According to the conventional wisdom subscribed to by many investors, when currencies, indices and commodities are in flux, gold shines alone as the mirage in the desert. But as the word mirage suggests, the highly valued asset is in danger of becoming simply a mirage and not the safe haven it is thought to be.

Gold is down 6.5 percent year to date and it is possible that this could be the year we will witness its first significant decline over a decade. Obviously it would be foolish to argue that gold is a thing of the past, but the clouds on the horizon could signify lower gold prices in the near future, many analysts argue although dissenting voices exist.

Nathan Goldstein, a private investor and a gold-connoisseur, has been following gold since time immemorial and is convinced that it will maintain its role as a safe asset.

“Daily trends indicate that gold is going down for the next weeks, but I’m convinced we will see a surge in the prices in the long term,” Goldstein said.

Gold has come under growing pressure in recent months because of speculation regarding The Fed’s fiscal policies. Fed chair Ben Bernanke’s announcements on Tuesday and Wednesday will potentially answer some questions over the direction of the precious metal.