WHERE THE WORLD'S WEALTH IS STORED?

Gold
The Federal Reserve Bank Of New York
New York, N.Y., U.S.
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York holds the prize as the world's biggest known stockpile of bullion, some 550,000 glistening bars of the stuff, buried deep into the bedrock of lower Manhattan. Just 2% to 5% of it is owned by the U.S. government; the rest is owned by foreign countries. That's $203.3 billion worth of gold in a single place.

Silver
JPMorgan Bank
London, U.K.
JPMorgan bank keeps 155 million ounces of silver for Barclays Bank, to back its IShares silver electronically traded fund, which debuted in 2006.

Diamonds
De Beers Headquarters
London, U.K.
De Beers holds 40% of the world's market share in diamonds. But don't imagine the company's Charterhouse Street headquarters has vaults ankle-deep in sparkle. At any given time only "a few weeks" of supply are stocked there, a spokesman says, with an estimated value around $5 billion, according to press reports. In March, Botswana will become the new king of the diamond trade, when De Beers and the Botswana government unveil an $80 million state-of-the art sorting facility there.

Emeralds
Muzo, Colombia
Colombia dominates the emerald market, and Victor Carranza dominates Colombia's emerald business. His territory includes the Muzo region, near Bogata. He is credited with stopping drug cartels from trying to take over the emerald mines during the 1980s, but more recently ran into trouble himself when he was arrested in 1998 and charged with organizing death squads. He was released from prison in 2002.

Rubies
Myanmar And Chataburi, Thailand
About 90% of the world's rubies come from Myanmar, the subject of considerable controversy these days. Last year, there were widespread calls for boycotts of government auctions of raw gems. U.S. first lady Laura Bush said buying the gems supports the "repressive" government of Myanmar, which, last October, resorted to a violent suppression of protests by monks and students. Once plucked from the ground, most rubies are sent to Chataburi, Thailand, to be cut

Sapphires
Sri Lanka And Madagascar
Sapphires are mined in Sri Lanka and Madagascar, but, like rubies, are sent to Thailand, and increasingly, to Hong Kong, for cutting.

Platinum
Various Sites
Unlike the other metals, platinum is spoken for almost before it leaves the ground. The mines are mostly in South Africa. Platinum, which trades at about $1,600 an ounce, is in high demand by manufacturers of flat screen televisions, iPods and other consumer electronics, and makers of catalytic converters. In Europe, it's also used in diesel fuel production.