I was playing a little trying to find quick and easy way to remove that background. Here are the results.
1. Duplicate the background layer
2. Use filter - high pass with this settings 5,6%
3. Set the layer blend mode to linear dodge and all the backgound will became pure white
4. Flatten the layers
5. Use select - color range and click with eye droper on the left upper corner of the image to select all white areas, drag the slider to 0%
6. Press CTRL+SHIFT+I to inverse the selection and press CTRL+J to place the selection on his own layer.
7. Finally add Hue/Saturation adjustment layer from drop down menu next to the new layer icon in layers palette. Check the colorize box and insert this settings for gold 43, 70, -54.
There is much more text than actual work in here. You can use this for any kind of background removal :)
Tihomir
Open your mind and share the knowledge!