He illustrated gold fever with a funny little video from the do-it-yourself cartoon site that seems to be the new favorite of the professional class: Xtranormal.

FORBES: Has Gold Fever Gotten Out Of Hand? Watch The Video

Higher rates tend to pour water on gold fever.

FORBES: Gold Hits A New High But Is The Rainbow's End Nigh?

Warren Buffett has long been resistant to gold fever, frequently dismissing the yellow metal as an investment because it produces no income, most recently bad-mouthing the asset in his annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholder letter.

FORBES: Don't Forget Buffett Missed Apple And Google, State Street's Gold Guy Says

The story begins amid the gold rush fever of 1990s Russia.

FORBES: Now You See It, Now You Don't

Last summer, when it seemed that the ads about turning your paper IRA into a solid gold IRA hit a fever pitch, gold began to go vertical.

FORBES: Apple: Good As Gold . . . Down 20 Percent Then Flat?

This helps stabilize the dollar and cool the fever for gold.

FORBES: Magazine Article

The frenzy over Pomellato reached a fever pitch outside of Italy in 2001 with the advent of the Nudo, a weighty gold ring with a huge faceted colored stone set like a diamond solitaire.

WSJ: The Cult of Pomellato | Jewelry