How to Distinguish Quality of Silk

All our silk products are 22+ momme, 6A grade Mulberry silk

When assessing the quality of the silk products you are looking to buy it’s important to understand how quality is determined.

Momme vs thread count

To make it easy – The higher the momme the better. This means the more durable the weave, the more luxurious the fabric is, the more suitable it is for heavy-duty use, and the longer the shelf-life

let us explain:

Momme is a unit traditionally used to measure the quality of silk fabrics. One momme = 4.340 grams per square meter.

Most people are familiar with a thread count found with cotton. The reason silk is so incredibly smooth is because the threads are so thin, and counting each individual thread is impossible. This has resulted in the fabric being weighed and given “momme” to determine quality.

Generally, anything over 22 momme is excellent for any silk products to skin and considered to be ultimate luxury.

Types of Pure silk weaves

Weaves of Pure Silk	Typical Momme (mm) Range
Gauze	3 to 5 momme
Organza	4 to 6 momme
Chiffon	6 to 8 momme
Crepe de Chine	12 to 16 momme
Charmeuse	12 to 30 momme (typically used in a silk pillowcase or sheets)
Raw silk	35 to 40 momme (this is very heavy silk with texture)

Grades

Along with weight (momme) it is also important to know that the length of the individual threads of silk are important to the overall quality as well. This is where the Grading the silk comes from. Grade A is of the highest quality. This means a thread of silk can be unraveled to longer single threads than lower grades B and C.

These longer threads are smoother, more durable, and stronger than shorter threads, and can be further graded between 1-6.

6A is the most premium and luxurious grade. All The Mode Silk Products on Silk.co.za are made from 6A grade, 22 Momme Silk.

What is inside your duvet?

SILK BATTING

Silk duvet inners are made using pure 100% silk batting in different togs to create the ideal weight and warmth for the season or climate.

Silk batting is identifiable by the sheen on the silk.

In South Africa in particular, we use 3.2 tog for summer duvets and 6.4 tog for winter duvets.

Custom tog silk duvets can be ordered and manufactured by special request. The lowest tog is 2 tog which is required for full coverage.

POLYESTER/HOLLOW FIBRE FILLING

Polysester is the material used to create hollow fibre duvet filling. It essenially tries to immitate silk but apart from looking similar to silk in some respects, it does not have the same temperature regulation capabilities or the longevity.

Hollow fibre is much cheaper than silk or any of the feather fillings.

Hollow fibre is light, is springy to the touch and retains it’s puffiness fairly well. It is not possible to reinvigorate hollow fibre like Silk duvet inners.

DUCK DOWN/FEATHER FILLING

Feather filling, including various grades of duck down are the most common and popular fillings found as duvet fillings around the world.

Goose and duck down have very good thermal properties, helping to regulate temperature and as with Silk, the tog of the duvet determines what climate it is ideal for.

The tog of top quality duck/goose down duvet inners require less feather material to achieve the same tog rating.

What is a tog rating

The tog rating is a measure of the warmth of a duvet. It indicates the ability of the duvet to trap and retain heat and and when combined with the ability of the filling materials heat regulation properties, means, the higher the tog rating, the warmer the duvet.

The tog rating system provides a standardized way to communicate the thermal insulation of a duvet. Here’s a general guide to tog ratings and their corresponding warmth levels:

2.0 to 6.4 Tog

These are lightweight duvets suitable for warmer weather or for people who prefer a cooler sleep environment. Our Silk Duvets are made in 2 different togs, 3.2 tog for summer and 6.4 tog for spring/winter.

At SILK.co.za we manufacture to order and are able to customize any duvet to the tog rating you require.

Silk Duvet Inner 3.2 Tog

Silk Duvet Inner 6.4 Tog

6.4 to 10.5 Tog

These are medium-weight duvets, suitable for cooler nights or for use in bedrooms with average temperatures.

12 to 13.5 Tog

These are heavyweight duvets designed for colder seasons or for individuals who tend to get cold during the night.

Over 13.5 Tog

These are extremely warm duvets, ideal for very cold climates or for individuals who are particularly sensitive to cold.

It’s important to note that personal preferences and individual factors, such as room temperature and personal body warmth, also play a role in choosing the right tog rating. Some people may find a lower tog rating sufficient even in colder weather if they tend to sleep warmly, while others may need a higher tog rating for extra insulation.

It’s a good idea to consider the tog rating in conjunction with the material and construction of the duvet to ensure the desired level of comfort. Additionally, some duvets come with options for different tog ratings on each side, allowing users to adapt to changing seasons or personal preferences.

In the case of silk tog ratings, it is possible to tie tie two of the summer duvets (3.2 tog rating) together to create a Spring Dub=vet. (6.4 tog rating)