Silk vs. Fake Silk: What's the Difference?
Silk has been the world's most sought-after textile since it was first discovered in 3000 BC. This is an amazing fabric, very strong and versatile, with a wide range of benefits and uses. Silk is premium luxury and its sheer elegance and quality make it attractive to those looking to purchase a high-end product that will last a lifetime.
fabric Show
All that being said, it's no surprise that people and companies around the world are desperately trying to recreate its properties and sell cheap fake rayon as real silk.
Unfortunately, with the rapid growth of online shopping in recent years, this common silk scam has become easier to fall for. We're seeing marketplaces like Amazon and eBay flooded with fake silk, and here's the problem – customers don't know what they're buying or who they're buying it from.
It doesn't end there, many online stores are trying hard to brand themselves and look legitimate, but the silk products they sell are anything but.
So, how do I know if my silk is genuine?
It can be hard to know if what you're buying is actually real silk before you part with your hard-earned money, but there are a few tips and tricks that can help you tell the difference between high-quality silk fabrics and synthetic man-made materials.
price
Of course, monetary value always comes into play when it comes to discerning authenticity, whether you're snapping up a designer bag or buying yourself a new silk gown.
Encountering relatively cheap silk clothing should immediately raise alarm. Silk is a very expensive textile, and while some genuine manufacturers are able to offer it at reasonable prices, if you see an item for a very low price, it might be too good to be true.
Generally speaking, the production cost of silk is at least ten times that of synthetic fibers, so you are unlikely to get a bargain when buying silk. So, there's a good chance that that £10 silk shirt you want to buy is made from a similar polyester fabric.
But caution must be exercised, as the price of fake silk is sometimes inflated to make it look authentic. In this case, we recommend doing some background checks on the company in question and comparing their seemingly high prices with those of genuine products.
Satin or silk?
Look out for anything labeled satin or "silk satin." To the uninitiated, satin is often misunderstood as a type of silk – but this is not the case.
Of course, there are also satin silks, such as crepe satin, satin georgette, etc., but this is because satin is a woven fabric. It is a term used to describe a weaving technique and actually has nothing to do with the material at all.
Instead, when looking for real silk, you should look for products directly described as "silk" or "silk satin."
appearance
The difference between real silk and imitations is obvious. The luster of silk cannot be replicated and is unlike any other fabric.
Silk fiber is prized for its shimmering properties, and its triangular prism-like structure not only helps it shine, but also allows it to reflect light in different ways. This gives it a colorful sheen because it refracts light from different angles, creating a variety of colors.
With synthetic fibers, the material may look shiny, but in reality, it just shines white no matter what angle you look at it.
braid
This can be a difficult problem to identify, but by carefully examining the quality of its weave, you may be able to determine whether your silk is genuine silk.
Silk is usually handmade, so some minor imperfections may occur during the weaving process. False silk is usually mass-produced by machine and is almost always flawless.
We must point out, however, that this is not a foolproof method of detection – as silk can also be machine-produced.
How to test if your silk is authentic
Once you have your silk (or fake silk) in hand, if you're really unsure of its authenticity, there are some simple tests you can do at home.
touch with hand
Just touch the silk and you can feel its smoothness. Silk feels very smooth and soft, almost like wax.
Plus, if you mash it up with your hands, you'll hear a crunching sound-a sound that tells you it's the real thing.
For extra assurance, rub the silk with your fingers for a while. Real silk will heat up and feel warm to the touch - if the temperature doesn't change, it's fake.
ring test
Take any jewelry rings you have on hand and place them on the fabric. Gently pull the silk out of the middle of the ring and see how it looks.
Silk should be able to slide smoothly through the loops without any issues, whereas synthetic fibers can often get tangled or bunched up in the loops.
NOTE: The results of this test also depend on the thickness of the fabric. Typically, thicker silks are more difficult to pull through.
Burn test
We wouldn't really recommend this method unless you want to risk completely ruining your silk fabric, but the accuracy of the results is truly impeccable.
Trust your sense of smell and by carefully examining your fabric with a lighter, you will be able to detect the difference between the smell of burning silk and burning artificial fabric.
When silk burns, it emits a smell similar to burning hair and produces brittle ash. Once the flame is removed, it will stop burning.
If there are no ash and it smells like burning plastic, then it's not silk.
If you take one thing away from this article, we hope you will be more careful when buying silk – it's easy to be misled into making a purchase.
