The term ‘pattu (பட்டு)’ means silk. These are the grandest form of sarees, known for their long golden borders, elegant designs, fabric texture, and craftsmanship. In Indian culture, pattu sarees are considered to be traditional and play an important role in the history of women’s clothing. Even though pattu sarees have been around for years, it is still a popular form of clothing among women in the 21st century despite the emergence of new fashions and trends. What makes the Kanjivaram pattu sarees unique and a cut above the rest is the fact that they are handwoven. The craft is kept completely manual instead of using powered machinery to preserve the originality and quality of these sarees.

Especially, when it comes to special occasions like weddings, red carpet events, and other similar events, you can find a lot of women draped in sarees. Pattu sarees tend to add a sense of elegance and grandeur to the women draped around in them, making it an obvious clothing choice. Available in various colors, designs, and textures, you can purchase pattu sarees at a lot of places in Tamil Nadu. However, not every dealer sells authentic pieces of silk sarees. Yes, the increased demand for silk sarees in Tamil Nadu has brought forth the emergence of replicas and duplicate sarees.

Identifying an Authentic Pattu Saree

Since there are numerous duplicate pieces of silk sarees revolving around the state, you must be careful when you are buying a saree. Unless you are familiar with the dealer and know that they have genuine Kanjivaram pattu sarees, it is not ideal to buy a saree from them. Kanjivaram pattu sarees have a great fabric touch and feel much softer. They are a bit costly but are completely worth the price.

Even if you buy a silk saree from a new place, there are a few factors that can help you find out whether the piece is authentic or not. Here are a few ways that can help you identify an authentic pattu saree from a fake one.

Look For a Silk Mark Label

The silk board of India issues a silk mark label in sarees that are pure Kanjivaram silk sarees. If you do not find the silk mark label on a saree, you can easily find out that the saree you are buying isn’t an authentic Kanjivaram pattu saree. It is always ideal to buy silk sarees at reputable, popular, and well-known shops as they are more likely to have authentic pieces. Similarly, an authentic silk saree will not range lesser than 8000 rupees. So, if you are looking at a cheaper one, chances are they are most likely a replica.

Take a Look at the Border of the Saree

What makes the Kanjivaram pattu saree a bit more special is the contrasting and grand border work. Silk and silver threads are twisted together and dipped in pure gold to make this pattu saree. This is what makes the pattu saree look more elegant and a cut above the rest. The fake silk sarees do not go through the same process. Unlike the authentic pattu sarees, where actual silver and gold are used, the weavers use copper in the replicas, which makes it cost-efficient.

So, when a Kanjivaram pattu saree is sold at a cheaper rate, do check the border of the saree to ensure that they aren’t fake. Do check with the dealer, and understand what kind of zari has been used in it; as without the involvement of silver and gold, the prices of the silk sarees go down gradually. Identifying the copper in the border of the saree is the most popular and renowned technique that people use to distinguish an authentic pattu saree from a replica.

The Burn Test

This is one of the most efficient experiments that can help you identify a pure silk saree. In this method, you need to pluck out some threads from the warp and weft. Set fire to the end of these threads and wait for them to burn completely. Upon burning, a pure silk saree would produce ash, and the ash would smell like burnt hair or burnt leather.

On the other hand, if the silk saree is a replica, the fire will not produce any ash. The artificial fibers burn to create a flare, which is common among such fibers. You will not find the smell of burnt hair or leather in this case. Performing the burn test on your silk saree will surely bring you to a conclusion.

The Zari Test

This is a very simple test that will provide you an instant result. Zari is an even thread, that is made using red silk threads and silvers twisted together and dipped in 22-carat pure gold. The zari is generally used as brocade in silk sarees. So, all you need to do is look for a loose end in the zari and pull the loose end.

Once you do that, you will be able to see the color of the silk thread. Since the zari is made using red silk threads, you will find the same color in an authentic pattu saree, which can be further confirmed with a burn test. If you end up finding white or any other color, you can be sure that the saree is a replica. This is one of the easiest methods to identify a pure silk saree.

The Ideal Place To Buy Authentic Silk Sarees

Muhurth is one of the few reputable and reliable businesses that produce and sell pure and authentic pattu sarees. You can put our silk sarees through any of these tests mentioned above and you will end up getting a positive result. We focus more on the originality and quality of our sarees and maintain high standards. Check out our website to see our collections and purchase them online.