LIPPER AWARDS-Gold fund investors dig for deals in the mining sector

LONG BEACH, CALIF., March 21(Reuters) - Gold has been a highly coveted asset for millennia, but its appeal lately has been intermittent at best. The price of gold has climbed about 11 percent in 2014 through March 19, but is still 29 percent below the all-time high of $1,895, set in 2011, after a dismal run last year.