The Saffer Crystal Makes No Sense

[Memento]

In the manga, the name of Galaxia's Sailor Crystal is written as 青金石 Seikinseki ("Lazurite," literally "blue gold stone"), with サツフアクリスタル Saffuakurisutaru ("Saffer Crystal") given as the intended pronunciation. Given that "Saffer" is an Old English word that can refer either to sapphires or lapis lazulis, Naoko presumably provided the kanji to make clear her intention. (But the joke's on her because Tokyopop and Kodansha translated it as the "Sapphire Crystal" anyway.)

Now, this may come as a shock to you guys, but lazurite and lapis lazulis are blue, and yet...

...the so-called "Saffer Crystal" sure as heck isn't blue. It's almost always shown to be some sort of golden or brownish gold color.

Now, when we look at the Materials Collection...

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"Galaxia's image gem > Alexandrite > (Brooch)"​

...we can see that her crystal was 1) originally a much more vivid shade of pinkish-red, and 2) originally identified as alexandrite.

Let's look at her infamous Galaxia bracelets:

Note that the gems are purple and green, the colors that alexandrite reflects. And while the color of Galaxia's crystal may have changed slightly, the colors of the gems in her bracelets did not.

So, here's what I'd like to know:

When and why did Naoko change Galaxia's crystal from Alexandrite to Saffer (Lapis Lazuli)?​

Why did she not make the Saffer Crystal blue to match its name?​

What do you think should change? Should future adaptations of the Stars arc depict Galaxia's crystal as blue? Or should they change the name from "Saffer Crystal" to "Alexandrite Crystal" (or maybe just a generic "Galaxia Crystal")?​

 

[Mosaic]

I was gonna say, I'm surprised she didn't call it the "Golden Crystal", but I guess it was too late for that...

 

[Rika-Chicchi]

It's funny that her brooch also features secondary gems w/ the colors of the Inners, just like Sailor Moon's - does that suggest she also has her own guardian Senshi? lol

 

[Memento]

I feel like Naoko created Galaxia to be the "anti-Sailor Moon," so perhaps her brooch was purposely designed to mirror Usagi's from the first arc.

 

[magic713]

I feel like Naoko created Galaxia to be the "anti-Sailor Moon," so perhaps her brooch was purposely designed to mirror Usagi's from the first arc.

My thoughts exactly. I think she was meant to be Sailor Moon's ultimate, Sailor Senshi, rival. Which would explain why the Saffer Crystal bears similarity to Sailor Moon's original brooch. Also why Galaxia is like super duper powerful to kill most of the Senshi.

 

[MariaTenebre]

I just head canon that Sailor Galaxia's Crystal is a Pink Sapphire Crystal. After all Sapphires do come in Pink. Really this is just an example of Naoko Takeuchi's famous inconsistency.

 

[Memento]

But it's clearly meant to be a lapis lazuli, not a sapphire, given the kanji. You're certainly right about it being an example of her inconsistency, though.

 

[MariaTenebre]

But it's clearly meant to be a lapis lazuli, not a sapphire, given the kanji. You're certainly right about it being an example of her inconsistency, though.

Well I mainly go by the 90s anime so that is basically what I headcanon for her crystal I also don't think that her brooch is her crystal but rather a cover for it like Sailor Moon's brooch and that Sailor Galaxia's Saffer Crystal is a pink Sapphire crystal like her Star Seed. Just my views and all and again only applies to the 90s anime.

 

[ChibiBoi]

I have two suggestions:
1. It’s just a name and doesn’t reflect the color of the actual crystal, kind of like how the Silver Crystal is actually clear like a diamond and not silver.
2. The crystal can change colors depending on its form, like how sometimes the Silver Crystal is pink.

 

[MariaTenebre]

I have two suggestions:
1. It’s just a name and doesn’t reflect the color of the actual crystal, kind of like how the Silver Crystal is actually clear like a diamond and not silver.
2. The crystal can change colors depending on its form, like how sometimes the Silver Crystal is pink.

I have never seen the Silver Crystal being a pink color. The only one that became pink was Chibiusa's Silver Crystal of the future which became the Pink Moon Crystal.

 

[Memento]

In the anime, the Silver Crystal appears pink in Usagi's compact when she transforms.

 

[MariaTenebre]

In the anime, the Silver Crystal appears pink in Usagi's compact when she transforms.

I never thought that was the silver crystal I thought that was a protective pink screen over it.

 

[ChibiBoi]

I never thought that was the silver crystal I thought that was a protective pink screen over it.

At the 3:10 mark, Sailor Moon takes the Silver Crystal out of her transformation brooch (it’s gigantic) and it turns from pink to its regular color.

 

[MariaTenebre]

Good looking out ChibiBoi I didn't notice that. Maybe Sailor Galaxia's crystal has magic color changing powers too.

It is almost as though when it is that pink color it is dull and powered down but when it is silver it is shining and at power.

 

[Memento]

Still, that ultimately applies just to the anime and not the manga (and, by extension, Naoko's intentions/thought processes) which is more what I'm interested in, but the idea that these magic crystals can change color is an interesting one. (Awaits artwork of the Pink Moon Crystal being depicted in yellow and turquoise plaid.)

 

[ChibiBoi]

Still, that ultimately applies just to the anime and not the manga (and, by extension, Naoko's intentions/thought processes) which is more what I'm interested in, but the idea that these magic crystals can change color is an interesting one. (Awaits artwork of the Pink Moon Crystal being depicted in yellow and turquoise plaid.)

Who knows what Naoko’s intentions were haha the Silver Crystal is crazy—one day it’s a round ball, next it’s a diamond, then it’s a flower...

 

[Starlight]

It’s just a name and doesn’t reflect the color of the actual crystal, kind of like how the Silver Crystal is actually clear like a diamond and not silver.

I never thought silver referred to the color of the crystal. I believed it was named that way to highlight the crystal's relationship with the moon since silver had long been associated with it.

 

[ChibiBoi]

I never thought silver referred to the color of the crystal. I believed it was named that way to highlight the crystal's relationship with the moon since silver had long been associated with it.

Hmmm very interesting way to look at it. Like Silver Millennium (also another weird name for a civilization and not an actual time period). Maybe same can be applied for Galaxia’s Crystal. Honestly sometimes I think Naoko Takeuchi just picked up a dictionary and selected random words from it for all her names LOL

 

[Rika-Chicchi]

Hmmm very interesting way to look at it. Like Silver Millennium (also another weird name for a civilization and not an actual time period). Maybe same can be applied for Galaxia’s Crystal. Honestly sometimes I think Naoko Takeuchi just picked up a dictionary and selected random words from it for all her names LOL

Much like the attack names, & she probably took the word "uterus" from a medical dictionary.

 

[Memento]

Or just outright made up words like "Taioron." (Sorry Nibley twins, cute theory with "thyoron," but I'm supposed to believe Naoko can suddenly read Greek and Latin? I don't buy it!)