Silk is a fabric first produced in Neolithic China from the filaments of the cocoon of the silk worm. It became a staple source of income for small farmers and, as weaving techniques improved, the reputation of Chinese silk spread so that it became highly desired across the empires of the ancient world.

Silk became a prized export for the Chinese. Nobles and kings of foreign lands desired silk and would pay high prices for the cloth. The emperors of China wanted to keep the process for making silk a secret. Anyone caught telling the secret or taking silkworms out of China was put to death.

Why did the Chinese keep silk-making methods a secret? So they could be the only people who knew how to make the valuable fabric. Where did the Silk Road begin and end? It began in central China and ended at the Mediterranean Sea.

Why did the Chinese guard the secret of silk production so carefully? The knowledge would create too much bickering between silk manufacturers. The Silk Road would most likely collapse without silk production. The production generated great wealth for China as long as it was not shared.

China

Expensive – As already mentioned, silk is one of the most expensive fibres on the market adding to its elegance and luxurious appeal. Sun & Water Damage – While it is a strong absorbent fibre, it can easily be damaged by sun and water exposure. The sun may result in fading and weakness while water may result in stains.

According to the International Sericulture Commission, China is the largest producer and supplier of silk in the world. While, India is the second largest producer of silk and silk products.

Shah and his team are far from the only scientists to work on creating artificial spider silk. A German team has modified E-coli bacteria to produce spider silk molecules. Scientists at Utah State University bred genetically modified “spider goats” to produce silk proteins in their milk.

India

The Ramanagara district in Karnataka is the largest market for silk cocoons in Asia….Volume of raw silk produced in India in financial year 2017, by state (in 1,000 metric tons)

mulberry silk

Pochampally ikat

You might not realise, but silk can be made from many varieties of silkworm – and sometimes no worms at all (as you’ll discover in a minute)! Whatever the source, these moths and worms produce a protein “fibroin” that is the main element in silk.

Empress His Ling Shi