silk types

Difference of Silk types.

How well do you know your silks?

We’re often asked by many of you about the qualities of the different silks we use and why some are more suitable for certain activities than others.
We’ve therefore provided a mini guide to help you with your shopping.

What’s Mulberry Silk？ Mulberry silk is the most common and widely used silk around the world, and accounts for about 90% of the world’s supply.

  • the bulk of silk produced around the world comes from the mulberry variety.  is produced by the Bombyx mori silkworm who feed on mulberry bushes.
  • he careful breeding for quality and the strict diet of mulberry leaves are what make the end product, mulberry silk, the very finest silk available today.
  • The disadvantage of using mulberry silk is that it requires extra care to maintain its smooth texture.

Charmeuse Silk (Satin Silk)

  • Used in everything from bedding to dresses to shirts.
  • Lightweight and has a natural elasticity, which makes it the ideal fabric for use in sheets, pillowcases and other kinds of bedding. 
  • The front of the fabric has a satin sheen to it while the back has a dull finish.


Tasar Silk

  • Made from wild silkworms which have not been bred. 
  • Not as soft or durable as cultivated silk. 
  •  Most wild silk comes from India and not China.

Eri Silk

  • A creamy white-colored silk.
  • Derived from two domesticated species of silkworms known as Samia ricini and Philosamia ricin. 

Muga Silk

  • Golden yellow in color.
  • Belongs to the same genus as the Tasar silkworm.

Spider Silk

  • A non-insect silk variety that is soft and fine in texture.
  • The most difficult silk to produce as spiders cannot be bred like silkworms and do not produce as much yarn as silkworms. 

Mussel Silk  

Obtained from bivalve found in shallow waters along the shores of the Italia and Dalmatia of Adriatic.

Anaphe Silk  

Commonly produced in the southern and central African countries. 

Coan Silk

Poduced from the larvae of the Pachypasa atus which is common in the Mediterranean region covering Italy, Greece, and Turkey.

  Have we missed anything?

Several Silk Types You Need to Know

Generally speaking, there are about 35 types of silk fibers. A majority of consumers are confused about numerous silk products. Today, I will introduce you to some basic and most commonly-seen silk types that we feel you need to know.

Mulberry silk
Mulberry silk is the long silk fiber produced by matured and domesticated silkworm when they secrete liquid silk, also known as “natural silk fiber”. It is the earliest animal fiber used by human being as well as the most genuine silk fiber for all kinds of silk clothes, which is lightweight, soft and absorptive of moisture. In addition, mulberry silk contains over 18 amino acids and protein fibers which is healthy for human skin and hair. For example, the hygroscopicity of mulberry silk comforter is 1.5 time higher than that of cotton comforters. Besides, mulberry silk is pretty hypoallergenic, and as a consequence, many dermatologists recommend silk bedding and apparel for aged and sick people. Compared to other silk fibers, mulberry silk is more luxurious and breathable. It may not that durable, but who’s going to use the same bedding for life?

Tussah Silk
Tussah silk, also known as ‘shantung’, is a type of wild silk, that is produced by silkworms that feed on oak and juniper leaves.
As the worm is not grown in a controlled environment, the moth hatches from the cocoon and interrupts the filament length, resulting in short and coarse fibers, instead of long and lustrous ones. Normally, it is widespread in China and other Asian countries like India, difficult to dye and most often available in its natural color, a creamy tan.
It is also lightweight and airy, as well as dressy, giving cool comfort to the wearer. Moreover, it does not wrinkle easily which makes it suitable for travelling.

Charmeuse Fabric

Charmeuse silk, technically speaking, does not refer to a type of material as Mulberry silk does; it is a silk fabric made with a particular way of weaving, allowing for extra luster and shine on the front side in exchange for a dull finish at the back. Charmeuse silk can be made from all kinds of different silk including Mulberry silk and is often used on products that does not require showcasing of both sides of the fabric such as pillowcases and duvet covers. Charmeuse silk offers better drape than crêpe de chine and works well for scarves, blouses and lingerie.

Chiffon Silk
A light, matt fabric made from fine twisted yarns, spaced out to make the fabric transparent. It is extremely soft and elastic, highly breathable and comfortable.
Dimension is added to garments by the creation of billows of fabric. Unless it is used for scarves, garments with chiffon normally require lining or backing.

Crêpe de Chine
A lightweight fabric made by mulberry silk fibres, where part of them are twisted clockwise and others in a counter-clockwise direction. These fibres are then woven in a plain-weave fabric. The twisted fibres give crêpe its distinctive ‘pebbly’ look and feel.

Comes in many different varieties – crêpe de Chine, Moroccan crêpe and crêpe georgette. It is comfortable and breathable and wrinkles easily at the rate of 8%.

Dupion Silk Fabric
Doupion silk is produced from two silkworms that spin a cocoon together. This makes a strong double-thread silk, usually resulting in a rough yarn and irregularity in sheerness or weight.Black specks which occasionally appear in the fabric are part of the original cocoon of the silk worm. Removing them would both weaken the fabric and destroy part of its beauty and character. They are inherent to dupion silk fabric and should not be considered as defects in weaving. Hence, doupion silk is durable and lustrous, and resists wrinkles to some extent.

Habotai Silk
It is also known as China silk, Habutai, Pongee. The “classic” silk fabric, was first used to line kimonos, with plain-weave fabric.Its weight can range from 5 mm to the heavier 12 mm. Most scarves are made of 8mm Habotai. Soft and lightweight, Habotai silk is a kind of smooth fabric and has a beautiful drape and smooth surface.