re: not as good as it gets for gold *****
Commodities, currencies, share prices, local goods and services all move relative to one another. Gold is up against the dollar, inflation is up - so what? So are lots of other things - that doesn't make it a currency. Beer is up against the dollar and no-ones calling beer a new currency. The only thing you can exchange gold (and beer) for is money.
Apparently Indians and others like to make jewellery from it - thats where the demand comes from. The rest is just speculation and little bit of organised ramping - happy to ride it for a while though.