Silk Grades: What Are the Advantages of Better Silk Quality?

 

When you're shopping for silk products, what do different silk grades mean? Learn all about common grades of silk, so you can purchase the finest quality silk products.

You know silk is a soft and shiny fabric, but did you know that not all silk fabrics are equal? Silk fabrics are graded based on different characteristics like color, purity, and durability. With lower-quality silks, you won't get the same softness and sheen as you do with the best-quality silk.

Whether you're looking for a silk pillowcase or silk robe, you can learn a lot from understanding different grades of silk. Let the following information be your guide in finding the highest quality silk products for unrivaled shine and softness.

Understanding Silk Grading Systems

 Pure silk fabrics fall into different grades. Which is best? These are the most common silk grades to keep in mind while you're shopping:

• Grade A silk: This is the highest quality silk. It's divided into multiple categories of 2A through 6A, with 6A being the highest.
• Grade B silk: This silk grade is slightly rough and uneven with air pockets. It also doesn't have the same sheen as grade A silks.
• Grade C silk: This silk grade looks yellowish and has brown dots since it's made from the innermost layer of raw silk. It also has a rough texture and isn't as breathable as higher grades. It's more suitable for silk pillows rather than silk pillowcases.
• Grades D, E, and F: These silk grades offer poor quality overall.

What's So Special About Finer Silk Grades?

Finer silk has a beautiful, healthy sheen and a soft and smooth texture. When you buy a Blissy Silk Pillowcase made with grade 6A silk, you can look forward to resting your head on a comfortable and stylish fabric night after night.

Higher grades of silk also have greater durability. They might seem fine or delicate, but don't let that fool you. They're incredibly strong.

Blissy silk robes, hair accessories, sleep masks, and similar products made with grade A silk are great long-term purchases.

Benefits of Grade 6A Silk Fabrics

From its smooth texture to its ability to hold vivid dyes, grade 6A silk offers unmatched benefits that make it a top choice for luxury fabrics. Discover why grade 6A mulberry silk stands above other silk varieties across key metrics like appearance, feel, durability, color, and reputation.

Appearance

Grade 6A silk has the most lustrous sheen. It also has an even texture that makes it ideal for silk pillowcases. The highest quality 6A silk has a beautiful, pearly white color before dyeing. Silk pillowcases made from Grade 6A mulberry silk have a smooth, flawless appearance.

Feel

Silk products made with Grade 6A silk are highly breathable and comfortable. They also offer superior softness. The long silk floss fibers create a light, airy feel ideal for silk bedding. Grade 6A mulberry silk has an exceptionally smooth feel on the skin.

Durability

Grade 6A silk has long strands of silk fibers with incredible tensile strength. This silk grade also lasts longer than other grades.

Silk threads made from the longest silk floss strands are very resilient. Fabrics woven from grade 6A mulberry silk fibers stand up well to repeated use and washing.

Color

This quality of undyed silk has a pearly white color, which is beautiful on its own. Its color also makes it ideal for being dyed vibrant colors to make silk pillowcases and other silk products.

The natural off-white color provides a blank canvas for crafting unique color palettes. Dyers can create custom shade gradients only achievable with grade 6A mulberry silk's dye absorption.

Reputation

Grade 6A silk is a smart long-term investment. Its superior quality provides the durability and longevity that define luxury textiles. Its unparalleled quality means products made from grade 6A mulberry silk, like high-end silk pillowcases and bedding, carry great prestige.

Luxury fashion houses and brands recognize that only the highest grade 6A silk fabric lends their offerings the most elite, prestigious reputation.

Other Silk Details

100% mulberry silk

Muga silk, tussah silk (or tasar silk), eri silk, and mulberry silk are all different types of silk. Products made from 100% mulberry silk offer the best silk quality.

This silk comes from the mulberry silkworm, also known as Bombyx mori, which feeds on mulberry leaves. The silk produced by this silk worm species offers the softest yet most durable natural fibers.

Momme weight

Momme refers to the weight of silk. You might see 19-momme or 22-momme on a silk pillowcase and other products. A 19-momme silk product has a lower amount of silk overall compared to a 22-momme product, making it lower in quality.

Minimum Quality Standards

Choosing a silk product that's Grade 6A means it exceeds the minimum quality standards. These silk fabric products have almost no impurities. They also don't have harmful substances.

If you've noticed the OEKO-TEX label on silk products, this means the silk production process was done safely. You don't have to worry about toxic chemicals lurking in your silk products.

Grade 6A silk sets the bar for purity and safety standards in luxury textiles. From start to finish, no shortcuts are taken in producing the finest quality silk.

The raw mulberry silk is harvested before being spun into exceptionally consistent, long floss strands. Expert artisans then weave the silk floss into a smooth charmeuse weave or silk satin fabric with meticulous attention to detail.

No harmful chemicals or questionable dyes are used at any point so the finished silk pillowcases and bedding carry the OEKO-TEX label, certifying their non-toxic processing.

This diligent approach at every production stage results in Grade 6A silk that exceeds minimum quality benchmarks for cleanliness, consistency, and chemical safety. Grade 6A represents the pinnacle of luxury silk.

Higher Silk Grades vs. Satin and Sateen

Whether you shop for a silk pillowcase or mulberry silk robes, watch out for lower-quality silks and silk lookalikes. Checking the silk grade is an easy way to identify top-grade silk and avoid low-quality silk.

What about products labeled "silk-like," such as satin or sateen? These aren't real silk products. Satin is a type of silk weave that might also have synthetic fabrics. Sateen is another weave. This weave is usually made of cotton rather than silk.

Opting for inferior silk grades or synthetic silk-like fabrics results in products that lack the supple drape, breathability, and durability that make high-quality mulberry silk so coveted.

Sticking with 100% Grade 6A mulberry silk is the only way to enjoy the unparalleled softness and luxury that high-quality, long-fiber silk provides in pillowcases, robes, and bedding.

How to Identify Authentic Grade 6A Silk

To make sure you're purchasing 6A silk, always read labels and product descriptions. Look for the silk grade and the OEKO-TEX Standard 100 label. Authentic products will have a description, such as "100% mulberry silk".

Words to look for (and avoid) when shopping for grade a silk:

• Satin
  • It is possible for satin to be made of silk, but it is often not. Make sure it is "silk satin", and always check the label.
• Sateen
• Silk blend
• Synthsilk
• Synthetic silk
• Silken
• Silky
• Mock silk
• Silk (yes, even the word silk may be misleading--make sure to read the detailed description or check the label!)

Whether you're comparing silk sheets or silk pillowcases, look for a lustrous sheen, rather than a shiny one. Authentic silk will also feel soft instead of slippery like satin.

Why Invest in High-Quality Silk?

What makes a 6A silk pillowcase or silk bedding worth it? While you might spend more on high-quality silks, you'll get more use and enjoyment out of them. They also have a longer lifespan thanks to their durability.

In other words, you won't be spending money replacing them every couple of years as you would with a cotton pillowcase or a low-quality silk pillowcase.

The finest silk products also can't be beat when it comes to style. Investing in high-quality silk bedding means you're getting timeless elegance.

When to Splurge on the Best Silk Grades

Buying a Blissy 100% mulberry silk pillowcase or robe is money well spent! Our silk products feature grade 6A silk for the finest quality available.

Don't settle for a low-quality silk product, like grade BBB, grade BB, grade CCC, or grade CC silk. Even Grades 2A and 3A won't give you the superior benefits of grade 6A.

Want a luxurious silk robe to wear around the house? Or the softest silk pillowcase for less bed head? Splurge on Blissy's 6A silk products for long-lasting quality and style.

Shop Blissy for the Finest Quality Silk

Ready to boost your beauty sleep? Shop Blissy for a pure mulberry silk pillowcase with 22-momme weight, grade 6A silk, and beautiful colors and designs!

Check out our other 6A silk products, like our Blissy sleep masks, robes, and hair accessories.