The gold in the Erla bracelet comes from a Fairtrade certified mine in Peru. The pendant is a 5mm circle, engraved with the MXIA symbol that symbolizes sexual equality. The bracelet is 18ct solid gold, hallmarked 750, Fairtrade certified and stamped with the Fairtrade logo. It is also marked with MXIA brand tag for quality purposes and an International convention mark. This bracelet is the same design as the 9ct bracelet, the difference is that it’s made of 18ct gold, hence the price difference.

The circle is a primary art element and often symbolizes love and foreverness. For me, it stands for persistency and endurance. The grit that I need to make my dreams come true and be a good parent, friend and responsible citizen in the meantime.

Erla is a quite common female name in Iceland. The woman that inspired me to chose this name is an artist, a visionary and doer. Erla is also a short version of Maríuerla (e. White Wagtail), which is the name for a small bird that is also very common in Iceland. It is black, grey and white - a bird in greyscale if you will - that is easy to spot in nature. This bird migrates from Iceland in the North Atlantic to West Africa in the winter. Isn’t that amazing? That this little bird can travel so far! I also think it’s quite amusing that West Africa is exactly the location that I would like to buy Fairtrade gold from in the future. At this time, there are no Fairtrade certified mines in any country in West Africa. Talk about another crazy fact. Countries so rich in gold and other natural resources, and so behind in education and social justice.

IIf you love solid gold jewelry, help make a difference in the gold industry by choosing Fairtrade gold. It really makes a difference to the miners and their communities.

I hope you like the simple, yet bold design of this bracelet.

Regarding shipping:
I am still aiming to ship orders as normal, within 2-3 days. However, because I don´t always have all products on stock, I need to ask that you allow me some extra production and shipping time. Also, because of the pandemic, postal services all over the world are delayed due to tighter border controls and restrictions of movement, therefore exact times of arrival are tricky to predict. Many thanks for your understanding and a BIG thank you for your support. It means so much to me!

–María
Designer and founder of MXIA
Reykjavík, Iceland