Silk is one of the most expensive textile fibers due to the labor-intensive process required to produce it from silkworm cocoons. It is very strong yet delicate, able to withstand pulling pressures but not heavy wear. Silk can take on various appearances depending on how it is processed, from resembling cotton to having a smooth silky feel. As a protein fiber similar to wool, silk is sensitive to chemicals and degrades with sunlight exposure over time. Burning silk produces an unpleasant smell like burnt hair and leaves behind a powdery ash.

2. Silk – the most beautiful of all textile fibers is acclaimed as the queen of
textiles, comes from the cocoons, requires a great deal of handling and
processing which makes it one of the most expensive fibers also.
Silk is very strong in terms of tensile strength, meaning it can withstand a lot
of pulling type pressure without breaking. This should not however be
confused with wear ability or abrasion resistance. Silk will not stand up to the
heavy wear that other fibers will.

3. Silk can take on many different appearances. A raw silk fabric may fool you
into thinking that it is cotton or synthetic. The more refined silk and the
smaller the yarn, the more it resembles the look and feel that we know as silky.
Silk is a protein fiber like wool. This gives it many of its characteristics. It is
sensitive to a range of chemical situations and cannot withstand prolonged
exposure to either high alkalinity or to acids or oily soils. It will become brittle
with age and exposure to sunlight.

4. When a piece of silk thread is burnt the threads give the smell of burnt human
hair, as silk is made from protein. When the ash left on burning can be crushed
where as polyester levees a molten ball of plastic.

5. LUSTER & SMOOTHNESS TEST
Silk fibers give sleek feeling and pleasant effect is obtained by the interference
of light reflecting from multiple angles of the silk. The smooth touch of the
silk is due to mother of pearl shine from a silk material.
Natural silk fabric which is most soughted textile fiber is hypo allergic, elastic,
stronger, soft, gentle, stretchable, smooth and gives a glossy touch when
exposed to sunlight and assumes body temperature when worn hence its
known as Queen of textiles.

6. Burn Test: Burn test is the best way to be sure. Burning silk leave a powdery
ash and will extinguish itself when the flame is removed, just like wool. The
easy way to tell silk and wool apart in the burn test is the smell. Where wool
will have the smell of burning hair, the silk will have a much more
disagreeable smell.