Spot gold fell 0.4% to $1,904.21 per ounce by 1151 GMT, after a steep sell-off dragged it down to its lowest level since Aug. 12, at $1,882.70 on Monday.
U.S. gold futures rose 0.1% to $1,911.60 per ounce.
The dollar, also considered as a safe-haven, notched a six-week high against a basket of other major currencies earlier in the session, dimming the appeal of bullion for other currency holders.
"Gold could be well below yesterday's lows depending on how deep the equity sell-off goes. It's just a function of how panicked investors are," Bank of China International analyst Xiao Fu said, adding the increased risk-aversion could support the dollar and weigh on gold.
U.S. President Donald Trump's bid to quickly fill the U.S. Supreme Court vacancy left by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg left investors fretting over the chances of more fiscal stimulus before the election.
Focus now shifts to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's testimony before lawmakers, addressing questions about the raft of emergency measures the central bank has taken to cushion the blow to the economy from the pandemic.
Governments are unlikely to roll out stimulus at a similar scale seen when the coronavirus first emerged, even if cases soar as they have already used much of the ammunition, Bank of China International's Fu said.
On the technical side, spot gold may retest support at $1,886 per ounce, a break below which could cause a fall to $1,855, said Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao.
Elsewhere, silver fell 2.2% to $24.19 per ounce, platinum gained 0.3% to $883.85 and palladium fell 0.2% to $2,269.81.
By Nakul Iyer
