The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday, April 28, edition that gold loves a crisis, the old adage goes, and with prices up 13 per cent this year to its highest since 2012, many are predicting further gains as investors search for safe places to put their money. A Reuters dispatch to The Globe reports that traditional gold consumers in India and China, however, are buying less and central banks are cutting purchases. Without them, Reuters says gold's run higher may be hard to sustain. For now, gold costs about $1,700 an ounce (all figures U.S.). Driven by investors' clamour for insurance against economic turmoil and the potential devaluation of assets and currencies, some predict a bull run reminiscent of gold's price rally to record highs just shy of $2,000 in 2011. Merrill Lynch has even said it could touch $3,000 by the end of next year. Asset-buying by central banks is tantamount to printing money and dilutes the value of the dollar, again adding to the appeal of gold. Unlike money, "the Fed can't print gold," says Bank of America. Even Merrill Lynch, with its $3,000-an-ounce target, thinks prices will average $2,063 in 2021 before slipping back below $2,000 in subsequent years.