Gold Bars
The refined, stamped form in which most sovereign and institutional gold reserves are held and traded; benchmarks like the London Bullion Market Association's Good Delivery standard set the purity, weight and markings major vaults and exchanges require before accepting a bar into official holdings.
Covered in 7 MetalsCost.com News Intelligence articles, most recently on October 11, 2026.
Coverage
Bank Mandiri Becomes Indonesia's First Conventional Bank With a Bullion Licence
Bank Mandiri has become the first conventional bank in Indonesia to receive a bullion licence from the financial regulator. It has launched gold savings, trading and physical gold withdrawal in its Livin' by Mandiri app, as Indonesian demand for gold bars and coins rises.
Ethiopia Opens Its First Gold Refinery as It Tries to Keep More Value at Home
Ethiopia has launched its first precious metals refinery, built with Egyptian refiner Sam Precious Metals, to turn its gold into export-ready bars at home. Officials say it can process more than 600 tonnes a year, far more than the country mines.
Swiss Refiner Valcambi Plans Its First Gold Refinery Outside Switzerland, in Hong Kong
Valcambi, one of Switzerland's leading gold refiners, plans to build a refinery and vault in Hong Kong with local steelmaker Shiu Wing Steel. It would be the company's first refinery outside Switzerland and a boost to Hong Kong's bid to become a gold trading hub.
NSE Signs Up Augmont to Make It Easier to Swap Physical Gold for Electronic Gold Receipts
The National Stock Exchange has picked Augmont to handle conversions between physical gold and Electronic Gold Receipts (EGRs). The move aims to draw jewellers, refiners and traders into exchange-traded gold, and Augmont's shares jumped 10%.
China's Gold Imports Top 1,000 Tonnes in Eight Months, a Record Pace
China imported more than 1,000 tonnes of gold worth $158.8 billion in the first eight months of 2026, already exceeding all of 2025's total. Most of that gold went to private investors and jewellers, not the central bank.
France Completes Full Gold Repatriation From the US, Banking a $15 Billion Profit
The Banque de France completed a 129-tonne gold swap between New York and Paris across 26 transactions, bringing all 2,437 tonnes of its reserves home and booking roughly $15 billion in profit.
India's Gold Jewellery Volumes Fall 15% Even as Spending Hits a Record This Festive Season
India's gold jewellery demand fell 15% year-on-year in Q2 2026 to 75 tonnes, even as spending hit a record ₹1,132 billion, World Gold Council data shows, as festive buying begins.
