In pictures: Cars, henna, vending machines, charts all struck by gold

The National
  • An employee of Japanese jeweller Tanaka Kikinzoku poses with 1-kilogram gold bars at the company's main shop in Tokyo on August 11, 2011. Gold prices surged past 1,800 USD an ounce as investors bought up the safe haven as markets around the world slump due to ongoing fears about the global economy. AFP PHOTO / Yoshikazu TSUNO
    An employee of Japanese jeweller Tanaka Kikinzoku poses with 1-kilogram gold bars at the company's main shop in Tokyo on August 11, 2011. Gold prices surged past 1,800 USD an ounce as investors bought up the safe haven as markets around the world slump due to ongoing fears about the global economy. AFP PHOTO / Yoshikazu TSUNO
  • August 2011 - An employee inspects gold at a pawn shop in Bangkok, Thailand. REUTERS/Sukree Sukplang
    August 2011 - An employee inspects gold at a pawn shop in Bangkok, Thailand. REUTERS/Sukree Sukplang
  • December 9, 2009 - A gold miner pushes a wheelbarrow to carry rocks which will be processed for gold in an artisanal mine in Abangares, north of San Jose, Costa Rica. REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate
    December 9, 2009 - A gold miner pushes a wheelbarrow to carry rocks which will be processed for gold in an artisanal mine in Abangares, north of San Jose, Costa Rica. REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate
  • December 9, 2010 - A woman has a gold flake body tattoo applied in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Sammy Dallal / The National)
    December 9, 2010 - A woman has a gold flake body tattoo applied in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Sammy Dallal / The National)
  • June 17, 2011 - A tourist snaps a photograph of the 'Gold to Go' ATM machine at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Rich-Joseph Facun / The National)
    June 17, 2011 - A tourist snaps a photograph of the 'Gold to Go' ATM machine at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Rich-Joseph Facun / The National)
  • December 16, 2009 - Elodie Tasserit, a French Gilder from Gold Emotion, applies gold leaves to a Lexus LX570 during the Dubai International Motor Show in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Nicole Hill / The National)
    December 16, 2009 - Elodie Tasserit, a French Gilder from Gold Emotion, applies gold leaves to a Lexus LX570 during the Dubai International Motor Show in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Nicole Hill / The National)
  • January 25, 2011 - A Emerati man inspects Dubai's first 'Gold to Go' vending machine at At the Top in Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (Pawan Singh / The National)
    January 25, 2011 - A Emerati man inspects Dubai's first 'Gold to Go' vending machine at At the Top in Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (Pawan Singh / The National)
  • January 25, 2011 - 1 ounce gold bar on display in Dubai's first 'Gold to Go' vending machine at At the Top in Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Pawan Singh / The National)
    January 25, 2011 - 1 ounce gold bar on display in Dubai's first 'Gold to Go' vending machine at At the Top in Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Pawan Singh / The National)
  • October 3, 2009 - A man checks out the window display of a jewelery store in the Gold Souk in the Deira district of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Randi Sokoloff / The National)
    October 3, 2009 - A man checks out the window display of a jewelery store in the Gold Souk in the Deira district of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Randi Sokoloff / The National)
  • June 13, 2011 - Ahmed Saif Al Hassawi displays his Umm Al Qwain's 1970's Uniface Gold coin in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. ( Satish Kumar / The National )
    June 13, 2011 - Ahmed Saif Al Hassawi displays his Umm Al Qwain's 1970's Uniface Gold coin in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. ( Satish Kumar / The National )
  • Charts gold prices since the 1970s. Gold vaulted above $1,700 an ounce for the first time. (Reuters)
    Charts gold prices since the 1970s. Gold vaulted above $1,700 an ounce for the first time. (Reuters)