Back in the day, we never asked where the stones came from
I've been a jeweler for decades now. When I started, nobody talked about where gems were sourced from. We just checked the cut and clarity, then set the price. Now, with all the focus on ethical mining, it's a different world. I had a client last month with a vintage necklace that had rubies from a shady source. Do I tell them and maybe ruin their heirloom, or keep it to myself? It's a choice that keeps me up at night, and it wasn't even on our radar years ago.