BYU student Zach Burkard uses his lifelong love of rocks to create meaningful jewelry for his Centered Stones.
“I’ve always loved rock,” Burcard said. “As a kid, I always had rocks in my pocket that I would collect from the world around me.”
Burkard is passionate about creating ethical jewelry. He does this by connecting with the people who mined the stone so his clients can know where the stone came from and have confidence in its quality.
“Over the past two years, I’ve been mining and collecting enough gemstones that starting next year, every piece of jewelry I make will be made from gemstones that I mine, cut and polish myself,” Burkard said.
Together with his girlfriend, Olivia Rigby, Burkard mines gemstones and makes jewelry to sell in local markets.
“We usually pick out stones that appeal to us and then really experiment with the design,” Rigby said. “The fact that everything is handcrafted and mined by us really sets Centered Stones apart.”
Stones and crystals heal, Burkard explained, and he wanted to create unique and beautiful ways for people to maintain these healing properties at all times.
Burkard started his jewelry making business in July 2021. He explained that the motivation to start Centered Stones came from the spiritual influences around him. Burkard was introduced to Buddhism while serving as a missionary in the Philippines.
“Buddhism really opened me up to new aspects of spirituality,” Burcard said.
Upon his return, Burkard attended a retreat in Mexico, where he became certified in energy work and guided meditation. Burkard considers his sister-in-law Brea Burkard to be his guide in the Crystal World.
“Zach has always had an innate curiosity about stones and crystals, especially when he came to my house and saw all the crystals I was playing around with,” says Brea Burkard. “He was like a sponge when it came to understanding what all the different crystals and gemstones meant and how they could help us.”
Brea Burkard explains that crystals and stones are gifts from the earth to humans to sustain the energy in their lives. Having crystals in your life better connects you to the earth and to yourself, she explains.
“You know when you buy from Centered Stones, you’re getting a higher quality stone,” Brea Burkard said. “It’s like shopping at Walmart instead of Restoration Hardware.”
Zach Burkard explained that Utah has always been a very conducive environment for starting a small business, especially because so many people in Utah are entrepreneurs and small business owners.
“It’s really a project that I look at as a hobby and a passion, and once it becomes money-centric, I try to hold myself back and find joy in doing what I love,” Zuckerberg said. Card said.
