London and Japan markets are closed today and China is shut until Thursday for the Labour Day break.
US payroll data on Friday was set to be the key event risk of the week, according to Pepperstone head of research Chris Weston.
He mused whether improved unemployment figures would lead to a risk-off vibe, or lead to positivity based on a strong economy.
"I suspect we're getting to a point where really good data could start to become bad for markets," he said.
The gold price is hovering around US$1,768 an ounce on the spot market.
Among the majors, Anglo American lost 2.28% and Antofagasta fell 1.92% in London on Friday.
Freeport-McMoRan closed down 1.77% and Newmont rose 0.16% in New York, while Barrick Gold was unchanged in Toronto.
Finally, BHP was down slightly in morning Australian trade.