Crossword Genius

Old friends providing gems (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

opals

'gems' is the definition.
(opal is a kind of gem)

'old friends' is the wordplay.
'old' becomes 'o' (abbreviation).
'friends' becomes 'pals' (pal is a kind of friend).
'o'+'pals'='OPALS'

'providing' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for opals that I've seen before include "Milky-white stones" , "Milky white and coloured gems" , "Milky gemstones with delicate colours" , "Milky sparkling gemstones" , "jewels" .)

Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app