Everything about Alex Stewart International and precious metals

When you are considering investing in physical gold, absolute operational certainty is your top priority. You want the guarantee that the precious metal you own on paper is also physically present in the vault. At GoldRepublic, this guarantee is not based on blind trust or internal promises, but on independent, external verification.

To this end, we work with, among others, Alex Stewart International; the global authority in vault inspections and audits.
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About Alex Stewart International

Alex Stewart International is a globally recognised, fully independent inspection and analysis body founded in 1978. With almost half a century of experience, the organisation has established itself as the absolute world leader in the weighing, sampling and analysis of (precious) metals and ores.

The core value of Alex Stewart International is unconditional independence. The organisation has no commercial interest whatsoever in the sale, exploitation or price development of gold and silver.

It acts purely as an objective, external "referee" that records the factual situation in a vault.

How does an independent vault inspection work?

A vault inspection by an Alex Stewart International precious metals auditor follows clear protocols. It is not a paper-based, desk-bound sample check, but a thorough, physical audit of the gold on site at the high-security storage locations.

• Physical access and visual inspection: Accredited inspectors enter the vault under strict security measures.
• Bar list verification: Inspectors compare GoldRepublic's official bar list directly against the bars physically present in the vault. Every serial number must match exactly.
• Weighing and quality assessment: As a recognised assayer, Alex Stewart verifies the exact mass and purity markings of the bars.
• Full counts and spot checks: A complete count of all stored precious metal takes place. In addition, random, detailed checks are carried out on specific bars to safeguard the absolute integrity of the entire stock.

This process creates a watertight chain of evidence, which the inspectors subsequently record in an official, certified audit report.

Why an external audit is crucial for you as an investor

Many players in the precious metals market store their clients' gold at their own vault locations or manage the administration entirely in-house. GoldRepublic deliberately chooses a different, much safer structure. We are one of the few providers that store your gold exclusively in vaults managed by independent third parties.

This physical audit of the gold in these external vaults is crucial to protecting your wealth for three reasons:

• 1-to-1 backing: It provides irrefutable, external proof that the digital holdings in your account are backed exactly 1-to-1 by physical metal in the vault.
• Transparency versus the "black box": For security reasons, a vault location is closed to the public. Alex Stewart International's audit reports make this traditional "black box" fully transparent to you.
• Preventing fractional reserve practices: Periodic inspections prevent fraud, administrative errors, or double allocation (where the same bar is assigned to multiple investors). Your gold is, and remains, exclusively yours.

The highest quality standards and certifications

When you invest, the quality of the gold is at least as important as its physical presence. Gold bars purchased through GoldRepublic have an impeccable provenance. The bars go straight from the refinery into the vault. Because this chain is never broken, we know the exact quality and purity of the precious metal.

This is further reinforced by the auditor's certifications. Alex Stewart International holds the most prestigious accreditations in the sector:

• LBMA-accredited: The London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) applies the strictest global standards for the trading and storage of precious metals. As a recognised inspector within this network, Alex Stewart meets the highest international requirements.
• ISO certifications: The laboratories and inspection processes are certified to ISO 9001 (quality management) and ISO 17025 (general requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories). This guarantees that every weighing and analysis is carried out with scientific precision.

The partnership between Alex Stewart and GoldRepublic

GoldRepublic's decision to appoint Alex Stewart International as its permanent precious metals auditor is a deliberate one, made to eliminate any risk for our clients.

Thanks to Alex Stewart's independent reports, you can be certain that your wealth is optimally protected, whether you choose to store it at our highly secure locations in Amsterdam, Zurich or Frankfurt.