Gold knight worth extra 25%

THE glitter on the central figure at this year’s academy awards ceremony has never been so costly.

With gold at an all-time high, the price of each gilded Oscar to be presented this year has jumped to $500 (€340) from $400 last year, academy spokeswoman Teni Melidonian said.

The 13 1/2-inch Oscar won’t be the only piece of glitz at the jewellery-studded event whose value has soared. An ounce of gold rose about 40%, reaching $950, in the past year.