Gold rose more than 1 percent on Friday, building on the previous session's hefty gains, as a recovery in the euro prompted fresh buying of the precious metal after prices slid to five-month lows earlier this week.
Silver enjoyed a record 2011, as investors turned to physical bars and coins of the precious metal to piggyback a strong year for gold, according to The Silver Institute's World Silver Survey 2012 released on Thursday.
Fresnillo, the world's largest primary silver producer, posted first-quarter output of the metal in line with its expectations and said production of gold was ahead of target, helped by the start-up of a new mine in Mexico.
Gold prices slipped below $1,670 an ounce on Friday, pausing in their biggest one-week rally since late February as the dollar firmed against key currencies, with the euro falling out of favour due to worries over Spain's financial health.
India's gold-jewelry traders, the largest buyers of bullion, called off a 21-day strike after Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee agreed to consider rolling back recent increases in gold taxes.
Gold prices hit their lowest since early January on Wednesday as comments from the European Central Bank lifted the dollar to three-week highs against the euro, accelerating a fall sparked by declining expectations of more U.S. monetary easing.
Gold prices rose on Friday as the dollar fell to a one-month low against a basket of currencies, including the euro, after European finance ministers agreed to boost the euro zone's debt crisis firewall to roughly 800 billion euros ($1.1 trillion).
South Africa's government is to plough $420 million into a public-private platinum venture with Pallinghurst Resources that has ambitions to become the world's third-largest producer of the precious metal.
Palladium prices are set to soar this year, buoyed by high levels of speculative buying, unwavering industrial demand and the general upward price pressure commodity metals are seeing in a zero-interest rate environment, according to a report issued Thursday.
Gold was largely unchanged on Friday, but posted its second-biggest weekly decline this year due to an early week drop after the FederalReserve withheld additional easing amid a string of encouraging U.S. economic data.
India, the world's No. 1 gold buyer, plans to double the duty on imports of the precious metal, according to reports Friday, its second such move this year. Gold prices fell nearly 1 percent.
Gold edged lower on Monday after equities reversed gains and the U.S. dollar rallied to the highest in more than a month, but some investors opted to stay on the sidelines ahead of a U.S. Federal Reserve meeting this week that could weigh on the precious metal.
To talk bullish on gold looks like a risky proposition at the moment -- last Wednesday, gold saw one of the most brutal routs in a year when it tumbled five percent. It indeed recovered 1.5 percent the next day, broadly symbolizing the roller-coaster ride of bullion in recent times.
South Africa's Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd. said Friday an illegal strike at its key Rustenburg operation has now cost it 120,000 ounces in lost platinum group metals production, which equates to 2.4 billion rand ($322 million) in lost revenue.
Newly listed Russian gold miner Nord Gold may pay its first dividend this year after net profit rose 89 percent in 2011, driven by higher demand for the precious metal.
Hedge fund manager and long-time gold bull John Paulson cut his gold ETF bullion holdings by about $600 million in the fourth quarter, a second straight reduction that was likely driven by client redemption needs as he remained upbeat on the metal.
Gold prices have been too volatile to play a reliable role as a hedge against inflation, a study of financial assets over the past 112 years showed on Tuesday.
Harmony Gold, South Africa's third-largest bullion miner, cut its full-year production target by 13 percent on Monday, as safety stoppages threatened to crimp a surge in profit from record gold prices.
Precious metals enjoyed a steady climb on Thursday despite a slow day for the broader market, as gold futures reached an eight-week high while the dollar fell briefly and concerns about the Greek debt crisis subsided slightly.
Anglo American Platinum, the world's largest producer of the precious metal, has agreed to help boost production at Anooraq Resources' Bokoni Platinum Mine through a new 2.6 billion rand ($325 million) capital development programme.
Shares of London-based Hochschild Mining closed Wednesday up 5.91 percent to £523.50 ($829.24), solidly outpacing the rise in the price of silver.
OroCash, Italy's biggest buyer of used gold jewelry, expects business to flourish this year with the opening of 150 new collection points in Italyand abroad as high gold prices and unfolding economic crisis prompt people to sell family assets.
