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| Finnished Silk |
High quality silk can be distinguished from lower quality silk textiles by its superior smoothness, lustre and thickness. This is easy when you have a comparison of the two and is really the best way to really learn the difference in quality. However, there are some general pointers and key things to look out for to help you determine the quality of the silk.
- Ensure the chosen silk is 100% mulberry silk (this may also be referred to as cultivated silk or bombyx silk). Longthread mulberry silk is incredibly durable.
- Look for a momme count of no less than 10 (this is pronounced “mummy” and indicated by the symbol “mm”). Momme is the standard weight measurement for silk fabric and indicates the heft of the fabric.
Artificial silk should be avoided. Synthetic textiles are produced in such a way that they provide an inferior lustre and shine in in comparison to genuine, natural silk. These fabrics cannot begin to imitate the durability and the superior thermal properties of high quality mulberry silk.
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| Raw silk |
Three amazing facts about Silk:
Silk is the most durable natural fiber known to man.
If one took the same amount of steel and silk they would hold the same weight and stress.
The silkworm can spin filaments of silk which are up to nine hundred meters long!
The annual world production represents 70 billion miles of silk filament, a distance equal to well over 300 round trips to the sun.
The silkworm species Bombyx mori no longer occurs in the wild.
After 5000 years of domestication for silk production, this species is now entirely dependent on humans for its reproduction and can no longer survive in the wild. Its nearest wild relative is Bombyx mandarina with which it is able to hybridize.
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| The silk worm |
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