“We can easily come up with some basic excuses for gold to cool down this week, but the main reason for the breakout is the stunning rally that preceded it,” Gold Newsletter editor Brien Lundin told MarketWatch. “Frankly, gold’s move from just over $2,600 to nearly $2,800 in October was a bit too much and too fast. A pause is not unexpected and is actually healthy for the long-term bull market.”

Gold futures made a mark Record high clearing and intraday levels on Wednesday before ending Thursday with a 1.8% decline. December gold fell a penny to settle at $2,749.20 an ounce on the Comex on Friday. Prices for the most active contract lost 0.2% for the week, following three consecutive weeks of gains, according to Dow Jones Market Data.