Vaulted Gold

Vaulted gold refers to physical bullion stored within professional vaults under conditions of verified ownership, insurance, and audit control.
The term describes gold that remains physically present and identifiable inside a secure facility while being legally owned by a specific client or institution.
Vaulted gold combines the security of professional storage with the transparency of direct ownership documentation.

Definition and Structure

In contrast to financial exposure or paper gold, vaulted gold represents tangible, allocated metal that never leaves the custody of a recognized vault operator.
Each bar or coin is recorded in an inventory ledger, assigned a unique serial number, and held under a contractual storage or custody agreement.
Ownership records are maintained both by the vault operator and by the supervising custodian to ensure reconciliation and independent verification.

Vaulted gold may be stored on behalf of individuals, institutional investors, or central banks, but the defining characteristic remains the same — the gold is physically present, insured, and auditable within the vault network.

Operational Framework

Professional vault operators maintain vaulted gold under strict segregation protocols.
Access, movement, and inspection of holdings are governed by detailed operational manuals and dual-control policies.
Each transfer or delivery requires written instruction from the beneficial owner or custodian, ensuring that ownership rights remain uninterrupted throughout the storage lifecycle.

Periodic audits compare barlists, weights, and serial numbers against the operator’s internal registry.
All reconciliations are logged and timestamped, forming an immutable trail of custody and verification.

Insurance and Verification

Vaulted gold is protected under comprehensive all-risk insurance, covering theft, damage, and transit exposure.
Independent audit firms validate that the listed holdings exist in physical form and are stored under the declared conditions.
Verification reports typically include:

• Confirmation of bar serial numbers and weights;
• Review of vault access and control mechanisms;
• Cross-check between operator and client records.

Institutional Role

Vaulted gold represents the core asset layer of the physical gold market.
It provides investors and institutions with a mechanism to hold gold in a fully reserved, non-leveraged form — outside the banking system and beyond counterparty exposure.
Within institutional infrastructure, vaulted gold underpins the integrity of custody, settlement, and reserve management by ensuring that every reported ounce corresponds to an existing, verifiable bar in storage.