Advice needed for buying gold in Singapore

I am planning a trip to Singapore in October or November this year. I need advice related to purchasing Indian-style gold jewellery in Singapore. I have never been to Singapore and don’t know anyone there so any advice from people who are living there or have been to Singapore is much appreciated. Since buying gold jewellery is a huge expense/investment, I have a lot of questions. There are many sites where you can find information regarding this but I don’t know how much is outdated and what still holds true.

From what I have read, I have decided against buying gold at the Mustafa Centre. From what I understand most of the Indian jewellery shops are located along the Serangoon Rd. Could you advice me on some good and credible jewelers that sell 22 carat gold jewellery in Singapore (I’m interested in temple jewellery designs in particular)?

When buying gold I assume I should be looking for the 916 hallmark. I also understand that it is cheaper if I pay in cash than with debit card, as I can be charged for the transaction cost. I read somewhere that SOME jewelers don’t take any workmanship fee but a close relation living in UK said that the jewelers in Singapore are not allowed to take any workmanship fee as the jewellery is machine-made these days. I could not believe it. I realize most of it is machine-made but is the workmanship fee really wavered? If it is not, does anybody know how the rates and fees are charged for the workmanship? If I want to have a haaram specifically made for me, I assume that I have to pay a workmanship fee?

I understand that I have to pay GST (of 7%) but that the GST is refundable. Are there any other costs or taxes that I have to think of? Please let me know if I have misunderstood anything and what I should think of when purchasing gold jewellery in Singapore. Is buying gold before Diwali a good idea or are the shops very crowded?

 

Moderator,
Could you please move this thread to the Singapore or Singapore Shopping sub-forum please?