Argos to sell Fairtrade wedding bands

Argos has become one of the first major high street brands to sell Fairtrade gold wedding bands, which it will offer across stores nationwide.

The new line of wedding bands will be available in four different styles and went on sale on Saturday, 16 July. A number of additional styles are also available on the retailer’s website and can be delivered within five working days to the customer’s home.

Each wedding band will be imprinted with the Fairtrade Gold Stamp, which means miners were paid a fair price for the gold along with an extra amount of money in the form of ‘Fairtrade Premium’.

The Fairtrade gold in the rings comes from SOTRAMI gold mine, located in the Atacama desert in Peru – 70 miles from the nearest town.

The mining community, which consists of 500 families, now has access to a primary school, dentistry and a not-for-profit grocery store after investing the Fairtrade Premium.

Stephanie Wilkes, fine jewellery buyer at Argos, said: “We are very proud to be adding a number of new ring styles made from Fairtrade gold to our existing collections.

“We hope they add extra sparkle to our couples’ big day and contribute towards building stronger mining communities in Peru, thanks to Fairtrade certification.”

Euan Venters, commercial director at the Fairtrade Foundation, added: “Congratulations to Argos for setting such an important precedent in the jewellery industry. As one of the biggest high street retailers of jewellery, this move shows that Fairtrade gold really can be mainstream.”