No. Welo opals are porous. You want to avoid any chemicals on them. They have been successfully tumbled at times though, with very impressive results. That said I haven't seen any after the frist few years they were out and everyone I talked to about it said it was not profitable to do. I loved the end results though.
That seems like a good idea. The dremeling is presumably already getting the opal pretty wet. Just no other chemicals if avoidable (not that it would matter, anything that dissolves that rhyolitey dirt will eat the opal just as happily).
Just a thought... If it will tolerate high pressure water, maybe plain water in an ultrasonic tank could be effective.
The problem I can see with ultrasonic tanks is the force being unfocused... much like the chemicals it will also attack the opal. A water jet means you can attack the sand first and stop before you hit what you want to keep.
Opal and ultrasonics is generally a no no. This from GIA on the use of ultrasonic cleaners and gemstones.
There are many gems that are susceptible to heat and temperature changes and should not be cleaned in an ultrasonic regardless of whether they are treated or untreated. Some of these gems include tanzanite , feldspar (sunstone and moonstone), fluorite, iolite, kunzite, lapis lazuli, malachite, opal, topaz, turquoise, zircon, and others.
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