When you walk into a saree shop and see the “Pure Silk” tag, do you really know if it’s the truth?
The price might seem right. The colours might be dazzling. The motifs might look grand. But… is it truly Pure Silk?
Here’s the reality I’ve learned over the years, often, the “Pure Silk” you pay for and the fabric you take home are not the same. And when it comes to handloom sarees, this difference is huge.
If you’re investing in a Pure Silk saree, whether ₹10,000 or ₹2 lakhs, you deserve authenticity. You deserve a piece that holds value, heritage, and beauty. And to ensure that, you need to know a few simple, time-tested techniques.
1. Feel – The Texture Tells the Truth
The very first step is to run your fingers across the fabric.
- Pure Silk: Soft, smooth, and slightly elastic. It almost flows through your hands.
- Duplicate Silk: Rougher to touch, even if it looks similar from afar.
Tip for Online Buyers: Since you can’t touch the saree, zoom in on the weave in product photos. Handloom silk has tiny, natural irregularities. Machine-made fakes often look overly uniform.
2. See – The Detailing in the Motifs
Pure silk threads can hold incredibly fine patterns because of their strength and flexibility.
Compare two sarees:
- A fake silk will have large, basic motifs and simpler borders.
- A pure silk, like an authentic Kanjivaram, will have delicate, intricate details, often so fine they look like miniature paintings woven into the fabric.
3. Test – The Burn Method (For Home Use Only)
This is an age-old trick that’s surprisingly accurate. Please don’t try it in a shop, only at home or with old sarees.
- Take a small thread from the saree.
- Burn it.
Pure Silk Thread: Turns to fine ash, smells like burning paper or wood.
Duplicate Thread: Melts like plastic, smells chemical, leaves behind a hard bead-like residue.
Once you know how to tell real silk from fake, you won’t just save money, you’ll also respect the weavers who spend months creating one saree. And you’ll know that what you own is something that can be passed down, generation after generation.
Because a pure silk saree is not bought… it’s chosen, it’s loved, and it’s kept for life.
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