inferiority complex and self-esteem issues stemming from the fact that she was created to be a servant; she values her independence but sometimes has trouble learning not to feel subordinate to others.

According to Vrai Kaiser of The Mary Sue, Pearl deals with severe unresolved grief, coupled with deep-seated issues with self-worth, resulting in her falling prey to "powerful, impulsive emotions" whenever Rose is mentioned.

[8] In 2014, Deedee Magno won a Behind the Voice Actor Award, in the category "Best Female Lead Vocal Performance in a Television Series - Comedy/Musical", for her portrayal of Pearl.

[9] A short flashback scene in which Pearl intimately dances with Rose in order to fuse with her, from the episode "We Need to Talk", was controversially censored by Cartoon Network UK for British audiences, as they felt that "the slightly edited version is more comfortable for local kids and their parents".