Gold fell back in Europe on Wednesday after failing to crack resistance at $410 per ounce in Asian trade, dealers said.
Prices were seen holding in ranges ahead of key US jobs data on Friday, they added.
Spot gold had eased to $407.55/408.30 per troy ounce by 1440 GMT, from $409.65/410.40 quoted late in New York on Tuesday, when prices were ushered higher by a firmer euro and safe-haven purchases after bombings in Russia and Israel.
Gold's losses were trimmed briefly in the afternoon as the dollar struggled to rise from the previous day's one-week low against the euro caused by weak US data, making gold more affordable for non-US investors.
"People seem much more friendly to the market at the moment and talk about it going higher, but if that doesn't happen then things will start to slide as they lose faith," Peter Hillyard, head of European metal sales at ANZ Bank, said, adding that prices could trade between $403 and $411.
Dealers noted some buying on New York's COMEX futures market of December put options earlier this week - suggesting that some were taking a bearish view of the market.
Traders were looking to Friday's August non-farm payrolls report as markets weighed the odds for further Federal Reserve monetary tightening in the face of disappointing economic data.
Fed tightening would tend to boost demand for the dollar and tarnish the appeal of gold, but dealers said the strong possibility of an interest rate rise in September had already been built into market prices.
Analysts said bullion's fundamentals looked positive, pointing to further price rises amid global security worries.
"Short-term the market still has the potential to test higher with a target of $415 and despite looking a little top heavy, yesterday's bomb attacks in Moscow and Israel have again raised concerns of terrorist activities, particularly ahead of the 9/11 anniversary," James Moore of TheBullionDesk.com said in a daily report.
Silver slipped slightly to $6.73/6.76 from $6.74/6.77 in New York late on Tuesday.
Platinum was a touch higher at $867.00/872.00, compared with $863.00/868.00 quoted in New York.
Palladium was marginally up at $212.00/217.00 from $211.50/217.50 in the US market.