Eddie van der Walt

"Gold and silver have already come a long way, so perhaps it's not surprising to see them pull back a little," one analyst says.

"This is the new normal -- politics could add more volatility to all financial assets," said Barbara Reinhard, head of asset allocation for multi-asset strategies at Voya Investment Management.

European stocks and U.S. futures slid, the pound plunged and the euro weakened.

Gold is coming off its best week in more than two years, benefiting from worries about the health of China’s economy, plunging oil prices and uncertainty over U.S. interest rates.