Silver prices lost nearly 2% on Thursday, near a 3-week low, due to worries over China's demand, while the US dollar rose against its peers.

Silver prices fell nearly 2.0% to $23.40 an ounce, after opening at $23.84, and hit a high of $23.96.

Silver closed lower by 0.1% yesterday, after weak data in China, and after recovery attempts from the 3-week low of $23.37 stopped.

Data showed on Wednesday that Chinese retail sales fell to the lowest level in a year in August.

The dollar index rose over 0.35% today against a basket of major rivals, which weighs down on dollar-denominated metals prices.

Investors are still buying up the greenback ahead of the US monthly retail sales and the weekly jobless claims data.

Gold prices fell on Thursday, deepening losses for the second straight day, below the $1,800 barrier again.

Gold prices fell 0.6% to $1,782.82 an ounce, after opening at $1,794.29, and hit a high of $1,796.20.

Gold closed lower by 0.55% yesterday, on profit-taking from a 1-week high of $1,808.66, and amid a recovery in the US Treasury bond yields.

The dollar index rose over 0.35% today against a basket of major rivals, which weighs down on dollar-denominated metals prices.

Investors are still buying up the greenback however on bets that the Federal Reserve will cut the bonds purchases program later this year.

The 10-year US Treasury bond yield rose nearly 1.0% today, ahead of the US retail sales data, which may boost the chances of a near monetary policy tightening.

Gold stocks at the SPDR ETF fell 1.75 metric tonnes yesterday, with the total at 998.46 metric tonnes.

Euro fell in European trade against dollar on track to hit three-week lows while investors still buy up the dollar as a better alternative investment, ahead of ECB President Christine Lagarde's speech later today on the common currency and European economy. 

EUR/USD fell 0.3% to 1.1782, with an intraday high at 1.1820, after closing up 0.15% yesterday, the first profit in four days away from three-week lows at 1.1770.

Dollar's gains are contained however after disappointing US industrial production data this week.

The dollar index rose 0.25% on Thursday after a hiatus from gains yesterday against a basket of major rivals.

Investors are still buying up the greenback however on bets that the Federal Reserve will cut the bonds purchases program later this year.

ECB President Christine Lagarde is due to speak about the euro and the European economy at an online event hosted by HEC Paris and the European League for Economic Cooperation.

Lagarde's remarks might offer more clues on the future of monetary policy in Europe and the ECB's expectations for economic development. 

Silver prices fell on Wednesday, despite the US dollar's drop and the release of weak economic data.

Data showed that the US industrial production index rose 0.4% during the August, slightly lower than forecasts of 0.5%.

The data increased uncertainty about the Federal Reserve's next move, especially about reducing the asset purchase program, as inflation seen the largest slowdown in 6 month.

The dollar index fell against a basket of major currencies by less than 0.1% to 92.5 points as of 19:23 GMT, after hitting a high of 92.6 points and a low of 92.4 points.

As of 19:26 GMT, silver spot prices fell 0.3% to $23.8 an ounce, after hitting a high of $23.9 and a low of $23.6.