My gold looks dull — can it be brought back?

Dull is usually dirt, not damage

Skin oil, soap, hand cream and the grey film that builds up in every crevice. It sits in the places light should be bouncing out of — under stones, in engraving, along the sides of prongs — and the whole piece goes flat.

A proper clean gets most of it back without removing any metal at all. That is the better answer when it works, and it works more often than people think.

When it needs polishing as well

If the surface is covered in fine scratches from years of wear, cleaning alone leaves it clean but still hazy. Then a light polish levels the surface and the shine returns properly.

What we check first

Stones get pressed before anything goes in an ultrasonic or onto a wheel. Some stones should not go in a cleaner at all — opal, emerald, pearl, turquoise and some treated stones among them. We identify what you have before it goes anywhere near a machine.

Keeping it that way

Warm water, a drop of washing-up liquid and a soft toothbrush, once a month, gets you most of the way. Take rings off for hand cream and for the gym. That is the whole routine.

Questions we get asked

Where we are

Julio's Jewelry, 800 Orland Square Drive, Orland Park, IL 60462 — inside Orland Square Mall. Mon–Thu 10am–8pm · Fri–Sat 10am–9pm · Sun 11am–6pm. We are also at North Riverside Park Mall, 7501 W Cermak Rd, North Riverside, IL 60546.