KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Gold fell over $250 from record $4,374, largest single-day drop since 2011.

Silver also dropped more than 7% after recent highs above $53 per ounce.

Pullback fueled by easing U.S.-China trade tensions and a stronger U.S. dollar.

Rising gold demand linked to health risks from mercury used in mining.

Less than a day after gold soared to another record high, prices for the precious metal plunged — marking the biggest sell-off in years.

Gold futures in New York closed at a record $4,374 per troy ounce on Monday, before falling more than $250 (or 5.74%) Tuesday. That’s the largest, single-day percentage drop seen since September 2011, according to data in FactSet. And despite some brief rebounds, losses continued to pile up Wednesday — with gold futures trading at about $

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