THEgold has been one of the great success stories in the investment world in recent years and the recent move by the Federal Reserve, which guarantees low rates until at least 2014, has increased its appeal, given the (unfounded) fears that this policy expansionary monetary policy could lead to inflation.
The problem with gold is that, like investment asset and store of value, can rely solely on capital gains, which constitutes a fragile basis, given the bubbles that can develop (and have indeed been rising). But there's another side to this 'gold rush', and it's not pretty. His rapid upsurge stimulated the extraction and the search for new gold veins. The United Nations estimates that there are 15 to 20 million gold 'miners' in about 70 countries around the world. While the majority of mining operations are carried out by large companies, with safety guarantees and controls, today about 20% of the gold extracted comes from small artisanal companies, which employ child labour, in unhealthy conditions which in some cases almost amount to slavery . Again the United Nations estimates that tens of thousands of minors are employed in heavy and dangerous work in artisanal gold mines.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/high-price-of-gold-is-child-slave-labor-2012-01-
