Can anyone help me, I have a stopover in Hong Kong for 1.5 days in three weeks time and would like to be able to purchase Freshwater cultured pearls, contemporary design, finished product for the direct sales industry.

Where do I go to make the best use of my time as well as sensible purchases of good product that I may be able to reorder when back home in Australia?

Is it worth me jumping on a train/bus and shopping outside of Hong Kong? I really want to make good use of this trip, as I have been before and come back feeling disheartened that I have not been to the right places.....

If all you can do is Hong Kong, try to time it for one of their mega-jewelry shows (they are 4 times a year, approximately?), then register and enter if you are a legit business. You will see more pearls and pearl dealers in one afternoon than you can imagine. If you can't be there at the time of the show, go to Cameron Road just off Nathan Road. Dozens of wholesalers within several blocks of each other. By all means, don't buy on Nathan Road itself! If you want lower prices, you must enter China.

[jshepherd]

If you are only going to be there for a day and half, go straight to Tsimshatsui. Nathan and Cameron are both in TST. There are hundreds of dealers in the area. If you have time to browse just go in. Stay away from shops near the road, and go into office building, this is where the wholesalers are.
There are two standard options when buying freshwater pearls in Hong Kong. Granted, the prices will always be higher than Zhuji, but you can get decent prices.
The first option is to purchase from a Hong Kong company. These companies are traders. They purchase in China and resell in Hong Kong.
The second option is to purchase from a Chinese company with an office in Hong Kong.
While the first option is likely to be a bit more expensive, you will have better luck ordering product in the future and actually receiving what you expect. Hong Kong companies are much more honest in that sense.
The second option will save you quite a bit of money up front, but if it is a one time face to face deal, and you are hoping to deal with them from home later, you are likely in for heartache.

A good Hong Kong company with a lot of inventory would be Man Sang. They are located on Chatham Road in the Railway Plaza building. A good Chinese company is Shanxiahu Pearl (also known locally as Pure Pearl), also located in Railyway Plaza.