Gold futures on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange rose on Friday as a fresh round of geopolitical jitters offset expectations for higher interest rates, which would be bearish for gold prices.

The most active gold contract for June delivery added 11.7 dollars, or 0.93 percent, to settle at 1,268.1 dollars per ounce.

Investors were watching DPRK, this weekend's G7 meeting, the coming U.K. elections, and the Trump administration, helping to boost gold's appeal as a hedge against uncertainty.

Strength in the U.S. dollar prevented the precious metal from rising further as the U.S. dollar Index was up 0.2 percent as of 1830 GMT.

The index is a measure of the dollar against a basket of other major currencies. Gold and the dollar typically move in opposite directions, which means if the dollar goes up, gold futures will fall.

As for other precious metals, silver for July delivery rose 13 cents, or 0.76 percent, to close at 17.323 dollars per ounce. Platinum for July delivery went up 10 dollars, or 1.05 percent, to settle at 962.9 dollars per ounce.