Few tips to identify purity of Silk Saree/Fabric

Silk, is often referred to as the “Queen of Textiles” because of its luxurious look and feel. It is a natural protein fiber typically made from cocoons of silkworms. According to legends, silk was discovered by an Empress in ancient China. The secret of making silk was guarded for thousands of years. However, with the trade routes opening up, it started expanding to other countries.

Silk is said to be one of the strongest natural textiles in the world. However, it loses its strength upon getting wet or elongated. It also gets weekend when exposed to direct sunlight for long. Therefore, it needs to be handled and maintained carefully. For tips on Maintaining Silk Sarees and Dupattas visit Insightswithruchi.

This classy and elegant fabric also has a unique characteristic of being hypoallergenic hence is unlikely to irritate people with sensitive skin or allergies. But with the variety of pure and artificial silk fabrics available online/offline, it becomes exceptionally challenging to identify the purity of the material. If you have the expertise to touch the fabric and sense its purity, great. If not, here are a few tips that can help you identify genuine silk material.

• • When you rub pure silk between your hands you can feel the warmth. It is one of the simplest and easiest ways to recognize its purity.
  • Pull a few threads from the silk fabric (without damaging it) and burn them under a flame. Genuine silk will produce a smell of burnt hair. Further, burnt silk turns into a hollow bead that is black, crispy, and brittle. It turns to powder when twisted between fingers. However, when you burn a synthetic material, you can sense the smell of burning plastic. Also, the burnt thread turns into a solid bead, and you don’t find any ash.
  • Silk burns as long as it is in contact with the flame. Once removed, it stops burning. Artificial silk continues to burn even after being moved away from the flame.
  • The luster of silk material is an easy way to verify its authenticity. Silk luster comes from a combination of threads that provides a particular sheen to the fabric. The color on the surface of silk material changes with the angle of the light. Artificial silk gives a white shine irrespective of the light position.
  • Low ply silk saree/material can be pulled through a wedding ring without any crumple as silk material is naturally smooth and flexible. If the silk is artificial, it will scrunch up.
  • Genuine silk is significantly costlier (usually ten times more expensive than synthetic/artificial fabric). If you are being offered silk material at an exceptionally reduced price, be cautious. 
  • Genuine silk dissolves in bleach, whereas fake one does not.
  • If you are buying hand-woven silk check out for the evenness of the material. Hand-woven silk shows minor but noticeable variation in the evenness of the texture. 

To ensure that you are buying genuine silk saree/material, it would be best if it’s bought from a reputed manufacturer/vendor. It is one product that can be missold easily. So do not get tricked. Do background research on the place from where you are buying.