As the venerable monetary element, rooted in time and in the refractory geology of the planet, gold is gaining new supporters every year. Asian and Middle Eastern potentates are ignoring the constant detractions of gold as money and are increasing their holdings. Plans for new forms of the gold standard are proliferating. But the triumph of gold does not depend on governments. Collected by savvy savers everywhere, its price movements command the avid attention of millions of investors and traders.