Gold firms up on better offtake, festivities

Gold prices firmed up at the domestic bullion market here today due to increased buying from jewellery stockists as well as retail consumers supported by festive season demand.
Elsewhere, silver also rallied further on the back of sustained speculative demand coupled with higher industrial support.
Standard gold (99.5 purity) spurted by Rs 100 to finish at Rs 26,860 per 10 grams from last Saturday's closing level of Rs 26,760.
Pure gold (99.9 purity) also climbed by a similar margin to end at Rs 27,010 per 10 grams against Rs 26,910.
Silver (.999 fineness) jumped by Rs 260 to conclude at Rs 40,310 per kg as compared to weekend level of Rs 40,050.

On the global front, shiny metal rebounded modestly on bargain hunting after recent sharp fall supported by safe haven demand against the backdrop of ongoing pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, despite robust US macro data.
Spot gold was bid higher at USD 1,218.76 an ounce in early European trade.