Friends - Gold, Silver, or Something Else?

Friends, they say, are gold when old.
New ones come in silver.
Not that easy, seems to me –  
Mine come with more variety.

They appear as:
•    Pearls – calm, classy, soothing
•    Emeralds – bringing richness and growth
•    Diamonds – priceless, lasting forever
•    Rubies – brilliant, dramatic
•    Jade – mysterious, deep
•    Topaz – sunny, joy-filled
•    Turquoise – from a culture not mine, adding variety and shades of color
•    Sapphire – cool, steady
•    Opals – quiet with a sparkle underneath
•    A string of dried Chinaberries – homespun and comfortable

In this Thanksgiving season, I name these priceless treasures in my gratitude list.