Natural Fiber-Silk

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The History, Production, and Uses of Silk

           Silk is a natural fiber made from the cocoons of silkworms. It is such a desirable fiber for many reasons. One thing silk is known for is its luxurious texture. Silk fiber also takes dyes particularly well and can come in a wide variety of vibrant colors. Silk production started many millennia ago with the Chinese and has been a highly valued commodity since then. The process of making silk is still very delicate and time consuming, which contributes to the high cost of the material.

            In ancient Chinese legend it is said that the wife of the “Yellow Emperor” was the person that discovered silk and came up with the first sericulture. Whether or not this is actually the case has never been verified but there is solid evidence that the Chinese have been producing silk since at least circa 3000 bce. For almost three millennia the silk worms and silk-making process was closely guarded by the Chinese, giving them a monopoly in its production. Around 200 bce sericulture and its secrets started to spread. Silk-making became a part of the history of many other countries after this and soon spread to the western world where it was treasured for its beauty.

            The process of making silk is a tedious one compared to many other fibers. If the process is not controlled just right, the silk fibers will not develop and turn out how they are supposed to. The process starts with the silk moth laying hundreds of eggs. From these eggs hatch many tiny silk worms. It is the job of these silk worms to eat leaves (commonly mulberry) and spin itself a cocoon. Once the cocoon is spun the worms are killed and the cocoon is unwound into a strand of silk that is usually between 600 and 900 meters long. Depending on the type of silk, up to eight of these strands can be wound together to create a thicker, stronger thread. These threads are then woven into the luxurious fabrics we see so commonly as clothing and decoration today.

            Silk is known for being an extremely smooth, silky, and elegant fabric. These qualities make it very desirable to people that are willing to spend the extra money for it. Silk is a very good temperature regulator and can keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter while still being a very lightweight and breathable layer. Another thing that makes silk so desirable are the vibrant colors you can get it in. Silk absorbs dyes very well and so it is common to find it available in a wide range of colors with depths not found in many other fabrics. The protein structure of silk also makes it one of the most hypoallergenic fibers, which is very important and beneficial to some people.

            There are many different types of silk fibers, all slightly different that are used in the production of fabrics today. Some examples are: raw silk, spun silk, wild silk, noil, and doupioni. These types of silk can be used and combined to create many different types of silk fabrics that can be used for a wide variety of applications.

            Silk is a very old and very versatile fiber that has quite a few benefits. While being at first kept a huge secret, the production process of silk is now well known and used throughout the world for a variety of things. Silk is strong, hypoallergenic, and takes dyes particularly well, giving it an advantage over many other fibers.