Real Silk vs Fake Silk: How to Tell the Difference?

Mayfairsilk: Luxurious Slumber in Matte Silk As Featured in Marie Claire, Harper's Bazaar & Vanity Fair Experience True Silk Luxury: Get 25 Momme pillowcases that reduce friction on hair and skin, 22 Momme thermoregulating sheet sets with our signature matte finish, and limited-edition prints made in small, distinctive batches. The Mayfairsilk Difference: ✓ Grade 6A Mulberry silk (the highest quality available) ✓ Thicker, more durable weave (22–25 Momme vs. standard 19) ✓ Natural thermoregulation for year-round comfort ✓ British-owned and designed ✓ UK-based warehouse for fast, reliable delivery ✓ 30-night sleep guarantee on pillowcases Free Next-Day Delivery on orders of £50 or more (UK), €180 or more (EU), or US$180 or more (US). All taxes and duties calculated upfront, with no surprise charges. Discover Mayfairsilk Today →

Real Silk vs Fake Silk: Understanding Their Differences

Authentic silk should feel fluid and lightweight. 

Fibre Type

Real silk, especially mulberry silk, is a natural protein fibre produced by Bombyx mori silkworms as they spin their cocoons. Each filament has two proteins: fibroin (the structural core) and sericin (a gummy coating). It also has a triangular cross-section that acts like a tiny prism. 

Fake silk, on the other hand, is typically made from polyester, rayon, nylon, or acetate. These are all petroleum-derived or chemically processed materials with no natural protein structure.

Lustre

Genuine silk has a soft, multi-tonal lustre that changes depending on the angle you view it from. This comes directly from its triangular fibre structure refracting light differently at different angles. Synthetic silk tends to have a flat, uniform shine that looks the same no matter how you tilt it, often described as looking "cheap" or "plasticky" under bright light.

Feel

One of the most telling differences is how each fabric responds to body heat. Real silk is a natural thermoregulator. It warms quickly when you hold it in your hand and feels smooth without being slippery. 

Synthetic alternatives often feel either too slick (like touching a plastic bag) or slightly rough, and they don't warm up the same way because they lack the protein fibre structure of genuine silk.

Price

Real silk is expensive to produce. A single silkworm produces a filament that, when unravelled, can be up to 900 metres long, but it takes thousands of cocoons to make even a small amount of fabric. 

Mulberry silk, which is the highest-quality variety, commands a premium because of the controlled diet, careful farming, and labour-intensive weaving process involved. If you're seeing a "silk" pillowcase priced at £10 to £20, it is almost certainly polyester satin.

High-quality mulberry silk bedding typically starts at several times the price of synthetic alternatives. That price gap reflects the difference in raw materials, production complexity, and longevity.

Durability & Lifespan

Despite feeling delicate, real silk is remarkably strong for its weight. It's one of the strongest natural fibres in the world and, with proper care, can last for years without losing its softness or structure. 

Synthetic silks, while often cheaper and easier to wash, tend to pill, lose their sheen, and degrade more quickly, especially with regular use and washing.

Real Silk vs Fake Silk: Comparison Table

How to Check for Silk Authenticity 

All Mayfairsilk bedding is made of Grade 6A pure Mulberry silk. 

Once you know what real silk should look, feel, and cost, spotting a fake becomes much easier. The six checks below combine research, sensory tests, and a definitive at-home experiment, giving you a full picture rather than relying on any single clue.

Together, they leave little room for a synthetic to slip through. Start with the ones you can do before buying, and save the burn test for when you already have the fabric in hand.

1. Assess the company selling the silk: Reputable retailers list silk grade, momme weight, and origin, and back it up with certifications like OEKO-TEX Standard 100 or the Silk Mark. Mayfairsilk is a strong example, with every product page confirming 100% Grade 6A mulberry silk, momme weight (22 to 25), and OEKO-TEX certification.

2. Check the product description: Genuine silk will be labelled 100% mulberry silk with a listed momme weight of 19 to 25 for quality bedding. Watch out for terms like "silky satin," "art silk," "faux silk," "bamboo silk," or "banana silk," which all point to synthetics or plant-based imitations.

3. Check the price: Real silk is costly to produce because harvesting cocoons, reeling threads, and weaving are extraordinarily labour-intensive. A genuine mulberry silk pillowcase in 22 to 25 momme will cost significantly more than synthetic alternatives, so any "100% silk" set priced near polyester bedding is almost certainly fake.

4. Check for lustre or shine: Real silk has a soft, multi-directional glow that shifts subtly under light, thanks to the triangular structure of its fibres. Synthetics reflect light in a flat, uniform way with an almost plastic-like shine, so anything aggressively mirror-like on the surface is a red flag.

5. Feel the silk's texture: Real silk warms quickly against your skin and feels lightweight and fluid, while synthetics stay cool, slippery, and often cling with static. 

6. Perform the silk burn test: Pull a few loose threads from a seam, hold them with metal tweezers, and ignite. Real silk burns slowly, self-extinguishes, smells like burning hair, and leaves crushable black ash, while synthetics melt and drip with a chemical smell and form a hard plastic bead.

Authentic Mulberry Silk Bedding, Available at Mayfairsilk

If you want authentic mulberry silk bedding, shop at Mayfairsilk. 

Telling real silk from fake silk comes down to a handful of reliable signals: a shifting lustre, warmth against the skin, a clear label with momme weight, and a price that reflects genuine production costs. Any one clue can mislead, but together they rarely lie.

At Mayfairsilk, every piece is made from 100% Grade 6A mulberry silk in 22 to 25 momme, certified to OEKO-TEX Standard 100 and backed by a 30-night sleep guarantee on pillowcases. Every product page lists silk grade, weight, and fibre content. Shop the Mayfairsilk collection today.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is artificial silk cheaper than real silk?

Yes, significantly. Artificial silk from polyester, rayon, or acetate is manufactured at industrial scale using chemical processes, making it a fraction of the cost of real silk. Genuine mulberry silk requires labour-intensive silkworm cultivation, cocoon reeling, and careful weaving. If a "silk" product is priced like polyester bedding, it almost certainly is not silk.

Is real silk shiny on both sides?

Real silk has a soft lustre on both sides, but the degree of sheen can vary depending on the weave. In a standard silk charmeuse weave, one side has a more pronounced satin-like lustre while the reverse has a more matte finish. Both sides, however, display that characteristic shifting glow when moved under light, rather than the flat, uniform shine of polyester.

How can you test silk at home?

The quickest first check is touch: rub the fabric between your fingers and real silk warms fast and feels smooth without being slippery, while synthetics stay cool and slick. For a definitive answer, burn a few threads pulled from a seam, since genuine silk burns slowly, smells like burning hair, and leaves soft crushable ash, whereas synthetics melt into a hard bead with a chemical smell. Use the two together, as touch alone can mislead but the burn test rarely does.

How can you tell fake silk from real silk?

Combine these three checks: examine the lustre (shifting glow vs. flat shine), feel for warmth, and check the label for momme weight and 100% mulberry silk. If all three agree, you have your answer.

Are Mayfairsilk bedding products made of real silk?

Yes. Mayfairsilk bedding is made from 100% Grade 6A mulberry silk, ranging from 22 to 25 momme depending on the item, and every product is certified to OEKO-TEX Standard 100 for freedom from harmful chemicals. Each product listing shows the momme weight, silk grade, and fibre content upfront, so you know exactly what you're buying.

*Note: The prices and product listings mentioned above are approximate and may vary over time or by location. Actual costs can differ based on pricing policies, provider experience, and market conditions.