Like many small business owners, Chris and Stephanie Wontorski’s weekly routine is cyclical.

They begin the week by hosting a live sale of crystals on TikTok. Next, they post the live sale listings online and finally, they package and ship the rocks to buyers around the world. The cycle begins again with a new TikTok live sale, then listing, then packaging, live sale, listing, packaging…

“We’re in it full-time. This is our lives,” Stephanie said, co-owner of AZ Stone Co., the new crystal store in Suite 4 at 16742 E. Parkview Ave., which thrives on both online sales as well as in-store purchases.

On her TikTok LIVE, Stephanie displays stunning crystals directly sourced from countries like Brazil, Uruguay, Pakistan and Indonesia. While showing off the crystals, she adds commentary about their locality, formation and whether they are polished or raw. For those interested in the metaphysical side of crystals, Stephanie delves into the crystal’s energy, color and what chakra it might align to.

“We try to educate on both sides of it because we do have customers that are strictly people that love to know the geology and formation and then we have our metaphysical people, too, that are truly into the energy of the crystal,” she said.

Humble beginnings

Officially opened in July, AZ Stone Co. began as a simple hobby for Stephanie who, while working her “corporate America” job, began selling her crystals on Etsy which soon carried over into TikTok. Stephanie’s husband, Chris, worked as an HVAC salesman, who was getting tired of rooting around 150-degree attics in the Arizona summer.

“Over the last year, it just boomed,” Chris said of Stephanie’s side-hustle. “We kind of looked at each other and we’re like, ‘Okay, we have to make a decision of what path we’re going to take. Are we going to continue with our nine-to-five jobs or are we going to do something else?’”

The answer was simple for Chris and Stephanie, who went all in to their new business venture. Not long after quitting their jobs, their garage and living room became their new office space, overflowing with crystals, packaging and invoices from buyers around the world. Their home became so packed that they had to call off inviting the family over for Thanksgiving. That’s when they knew they needed a brick-and-mortar store.

“We accidentally turned into this parking lot and then we saw these two spots side-by-side,” Chris said of the new retail location on Parkview Avenue.

They renovated one suite into a retail shop and the other into an operations/packaging suite to clear out their home. The move has brought in crystal lovers, health and wellness practitioners, Reiki masters and others who are happy to see a new business in Fountain Hills.

Aside from the stunning rock specimens that line its shop walls, AZ Stone Co. also sells candles, teas, books, jewelry and other accessories that are perfect as gifts or to fill a newfound hobby. The shop also holds Tarot card readings every Saturday from 12 to 7 p.m. and on Saturday, Oct. 28, a Reiki master will lead a meditation session and crystal sound bowl healing practice. The event begins at 6 p.m. and is $10 to attend.

Stephanie and Chris feel it is their responsibility as sellers to understand where their crystals are sourced. They recently purchased Phenakite and Topaz from a mining family in Ukraine, asked them questions about the crystals and developed a relationship for possible future transactions. Purchasing directly from the crystal miners also ensures a lower cost for the buyers, Chris said.

“What we’re trying to do is give people a place where they can come here locally to get a good product at a fair price,” he said.

“It’s an awesome hobby, collecting crystals because they come from all over the world,” Stephanie said. “We’re here. We want to be a part of the community, and we want to teach people about cool rocks.”

For more information, visit azstoneco.com or call 602-456-2333.