Purchasing a rug is an investment that should not be underestimated: time, accurate evaluation and deep meditation are necessary in order to make the right choice.
Before making such an important investment you should evaluate important qualities such as resistance, aesthetic appeal and, above all, durability.
Recognizing an original Persian rug from a fake can be difficult: unreliable rug dealers may mislead the unexperienced buyer, lying about quality and country of origin.
If you don’t want to be deceived, you should be aware of a few characteristics that will help you identify an original Persian rug.
The following tips will help you recognize a genuine handmade Persian rug from a machine-made one:
- Flexibility and softness
Fold the rug’s corner: hand-knotted Persian rugs are very flexible and easy to bend, while machine-made rugs are stiffer.
Persian rugs’ softness is due to the use of natural fibers, whereas machine-made rugs are usually made with synthetic fibers.
- Check pile height
Persian rugs are pile-woven and every single knot is tied by hand to the warp strings. Pile height depends on the weaver, and it varies according to the degree of softness he wishes to obtain.
A simple but effective way to recognize an original Persian rug is running your fingers through the pile’s wool fibers: if you can detect the individual yarns and knot heads, you’ll know it’s authentic.
Pile height may vary in a hand-knotted rug, its imperfection is the result of artisan quality and craftsmanship; on the contrary, pile height in machine-made rugs will always be homogeneous.
These tips may be helpful to improve your eye for detail and your knowledge on Persian rugs, but if you want to be sure of what you’re buying you should definitely refer to a reliable rug dealer: the knowledge and expertise of a specialist will remove all your doubts concerning the value and quality of a rug.
Today’s machine-made rugs can nearly replicate the look and feel of hand-made rugs, and their colors and designs match with any kind of decor.
Unfortunately, machine-made rugs’ quality is only apparent: an original Persian rug is the result of a long-lasting tradition and history, and its quality is beyond compare.
If you want to discover all secrets to decorate your house with perfect rugs, download the free guide!
