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How to identify silk from other fabrics

Silk has been the finest fabric for over 5,000 years. It has always been appreciated and used for the clothes of emperors and kings around the world. Thanks to its softness, luster and its many qualities.
Silk is a fiber of animal origin with precious characteristics, it is light and resistant at the same time, it is a fabric that insulates from cold and heat, maintaining body heat in any environmental condition.

Although production has increased over time, the price remains very high due to the difficulty and high cost of production. For this reason it is one of the most imitated and counterfeited yarns with fibers of different nature and also synthetic.

Now we will try to understand how to notice the difference between the many fabrics that try to replicate the appearance of silk.

First, you need to be careful and always read the labels on clothing, to check their composition and origin. There is a clear difference between mixed silk and 100% silk garments.

But when is the label on the item of clothing missing? First you have to look at the fabric, if it is silk, under the sunlight you will notice slightly different shades of colors, instead if synthetic a single flat and compact color.
Being a natural fiber, on raw or lightly worked silks you will notice the irregularities and different sizes of the threads that compose it. You can also notice when rubbing the fabric, the polyester will have sharp folds while in the silk they will be softer and more delicate.

Another indicator can be had by burning the wires. Synthetic fibers will have a plastic smell, while natural ones are distinguished between those of vegetable and animal origin. Cotton and linen of vegetable origin will have a smell similar to paper and will tend to continue to burn once the original flame has been removed, while the animal ones such as silk will have a smell similar to that of burnt hair and the flame will tend to go out quickly.

Try to gently rub the fabric between your hands, if it is silk it will heat up slightly.

Silk has a high hygroscopicity, that is, it absorbs moisture without giving a feeling of wet to the touch.
As a last indicator the price. Silk is very expensive both for the difficulty of production and for the numerous processes it undergoes. It will never have a low price or comparable to other fabrics.

I hope these guidelines can give you extra help in distinguishing silk from other fabrics.