Pile Material in Oriental Rugs

Mostly the pile of hand-knotted rugs are wool especially in Uttar Pradesh (India). Pure silk is consumed, partially (15/25 per cent) that too in high quality rugs (often Rayon is substituted for silk to keep the price competitive). That little use of silk enhances the sheen and luster of the rugs greatly. The precondition is that the quality of carpet-wool is not poor.

New Zealand Wool is considered as one of the best carpet-wool and for good quality rugs its use is most common because it is abundantly available

Usually Semi-Worsted wool yarn is consumed in high quality rugs. The use of worsted wool yarn which is considered best carpet-wool, is consumed consumed either occasionally or when an order is placed for that. Both types are made from long fiber New Zealand wool - the difference lies in the length of fiber and spinning technique and micron (A micron (micrometer) is the measurement used in wool classing to measure the actual diameter of a wool fibre. The smaller the number the finer the fibre). These two types of yarn are consumed in high quality knotted rugs.

New Zealand yarn not spun in worsted or semi-worsted technique is also considered good quality carpet-wool. yarn if they are not blended with other inferior wool fibers. However blending is quite common for rugs that are not at the higher end.

Some Indian fibers are nearly as good as New Zealand wool but their yields are not much. Mostly the Indian fibers are course and are generally used in rugs having low knot density or in other weave of carpets e.g. Tufted, Handloom, Tibetan etc. Roughly five types are used in Bhadohi/Mirzapur (Uttar Pradesh) carpet industry. They are:

1) Silk/wool
2) Worsted wool
3) Semi-Worsted wool
4) 100% New Zealand
5) Blended yarn (New Zealand and Indian fiber in different ratios).
6) Indian wool

However this is not the end of story. Besides New Zealand, wool is also imported from other countries but not in significant quantity.

Synthetic fibers are also rampantly used. Most often it is blended with poor quality wool for giving strength to yarn. 100% per cent synthetic is also consumed in many lower end quality rugs. Thank God, these yarns are not being utilized in high quality knotted Persian design rugs.