Cultivation of fresh water pearls requires two to three years for proper maturation. First eight to ten pieces of the fleshy body of one mussel are inserted inside the shell of the host mussel.
淡水養珠採用「無核法」：農民先從池中撈出二至三年生、體色淡綠、外觀肥滿的河蚌兩枚，將其中一枚當作犧牲蚌，打開其外殼，取它內部能分泌真珠液的上皮細胞組織，切成長條狀數片，植入另一枚河蚌內。