Gold hit its highest in more than a week on Tuesday, vaulting the $1,200 per ounce mark, as investors sought refuge in the metal after stock markets sold off due to anti-euro comments by an Italian lawmaker. Spot gold jumped 1.3 percent to $1,202.81 per ounce by 2:20 p.m. EDT (1820 GMT), and was on track to post its biggest one-day percentage gain since Aug. 24.
Prices earlier touched $1,208.23 an ounce, the highest since Sept. 21. US gold futures for December delivery settled up $15.3, or 1.28 percent, at $1,207 per ounce.
Stocks fell worldwide, while European assets also dropped after the economics spokesman for Italy's ruling League party, Claudio Borghi, said most of the country's problems could be solved by having its own currency. "The equity market sell-off has unnerved investors and is bringing in some safe-haven bids," said FOREX.com analyst Fawad Razaqzada.
"Gold still needs to break and hold above major resistance in the $1,205-$1,215 range before we can be confident that a low has been formed."
Analysts noted, however, that gold had not been influenced by the dollar's broad based rise, as represented by the dollar index. A rising dollar normally reduces the attractiveness of dollar-priced gold for overseas investors.
"One thing that was interesting today was that the dollar index was over 95 and gold completely ignored that. The index around this level is a major headwind for gold and when you ignore a headwind it is a bullish signal," said George Gero, managing director of RBC Wealth Management.
Gold has fallen for the past six months, losing 13 percent, largely due to dollar strength, with the US currency benefiting from a vibrant US economy, rising US interest rates and fears of a global trade war.
Meanwhile, silver hopped on the gold bandwagon, rising 1.6 percent to $14.69 per ounce. It earlier rose to $14.91, its highest since Aug. 28. Platinum rose 0.6 percent to $826.49 per ounce, while palladium eased 0.3 percent to $1,053.