There’s no better time for a bit of “bling” than in the middle of winter, when gloomy days call for a bit of artificial sparkle. Here we consider some of the world’s largest storage spaces for things that glitter.
There’s no better time for a bit of “bling” than in the middle of winter, when gloomy days call for a bit of artificial sparkle. Here we consider some of the world’s largest storage spaces for things that glitter.
World’s biggest store of gold
You’d be forgiven for thinking that Fort Knox is the world’s biggest store of gold bullion, but in fact this title goes to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The Reserve Bank keeps about 550,000 bars, or 7,000 tonnes, of gold in its vault, which lies 24 metres below the streets of the Big Apple. Only a small percentage of the gold is owned by the United States; the rest is held for central banks in other countries.
Biggest stockpile of silver
Perhaps it’s no surprise that England, with its pound sterling currency, is home to the world’s largest stockpile of silver. This is currently to be found in the vaults of JPMorgan, which hold 155 million ounces of silver on behalf of Barclays. The silver is to back Barclays’ IShares silver electronically traded fund (ETF), which was introduced in 2006.
Biggest collection of luxury cars
Not all that glitters is gold, or even silver. Luxury cars today sport paint jobs ranging from aquamarine to crimson. The world’s largest collection of privately owned, luxury cars is held by the Sultan of Brunei. He houses the vehicles in a series of five airplane-sized hangars, reputedly with a separate wing for each of the major vehicle brands.
The Sultan’s collection, which numbers anywhere from 5,000 to 7,000 vehicles, is said to include 604 Rolls Royces, 134 Koenigseggs, 21 Lamborghinis, 11 Aston Martins, 11 McLaren F1s and 6 Daver Porsche 962 LMs.
The Smithsonian’s collection of gems
Among other treasures, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. has one of the largest collections of minerals and gems. Its public display includes some of the world’s best-known and most dazzling gems, such as the famous Hope diamond, the Rosser Reeves star ruby and the Logan sapphire. Behind the display is a mineral research wing that houses a much larger collection, consisting of an estimated 375,000 specimens of gems, other minerals, ores and meteorites.
Gold in liquid form: the world’s biggest six-pack
It is gold and it does sparkle, but it’s a lot cheaper than the metal! In the United States, the La Crosse brewery is home to possibly the world’s largest six-pack, consisting of six storage tanks that together hold the equivalent of 7,340,796 cans of beer.
XtraSpace: Secure self-storage
At XtraSpace, we don’t provide the world’s largest storage spaces, but we do offer secure, affordable spaces for storing all your personal and business belongings. For more information about our self-storage facilities throughout South Africa, contact us via the XtraSpace site or call us on 0861 250 259.