Gold rose to fresh 25-year highs in Europe today as fund managers pushed more money into commodities.
Platinum jumped to a 26-year peak, while palladium scored its highest in just over a month.
Dealers said investors and fund managers had been buying precious metals because of high energy prices, global security worries and the dollar's weak outlook.
Gold has added nine percent this year and investment banks and trade houses have sharply raised their price forecasts.
By mid-morning, spot gold was at a new high of $560.00/560.75 an ounce.
Traders attributed recent gold strength to talk of buying by a Middle East central bank. That could not be ruled out given current turmoil in the region, analysts said.
"Recent price action again appears to point to a significant buyer at work," RBC Capital Markets said in a daily report.
The bank said today's summit of UN security powers to discuss Iran's nuclear programme was preying on many minds, while high oil prices were also supportive.
Spot platinum touched $1,045 an ounce before dipping to $1,040/1,044, against $1,034/1,038 in New York on Friday. Platinum, used in jewellery and to clean auto exhausts, hit its record high of $1,047.50 in March 1980.
Japanese investors were buying platinum because of a weak dollar outlook and US fund buying, an analyst said.