Vetting an ethical crystal supplier is crucial to ensure that you're supporting responsible practices and contributing to conscious sourcing. Here are some questions you can ask a potential supplier to assess their ethical standards:

1. Sourcing Practices:

   • Where do you source your crystals from?

   • Can you provide information about the mining or extraction methods used?

   • Do you have partnerships with mines or communities that prioritize ethical and sustainable practices?

2. Environmental Impact:

   • How do you minimize the environmental impact of your operations?

   • Are your mining and production processes eco-friendly and compliant with environmental regulations?

3. Labor Practices:

   • How do you ensure fair wages and safe working conditions for the people involved in mining and production?

   • Do you have any certifications or partnerships related to fair labor practices?

4. Community Engagement:

   • Do you engage with local communities where the crystals are sourced?

   • How do you support the well-being and development of these communities?

5. Certifications:

   • Do you have any certifications related to ethical sourcing, such as Fair Trade or Responsible Mining certifications?

   • Can you provide documentation to verify your ethical claims?

   • Could you share any permits or licenses related to your work?

6. Transparency:

   • Are you willing to share information about your supply chain and sourcing practices?

   • How do you ensure transparency throughout the entire process, from mine to lapidary to market?

   • Would you allow us to tour your mine or lapidary?

   • Could we speak with some of your employees to better understand their work?

7. Conflict Minerals:

   • How do you ensure that the crystals you provide are not associated with conflict minerals or regions of conflict?

8. Social Responsibility:

   • What initiatives do you undertake to give back to the communities you work with?

   • Are there any social or philanthropic projects you're involved in?

9. Packaging and Shipping:

   • What steps do you take to reduce packaging waste and use environmentally-friendly materials for shipping?

10. Customer References:

    • Can you provide references from other businesses or individuals who have purchased from you?

    • Are there any testimonials or reviews that speak to your ethical practices?

11. Long-Term Sustainability:

    • How do you ensure the long-term sustainability of your sourcing practices?

12. Future Goals:

    • Are there any plans or goals you have for further improving your ethical and sustainable practices?

Remember that the supplier's willingness and ability to provide detailed, honest, and satisfactory answers to these questions can give you a better understanding of their commitment to ethical practices. These questions are mainly designed for talking to miners, lapidaries, and co-ops. However, they can also work for checking out wholesalers and other business partners. If someone refuses to answer these questions, there is a chance they may be hiding something.