CHICAGO, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Gold futures on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange closed double-digit higher on Thursday as safe haven appeal was boosted by prolonged trade tensions.

The most active gold contract for June delivery jumped 11.20 U.S. dollars, or 0.88 percent, to settle at 1,285.40 dollars per ounce.

The Wall Street stock benchmarks plunged more than 1 percent on Thursday due to the escalating U.S.-China trade tensions. The Dow Jones Industrial Average went down some 400 points prior to the settlement of gold. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq also fell sharply.

When equities post losses, the precious metal usually goes up, as investors are looking for a safe haven.

The U.S. dollar index, a gauge of the greenback against six major peers, also weakened on Thursday. This made gold, measured in the dollar, less expensive to investors using other currencies.

As for other precious metals, silver for July delivery was up 16.4 cents, or 1.14 percent, to close at 14.613 dollars per ounce. Platinum for July delivery was down 5.80 dollars, or 0.72 percent, to settle at 799.50 dollars per ounce. Enditem

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