The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word EMERALDS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
E
M
E
R
A
L
D
S
More clues leading to the result EMERALDS
- Gems editor’s penning lamer after revision
- Journalists welcoming time inside hollow monumental stones
- Rock leads welcome in me, the leader of Rolling Stones
- Stones‘ leaders regrouped, including motormouth
- Stones thrown by mere lads
- Stones damaged alders and hollow elm
- Dodgy dealers pocket 1000 jewels
- Exa dreams about getting large precious stones
- Esmeralda endlessly creates gems
- Jewels from Queen pocketed by damsel in distress?
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Stones" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case stones = emeralds.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does EMERALDS mean?
EMERALDS noun- Any of various green gemstones, especially a green transparent form of beryl, highly valued as a precious stone.
- Emerald green, a colour.
- Any hummingbird in the genera Chlorostilbon and Elvira; and some in the genus Amazilia
- A size of type between nonpareil and minion, standardized as 6½-point.