Some estimates say that producing 1 pound of silk requires approximately 2,000 to 3,000 silkworms to be killed. As a result, silk-farming practices have been criticized in recent years, and animal rights groups such as PETA have called for a ban on silk. Domesticated Bombyx mori moths, through selective breeding, have lost their ability to fly and have atrophied wings. This process of harvesting the eggs, rearing silkworms, and killing them in their cocoons happens continuously to keep up with demand for silk. Eventually, that silk thread is woven into a fabric for commercial use. Multiple long silk strands are then entwined to create silk thread. This is followed by reeling, where cocoons are unraveled and become one continuous string that can stretch up to hundreds of yards long. This boiling step also blunts a natural chemical substance known as sericin, which otherwise would cause the cocoons to harden, resulting in a fabric that’s not as soft. Once their cocoon is complete, the sericulture process traditionally includes killing the silkworm by boiling or steaming it alive. Next, they’re fed a steady diet of mulberry leaves, and after roughly 35 days of growing and multiplying in size, they’re ready to make their cocoon.
Essentially, farmers create an artificial environment for the moths to lay their eggs on special paper, where they will hatch and become larvae. The process of harvesting these cocoons for silk is called sericulture, and has existed for thousands of years. Įarly in a silkworm’s lifecycle, it can spin silk in one unbroken single thread from spinnerets on its head to create a cocoon, a protective covering for itself as it is transformed into a moth. Unlike cotton or hemp, which are made from plant fibers, silk is a protein fiber made from the saliva of silkworms, a small insect scientifically known as the Bombyx mori moth. What is it about silk that has captivated humanity for thousands of years, making it a still-sought-after status symbol today? How Silk Is Made In that era, silk was worth as much as its weight in gold and was sometimes used as a form of currency. The fabric was one of the most valued commodities that traveled westward along the vast network known as the Silk Road. The rarity of the fabric made it all the more precious.įor more than a thousand years, how that silk was produced remained a well-guarded secret kept by ancient China, reluctant to let its monopoly go. Historically, its unmatched beauty, durability and comfort was prized by the ranks of nobility - Roman and Arabian aristocrats in particular.