Gold plunged to its lowest level in five years on Monday, triggered by heavy selling overnight and signs Chinese demand may be weaker than expected. Prices plunged by as much as $40 an ounce in minutes when Asian markets began trading around 9.30 pm ET on Sunday, before stabilizing in European trade. By 9.15 am ET, the metal was down about 2% at $1,110, having dived below $1,100 -- a level not seen since 2010.