Crossword Genius

Work on a figure in stone (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

opal

'stone' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'work on a figure' is the wordplay.
'work' becomes 'op' (abbreviation for opus).
'on' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'figure' becomes 'l' (I've seen this in other clues).
'op'+'a'+'l'='OPAL'

'in' is the link.

(Other definitions for opal that I've seen before include "raw material" , "Delicately-coloured gem" , "Milky stuff that's hard" , "Milky iridescent stone" , "Birthstone for October" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.