Palladium was unmoved by news that Russian metals giant Norilsk Nickel restarted palladium exports in mid-August after their suspension in April when an export tariff was imposed on precious metals.

London gold fixed at $255.40 a troy ounce, 20 cents up on Thursday afternoon's $255.20 as spot prices moved sideways.

Gold lease rates jumped sharply overnight, with the shorter dates moving most, as fresh borrowing failed to find willing lenders ahead of the United States's Labor Day long weekend.

Implied lease rates for one-month gold hit 3.94 percent, up 73 basis points on Thursday's early European levels, with progressively smaller rises across the curve out to one year.