How to tell if your Silk is real or fake

by silksa-admin | Silk | 0 comments

There are many was to tell if your silk is real or fake. The difference between genuine 100% pure silk and other silk replicas are:

Satin in Disguise

Ever heard of the phrase “silky satin.” This play on words can be deceiving to the consumer and can lead you to believe it is pure silk. But it is in fact satin or a satin/ silk mix.

Satin is a synthetic fabric, meaning it does not occur naturally but is rather man-made. It comprises of nylon and polyester. It is important to know that this is not pure 100% silk and hold non of the beneficial silk benefits

Price

Possibly the easiest way to tell if your silk is real or fake is the Price. Silk is an all-natural and pure fibre. It is because of this that it has an array of health benefits and is considered the ultimate luxury. Meticulous farming methods, labour intensive and delicate processes take place to create each item. It is for these reasons pure silk is expensive.

Luminous Lustre

Silk has a luster that cannot be replicated. Many other fake silk fabrics are shiny but do not illuminate. This is due to the natural protein that covers each silk fibre. Not only does it provide us with the moisturizing properties that make it so good for our skin and hair, but it also illuminates in a way that is extremely unique

Weave

If you were to look closely to the actual pure silk fabric you might notice small imperfections to the weave here and there . This is because most pure silks are handwoven, which is why each item is so unique and classic. Other fabrics tend to be mass produced by use of machines and will have perfectly uniform weaves.

Ring Test

As uncomfortable as this may sound – delicately pulling a ring through pure silk will not cause the fabric to bunch up and get caught. This is how you can tell if the silk is pure or not.

Burn Test

Possibly the most alarming and true test is called “the burn test.” If one were to place a flame to silk the smell it will be similar to that of burning hair, there will be a small flame and it will produce a delicate ash. Other fake silk fabrics tend to be synthetic and when put to the same test will have the smell of plastic, a large flame will appear and it will produce either a sticky ash, or none at all.

Once you have determined that the silk you bought is real silk, you will need to know how to care for silk products

Mulberry silk now accounts for more than 95% of the silk produced globally.

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)