Silk has been the most coveted fabric ever since its discovery in 3000 BC. Its demand in wholesale fabrics is above the average. Extremely durable and adaptable, it may be used in a wide variety of situations. The sheer class and durability of authentic silk makes it a desirable investment for shoppers seeking a one-time investment with long-term value.
Because of its desirability, it’s no wonder that counterfeiters from all global fabric suppliers try to imitate silk’s qualities and pass off their inferior products as the genuine thing.
The rapid growth of internet shopping over the last several decades has unfortunately facilitated the spread of a widespread silk fraud. The wholesale fabric suppliers in India are also in competition. There is a flood of counterfeit silks on online marketplaces. And this is a dilemma since shoppers have no idea what they’re getting or from whom they’re purchasing.
Not only that, but there are many websites that have perfected their branding to seem official, even while the actual goods they offer are everything but.
How would you know silk is real
Even though it may seem challenging to tell the difference between a quality silk fabric and a synthetic man-made material before you’ve already given over your hard-earned cash, there are a few tips and tactics that may help you figure it out.
Price
Money is always a factor when trying to determine whether or not an item is authentic, whether you’re trying to buy a new silk dress or a luxury handbag.
If you see a silk item for sale at a low price, you should immediately be suspicious. Silk is a very costly fabric, so if you find it advertised at a very cheap price, it’s definitely not genuine.
Silk costs at least 10 times as expensive to create as man-made fibers. So you probably won’t get a great discount on genuine silk. It’s likely that the silk blouse you’re eyeing for just ten pounds is really made of polyester that has been dyed to seem like silk.
Be aware, however, since occasionally the costs of imitation silk are inflated so that they may pass for the real thing. We advise you to investigate the firm in issue and to compare their inflated costs with those of legitimate alternatives.
Satin or silk
Satin and “silky satin” are two terms that could raise red flags. It is sometimes misunderstood as a kind of silk when seen by someone without special knowledge.
Because satin is a weave structure, there are many different types of satin silk characteristics, including crepe-backed satin, satin-faced georgette, and so on. The phrase refers to the method of weaving rather than the fabric itself.
Instead, you should keep an eye out for anything labelled “Silk” or “Silk Satin” if you want genuine silk.
Appearance
The visual differences between authentic and fake silk are striking. Silk’s shine is like no other fabric and cannot be imitated.
Silk’s triangular prism-like structure not only makes it shine, but also enables it to reflect light in many directions, earning it a reputation for radiance and beauty. Because of the way it refracts light, it may take on a rainbow of hues when illuminated.
Synthetic fibres may make a fabric seem to be shimmering, yet from any perspective, it will just appear white.
Weave
This may be difficult to see, but the quality of the weaving may reveal if your silk is authentic or not.
Because the production of genuine silk is generally performed by hand, it often has little flaws in the weaving. Fake silk is often manufactured in large quantities by machines, so the quality is consistently high and uniform throughout.
We must note, however, that this method of identification is not one hundred percent effective since real silk may also be manufactured artificially.
How to know if silk is real
Once you have your silk (or fake silk) in hand, there are a few easy tests you may undertake to determine its authenticity.
Hand touch
Easily gauge the luxuriousness of your silk by touching it. The texture of genuine silk is very delicate and almost waxy.
As an added test, you may verify its authenticity by scrunching it up in your palm and listening for a crunching sound.
A little time spent rubbing silk between your fingertips may do wonders for your sense of calm. When exposed to heat, genuine silk gets heated to the touch; if it stays cool, it’s not the real deal.
Ultimate ring test
Take a ring from your jewellery collection. You can take whatever ring you happen to have on hand on regular basis, and set it on the cloth. The silk’s effectiveness may be tested by gently pulling it through the ring’s centre.
In contrast to synthetic fibres, which tend to get snagged on the ring or bunch up, real silk should pass through it without a hitch.
The burn test
Not recommended unless you’re willing to risk total destruction of your silk fabric. Yet the results are unrivalled in terms of precision.
If you carefully put a lit match to your cloth and inhale the resulting smoke. Then, you’ll be able to tell the difference between genuine silk and fake materials.
If burned, genuine silk will release a hairy odour and turn to brittle ash. There will be no more burning after the flame is out.
It’s not genuine silk if there’s no ash and it smells like burning plastic.
To sum up
If you take nothing else away from this piece, we hope you’ll be more wary about purchasing silk. Since it’s much too simple to be mis-sold.
But sometimes when you are doing online shopping, it becomes impossible to have these tests. But at fabriclore, you can ensure the quality of material and can purchase the wholesale fabrics. To let you personally verify the quality and features of fabrics, we have an exclusive fabric studio. Here you can come to check endless possibilities of fabric customization while taking guidance from textile engineers. With the help of fabriclore, we brought a huge number of fabric manufacturers in India under one roof. Thus, you can buy fabrics from the best fabric suppliers in India.
