Gold prices

The Atlantic Ocean is wide, but maybe not wide enough. On Thursday, markets had a mixed reaction to the deepening economic crisis in Europe. Some sources reported that the European Central Bank would step in. But in the U.S., small business owners are growing nervous.

More people have been selling their gold jewelry in the past year, many to cover expenses, others to just to take advantage of record high prices. Prices have dipped a bit from their recent highs, but expect more people to sell in the months ahead, and expect the prices to rise again.

The majority of gold demand these days goes to jewelry and investors, but the precious metal is good for more than looking pretty and providing a hard asset: Industrial and technological uses for gold are growing.

The precious yellow metal soared again Wednesday, rising above $1,800 an ounce for the first time as investors fled stocks for safer assets. The Dow closed down more than 500 points, erasing Tuesday's gains.

This may have been a holiday-shortened trading week, but there were plenty of financial nuggets that kept stocks moving. Let's go over some of the news from Netflix, Verizon, Immucor and more that shaped this abridged week in the markets.

Over the past year, the prices of many commodities have risen at record paces to record highs. But recently, those prices have begun to plunge, and consumers should begin to see the effects of those declines fairly soon, in the form of less-expensive groceries and clothing.

Stocks closed slightly lower Monday despite the death of Osama bin Laden, several strong earnings reports and a major drug industry acquisition. The Dow fell 3.18 points to close at 12,807.36. Earlier in the day, it had been up as much as 65 points.

With gold prices recently hitting the $1,500 mark, consumers and businesses are looking for an opportunity to score. "We see everything from rings, teeth, jewelry, pins and lighters," one gold buyer said. "Everyone has a little gold somewhere." Should you join in? Check out these five tips.

Gold has had a magnificent run during the past 10 years, doubling in value since 2008 alone, and gold mania is seemingly still at full strength. But is profit taking the next move? What if you are among the majority of investors who have yet to dip a toe into the water? Is it safe to dive in?

After a decade-long bull run in the price of gold, the bears are beginning to come out of hibernation. While investors have piled into the precious metal in recent years, one expert predicts that gold prices could "suffer major blows starting possibly this summer."