I dont endorse gold as an investment either, but nevertheless it was used for ornamental purposes prior to it being used for money. In many cultures, such as India, having gold objects is a status symbol.

Only 20% of the above ground gold belongs to private investors. Over half is in the form of jewelry and industrial usages. This provides some reason to believe that there will be some demand for gold in the future; nevertheless it fails as a reliable inflation hedge and is volatile.