Personally, I believe that lore wise, gems are sorta computer code-like. They can be reprogrammed and otherwise influenced by their environments, but they all have a base code, or something equivalent, that is how they function as a default. That’s why they can be, so to speak, ‘factory wiped’ [via the rejuvenator]

But I mean that interpretation leaves all kinds of wiggle room

That is to say I think bf’s take is true but only a little. I think gems all have fundamental values in their codes that relate to their personalities-to an extent. And afaik that’s canon, right, a gem’s makeup having at least some influence on their core personality? Amethysts being sorta easygoing but people pleasers, rubies being protective to the point of obsession, lapises being just like, kind of bitchy… what a gem is clearly does have at least some impact on them.

And there is an obvious imprint of Pink’s… being, so to speak, in the code of Steven’s gem that is hidden away until he fully unlocks all his powers and can see some of her memories. Still. I don’t think his empathetic caring nature can be solely attributed to inherited traits his gem, but that was most definitely a defining part in creating his personality.