"Gold is the only financial asset that isn't someone else's liability and it's the only asset that's reliably held its value over time," notes global investor and resource expert Yiannis Mostrous.

In his Vital Resource Investor, he adds, "Indeed, gold has held its value for millenia. An ounce of gold still buys a quality men's suit, just as it did in the days of ancient Greece." Here, he reviews a trio of ideas, each for investors with various levels of risk tolerance.

Mostrous explains, "To date, Americans have never had to experience the society-wrenching events that have affected much of the world for centuries. But most of the globe's population hasn't forgotten the value of gold in times of extreme strife and social turmoil.

"And with incomes rising in many of these countries, beneficiaries have used their newfound savings to beef up their holdings. That's a trend with serious legs, particularly as Asia continues to grow.

"Then there's inflation, the ultimate debaser of all paper currencies. Despite surging energy and food prices, core inflation remains at elevated -- but still relatively moderate -- levels in most of the developed world.

"Developing world inflation, however, is a far different story. And many countries have seen sharp price acceleration across the board, including China.

"The recent pullback in commodity prices has opened up this window of opportunity," says resources expert Larry Edelson who reaffirms his long-term bullishness on gold.

In his Real Wealth newsletter, he explains, "If you think the slowdown in the U.S. economy is impacting China and other emerging markets - ground zero for the natural resources boom - think again." Here, he discusses his favorite gold plays.

"Not only are the Chinese and Indian economies expected to surge more than 9% this year, countless other economies throughout Asia, the former Soviet states and Latin American countries are also growing by leaps and bounds.

"As long as this massive new demand continues, natural resources and commodities will continue to soar And investors who use temporary pull-backs in this long-term bull market stand to multiply their money - over and over again - for years to come.

"You must own some gold in this economic environment. Gold represents the epitome of the natural resource boom because it is the world's best barometer of inflation and financial crises. When inflation is on the rise, as it is now all over the world, gold thrives.

The allure of gold in an uncertain market has driven its price up precipitously in the past few years, to the point that many are speculating $1,000 an ounce is within reach. Is this the right time for you to move some of your investment into the metal?

According to John Hathaway of Toqueville Asset Management's Gold Fund, as interviewed by Barron's, gold still has a lot of upside. For investors looking for alternatives during the liquidity squeeze and nervous over the Fed rate cuts and its potential inflationary effect, gold offers an interesting opportunity. He believes that, if consumer confidence in the market continues to wane, gold could certainly reach $1,000 an ounce. He also makes the interesting observation that in 1980 the ratio of all gold ever mined to the sum value of all stocks and bonds was around 20%. The same ratio today is around 3%. Scarcity, therefore, works to support gold prices. Increasing environmental regulations, questionable governments and the growing costs of mining all suggest the metal will remain scarce for the foreseeable future.

Each year Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, surveys the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is part of his 24th annual Top Picks Report.

Pamela Anne Aden, turns to gold for both her favorites for 2007 -- selecting the exchange-traded fund streetTracks Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD) as her conservative investment and Market Vectors Gold Miners Trust (ASE: GDX), also an ETF, as her top speculation.

In The Aden Forecast, the resource sector advisor notes, "There are several reasons why the metals and commodities markets are likely headed higher in the upcoming years. Aside from the ongoing demand out of China and other emerging nations, gross financial imbalances are taking their toll too.

"In recent years, the U.S. has gone heavily into debt. At the same time, China has built up the largest cash reserves in the world. The end result is the largest U.S. budget and trade deficits in history, and this has caused the U.S. dollar to fall over the past five years.

"Since gold and the dollar generally move in opposite directions, these imbalances have also been an important factor driving gold higher. This major financial shift is unlikely to be resolved soon. That means gold and gold shares are poised to rise further in 2007.

"One way to take advantage of these trends is buying the gold ETF, streetTracks Gold, which tracks the price of gold bullion and is a conservative way to invest in this market. The ETF for gold shares -- Market Vectors Gold Miners -- which tracks individual gold mining companies, is a more speculative way to play the sector."