Gold futures on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange fell further Thursday, as a stronger dollar and negative forces in the equities and energy markets dominated trading.

The most active gold contract for June delivery declined 5.6 dollars, or 0.34 percent, to settle at 1,654.9 U.S. dollars per ounce.

The financial markets saw declines in multitude of sectors Thursday, and the bearish atmosphere likewise had an effect on the gold market.

After heavy losses Wednesday the Dow Jones Industrial Average continued its slide, while crude oil dropped over two percent as of Thursday afternoon trading.

These negative forces, combined with a slightly stronger dollar, put pressure on the gold market and saw the precious metal extend its losses that first began Tuesday. The dollar index, which measures the value of dollar against six other currencies, traded around 79.19, up 0.08 percent on Thursday.

Silver for May delivery rose 16.1 cents, or 0.51 percent, to settle at 31.992 dollars per ounce. The most active platinum contract for June delivery also fell Thursday by 12.3 dollars, or 0.75 percent, to close at 1,628.3 dollars per ounce.