Silk rugs are not only beautiful, but they are very in trend, especially if you want to jazz up your room décor. But there might be a lot of scams out there. So, in order to get the real traditional rugs made of silk fibers, here are some pointers you need to look out for when trying to differentiate between a real and a fake silk rug.

Authentic Silk Rugs

Friction In The Fibers

Real silk will produce heat and friction when you rub it against another strand. The best way to identify a real silk rug is to rub the silk together, against each other. You will feel the silky texture and after rubbing it a couple of times, you will feel the place getting warm.

This is the property of real silk and there’s no missing that this is an actual silk rug and you are not getting duped.

The Fringes Blend In

If you look at a fake and real silk rug, you will see this difference stand out the most. The fringes in a real silk rug will seem to be a part of the weaving and it won’t look choppy or a separate entity. With fake rugs, however, the fringes are sewn on later after the rug is completed and you can easily spot this striking difference. Real silk rugs also have soft fringes, whereas fake rugs don’t.

It Has A High Knot Count

One of the things that make a real silk rug relatively stronger than its fake counterpart, 9s the tightness of the knot and weaves. Real rugs have a higher knot count and it can never be less than a particular number, which is mostly 200 KSI and not a knot lower.

Anything lower than this number is probably fake. You can identify this characteristic by looking at the rug and the tightness in the knot. If the pattern is rich and there are no gaps in it, then it’s a real silk rug.

Fake Silk Rugs

Thick Rug & Rough Texture

One way to differentiate between a real and fake silk rug is by looking at the thickness of the rug. Usually, fake silk rugs are thicker in width and the difference is clear as day. Authentic silk rugs are very thin, hence they are not good for heavy foot traffic areas in the house. Another very important way of identifying a real and fake silk rug is the texture of the rug.

Fake silk rugs have a rather rough texture, although they can be very easy to miss if you don’t have an idea about what real silk feels like. Fake silk feels rough to the touch, whereas real silk is super slippery and shiny.

The Rug Will Shed

Fake silk is not nearly as durable as the real deal and this can be identified by the fraying of the material after some time. It is super obvious once you have a rug for some time and it starts to shed and fray from the edges and even the middle.

This is a huge indicator of fake silk and the fact that it is less than 200 KSI also supports the fraying and shedding of the rug. It’s better to look out for this sign if you don’t want to be scammed.

Fake Silk Rugs Are Not Strong

Fake silk is not tightly woven and this is a big indicator that it will not be as strong as real silk. Silk is not generally a durable material, but fake silk is even more delicate and you can see gaps in the weaves and patterns. This can lead to the tearing of the rug and it can be ruined very easily.

Real silk doesn’t get ruined nearly as quickly as fake silk. So, when you’re looking for silk rugs, make sure to take a closer look at the weaves of the rug.

Conclusion

There you have it! Real and fake silk rugs may look extremely similar, but you don’t want to be fooled. These tips and tell-tale signs will help you in choosing a real silk rug VA, rather than a fake one. Real silk rugs may cost higher but they last longer as well.