How do you know if your silk is genuine or a fake?

Real Silk vs Fake Silk: What's the Difference?

Since its initial discovery in 3000 BC, silk has been the most sought after textile in the world. It is a unique, incredibly strong and flexible material with a wide range of advantages and applications. Genuine silk is first-class and luxurious, and its elegance and quality make it attractive to those who want to purchase a high-quality product.

Given all of this, it's no surprise that people and companies around the world are desperate to recreate its properties and sell cheap, fake silk products as if they were genuine products.

Unfortunately, this silk scam is becoming easier to pull off as online shopping has grown in intensity in recent years. We see that the Internet is flooded with fake silk products, and the problem is that customers do not know what they are buying or who they are buying from.

So how do you know if your silk is genuine?

While it may seem difficult to tell if you're really buying real silk, there are some tips and tricks that can help you tell the difference between a quality silk fabric and an artificial synthetic material.

First, the price.

Of course, monetary value is always important when it comes to distinguishing between genuine and fake, whether it's purchasing a designer bag or getting a new silk dress.

If you come across a relatively cheap silk coat, the alarm should go off immediately. Silk is an incredibly expensive textile, and although some original manufacturers can afford to offer it at reasonable prices, if you see something at an extremely low price, it's probably too good to be true.

In general, real silk costs at least ten times more to produce than synthetic fibers, so you're unlikely to get too good of a deal when buying real.

It's important to be careful though, as the prices of fake silk can sometimes be inflated to appear legitimate. In this case, we would recommend that you research the company in question and perhaps compare their seemingly high prices with those of the original products. You can also check the labels. Bodăr silk pillows are equipped with Oeko-Tex 100 certification labels. Scan them to find information about the product's material.

Satin or silk?

Be wary of anything referred to as satin or "silk satin." The untrained eye may misconstrue satin as a type of silk – but it is not.

Of course, there is satin with a crepe base, georgette with a satin face, etc., but this is only a weaving technique. It is the term used to describe the weaving technique and actually has nothing to do with the material.

Instead, you want to look for products directly described as "Silk" or "Silk Satin" when looking for real silk.

The appearance

The difference between how real silk looks compared to its imitations is priceless. The brilliance of silk simply cannot be replicated and is completely unlike any other textile.

Highly prized for its glossy properties, the triangular prism-like structure of the silk fibers not only helps it shine, but also allows it to reflect light in different ways. This allows for a multi-colored glow because it refracts light from different angles to produce multiple colors.

With synthetic fibers, the material may appear to glow, but in reality it only glows white, regardless of the angle.

Textile

It can be hard to tell, but if you carefully check the quality of the fabric, you will be able to tell if your silk is genuine or not.

Genuine silk is often handmade and is susceptible to small imperfections in the fabric. Fake silk is usually mass produced by machines and will almost always be flawless.

It should be noted that this is not a completely foolproof way to spot – as genuine silk can also be produced by machines.

How to check if your silk is genuine

Once you've purchased your silk (or fake silk) product, there are some simple tests you can do at home if you're unsure of its authenticity.

Touch test

Simply touch the silk and feel its smoothness. Genuine silk is completely smooth to the touch, with a soft, almost waxy feel.

For extra peace of mind, rub the silk between your fingers for a few seconds. Genuine silk heats up and becomes warm to the touch – if it doesn't change temperature, it's fake.

The ring test

Take any jeweled ring you have handy and place it on the fabric. Carefully pull the silk through the middle of the ring and see how it behaves.

Real silk should slide easily through the ring without any problems, while synthetic fibers will usually cling to the ring.

Note: The result of this test may also depend on the thickness of the fabric. In general, thicker silk will be harder to pull.

The burning test

This is not a method we would really recommend unless you want to completely destroy the silk fabric, but the accuracy of the results is truly unmatched.

Using your sense of smell, if you lightly burn the fabric, you will be able to notice the differences between the smell of real silk burning and the smell of artificial materials burning.

When burned, real silk smells like burnt hair and forms brittle ash. After the flame is removed, it stops burning.

If there is no ash and it smells like burnt plastic, then it is not genuine silk.

In conclusion, distinguishing genuine silk from fake silk requires vigilance in the face of the abundance of fake products online. Key indicators such as price, labelling, appearance and simple tests such as touch and burn can help as evidence of authenticity. If you want a genuine and quality product, always buy from verified sources.