It looks to many people as if "gold" is getting ramped, hyped and pushed into being the next big bubble. At times like this you have to remember that many people make money on volatility, and so something has to be going up for long positions, or into bubble mode for shorts to be placed.
I have done some investigations in Asia (very simple) and I see that Gold Shops are willing to sell, but are trying to prevent people selling gold back to the shops (this is normal turnover in Asia where gold is purchased, worn and when cash needed, sold back to the shops). They are sometimes refusing to buy gold back, trying to tell people to keep on "waiting a little bit more the price will go up more, no need to sell now".
This is all bubble behaviour, and just like oil, no doubt there is a little bit more to run, before everyone starts selling their gold and creates a fall similar to oil. People do not use gold as an energy source, its has value simply as thats what people tell you, and the people that tell you have lots of gold, so its self serving, I wonder if the present "gold bubble" is actually being used by "those in control" to start selling their gold and gaining "gold for cash" - just as the average Joe Punter thinks (or is it told by the media) they should swap "cash for gold".
So the cynic in me says that presently lots of people with lots of gold and very little cash and now merrily making a bubble so they can turn the gold into cash (by getting the unwashed to use their cash to buy the gold they think will save their fortunes)
I think we are looking at an "oil bubble" type fall coming soon (within 12 months), where Gold will tumble from 1,xxx US$ to sub 500$ in a short few months as people panic trying to sell all their gold.
Some media articles on the "gold bubble".
http://www.financialpost.com/story.html?id=1310224
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/tradingdesk/archive/2009/02/18/gold-bubble-still-being-blown-up.aspx
http://seekingalpha.com/article/121250-gold-the-only-remaining-bubble
http://www.earnforex.com/blog/2009/02/when-will-the-gold-bubble-burst/