For centuries, silk fabrics were considered the most expensive, and sometimes equated with jewelry. There is an explanation for this - silk is not only pleasant to the body and beautiful, but also has a beneficial effect on the body. However, this only applies to natural silk. It is important to know how to distinguish such fabric and determine the absence or presence of a synthetic impurity in it.
Properties of silk fabrics
Real silk is strong and durable - archaeologists still find scraps of silk fabrics during excavations. Craftsmen know that a thread of silk is able to match in strength even with a steel wire of the same diameter. In addition, this material is easy to use and lends itself well to any coloring.
Another reason for silk's value is its healing ability. The proteins, which are found in very large quantities in silk, slow down the aging of the skin by retaining moisture in it. Silk fibers are often used by manufacturers of cosmetics (especially anti-wrinkle creams, shampoos). In addition, silk is hypoallergenic. Dust does not linger on it, fungi and mold do not form.
Natural silk contains about 18 amino acids, which improve the functioning of the brain and circulatory system.
Finally, silk fabrics are good to wear. Silk's amazing ability to adapt to body temperature makes it possible to wear silk clothes both in bad weather and in heat. Silk fibers are excellent at wicking moisture away, they are not electrified. The disadvantages of this unusual material can be attributed only to the exactingness of care.
How to distinguish natural silk
Very often silk producers and sellers are silent about the fact that samples from store shelves contain inclusions of synthetic fibers. Moreover, it is not so easy to find real silk these days. There are several features of true silk by which the fabric made from it can be recognized.
The price of real silk is about 6 times higher than artificial silk. However, you should not rely only on the cost - it can be artificially high.
The most famous and effective way to identify synthetics in silk fabric is to set it on fire. Real silk will smell like singed hair / wool, and if it contains an admixture of viscose, it will smell like burnt paper. Synthetic fabrics melt, leaving behind a black drop, while natural fabrics burn to form only ash.
Of course, it is rarely possible to set fire to fabric in a store. You can check the fibers for naturalness using your tactile sensations. Silk is often called "second skin" - it is very gentle, instantly adjusts to the temperature of the human body. For true connoisseurs of silk, it is enough to apply the fabric to the skin to determine the degree of its naturalness.
If the tactile sensations leave doubts, you can try to crumple a piece of silk in your hand. Natural fibers are always more elastic and softer than artificial ones, so the fabric from them will wrinkle less. Clear and deep creases usually indicate that there is a significant admixture of synthetics in the fabric.
Finally, real silk can be recognized by chemical analysis. The threads of silk are placed in a sulfuric acid solution - natural fibers will quickly dissolve in it without a trace.
Whatever the result of the test, you should know that silk with synthetic impurities is not always a fake. Often these fabrics are of fairly high quality. If the seller insists that the silk in front of you is completely natural, it will not be superfluous to check his words before purchasing the fabric at a high price.
