What "ethical" means in practice
Permits. Material legally exported with documentation. Diggers paid above subsistence rates, not pennies for cabinet-grade finds. Truthful locality data — not a generic 'China' when the buyer asked which mine. Treatments disclosed (heat, irradiation, acid cleaning, repair, stabilization). No purchases that fund armed conflict or illegal mining concessions. These are minimum bars, not virtue signaling.
Red flags
Prices below the obvious cost of mining + transport + dealer cut for the quality offered. 'Lost' paperwork. Refusal to discuss the dealer chain. A locality label that conflicts with the specimen's mineralogy — Tsumeb dioptase doesn't come from 'Africa,' it comes from a specific mine in Namibia. Fake matrices (specimen glued to a foreign rock to inflate cabinet appeal). Undisclosed repair (lapidary-grade reconstructive work that's invisible to the naked eye).
Questions to ask a dealer
Which specific mine and shaft? When was this piece collected? Who collected it? Has it been cleaned, treated, or repaired in any way? Do you have an export permit or invoice? Most reputable dealers welcome these questions — being asked is the sign of an informed customer. Sellers who get defensive about provenance are usually defensive for a reason.