When purchasing silk products, we often face the choice of various types of silk, such as mulberry silk, tussah silk and pupa silk. In order to help everyone better distinguish between real and fake silk, this article will focus on introducing the identification skills of mulberry silk.
First of all, we can start with observing the appearance.
1. Glossiness
Mulberry silk has a natural luster, smooth and delicate touch, and its glossiness is brighter than that of artificially synthesized silk.
2. Color
The color selection of mulberry silk is relatively single, mainly pure white, with occasional light yellow or light brown. In contrast, artificially synthesized silk has richer color choices and may contain other impurities.
3. Texture
Mulberry silk has distinct texture characteristics, with obvious longitudinal fine lines, and a certain distance between the textures. The texture of artificially synthesized silk is relatively blurred and lacks clear longitudinal fine lines.
4. Strength
Mulberry silk has moderate strength, and wrinkles will appear when gently pulled by hand. In contrast, synthetic silk is stronger and less likely to wrinkle.
In addition, the burning method can also be used to identify mulberry silk. By burning a small piece of silk, we can observe its state and smell after burning to further confirm its authenticity.
- Take a small piece of silk sample and light a candle or match to burn it.
- During the burning process, mulberry silk will emit a unique burnt smell, and its ashes after burning are black. In contrast, synthetic silk will produce a pungent smell when burning, and the ashes after burning are gray.
- After the burning is completed, gently crush the ashes with your fingers and pay attention to whether there are any fiber residues. There will be some fine fibers left in the ashes after the mulberry silk is burned, while there will be no fiber residues for synthetic silk.
In addition, the sample can be placed in water for verification:
Take a small piece of silk sample and soak it in clean water.
After soaking in water, mulberry silk will gradually absorb water and swell, and at the same time, the color of the water will be slightly lighter due to the natural pigment of mulberry silk. In contrast, synthetic silk does not show obvious swelling after soaking in water, and the color of the water remains clear and transparent.
Finally, you can observe the cross section:
The cross section of mulberry silk is unique, showing a distinct "V"-shaped structure, and there are certain gaps between the fibers. Synthetic silk is completely different, with an irregular grid-like cross section and tightly connected fibers.
Through the above methods, we can more accurately distinguish the difference between mulberry silk and other silk. When purchasing silk products, be sure to go through formal channels and use a combination of multiple identification methods to ensure that you are purchasing genuine mulberry silk products. At the same time, mastering the identification skills of mulberry silk will also help us better inherit and carry forward this exquisite traditional craft.
