Artificial Silk: What It Is and How to Tell It from Real Silk
Artificial silk, also called art silk, is not silk. The name goes back to the late 19th century, when factories began making glossy yarns from cellulose to imitate natural silk; later it came to mean mainly viscose, cupro and acetate. The term is still in use, and imitation silk is now also made from polyester. In the EU, “artificial silk” may not appear in the fibre composition on a label, because only the fibre names listed in EU law are allowed there. Here you will learn which fibres lie behind the name, what the label has to say, how to tell artificial silk from real silk and how their care differs.
What is artificial silk?
Artificial silk is an old umbrella term for yarns made to imitate natural silk. In the early 1890s, Hilaire de Chardonnet's company started factory production of such yarns, made at the time from cellulose nitrate. Yarns from the cuprammonium, viscose and acetate processes followed. All of them are based on cellulose, obtained, for example, from wood. Rayon, as viscose is called in the US, is also still known as artificial silk.
Today, the EU sets which fibre names may be used in the fibre composition on labels; the label section below explains the rules. The term itself has survived.
Viscose, acetate, cupro: the fibres behind artificial silk
Behind the name are fibres made from cellulose that is dissolved and respun, or chemically modified. Imitation silk is also made from polyester, which, by contrast, is a synthetic fibre made of long-chain molecules and contains no cellulose. Real silk is neither: it is a protein fibre from the cocoons of silk-spinning insects, above all the silkworm. Our guide to mulberry silk explains what sets the real thing apart.
| Fibre | What it is made of | What it means for care |
|---|---|---|
| Viscose (rayon) | Regenerated cellulose from the viscose process | Much weaker when wet, so handle gently |
| Cupro | Regenerated cellulose from the cuprammonium process | As the care label says |
| Modal and lyocell | Regenerated cellulose from a modified viscose process (modal) or from a process using an organic solvent (lyocell) | As the care label says |
| Acetate | Cellulose acetate, that is, chemically modified cellulose | Sensitive to heat and acetone; weaker when wet |
| Polyester | Synthetic fibre made of long-chain molecules, no cellulose | Usually easy care, temperature as the care label says |
| Silk | Protein fibre from the cocoons of silk-spinning insects | Protease-free detergent, temperature as the care label says |
Pillowcases sold as bamboo are mostly viscose or lyocell, as our cotton vs silk pillowcase comparison explains. And satin? Satin is a weave, not a fibre, and can be woven from polyester, viscose or silk, for example, as our guide to silk vs satin sets out. Satin bonnets are often polyester or another synthetic fibre; our silk vs satin bonnet guide compares the two.
Is viscose silk?
No, viscose is not silk. Viscose is a regenerated cellulose fibre, while silk is a protein fibre from the silkworm's cocoon. Viscose yarns have long been called artificial silk, and in the US viscose is still called rayon; in the EU, neither name may be used in the fibre composition, so a viscose fabric is labelled “viscose” there. Names such as “viscose silk” or “rayon silk” are not fibre names; the fibre composition shows whether a fabric is viscose, silk or a blend. The silky sheen of viscose and similar fibres gave artificial silk its name, but it does not make them silk. Why silk itself counts as a natural fibre is answered in our guide is silk natural or synthetic.
What the label has to say
What counts is the fibre composition. In the EU it is governed by Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 on textile fibre names, and in Germany the Textile Labelling Act adds that the composition must be given in German. For shoppers, the regulation means four things:
- Only the fibre names on the regulation's list, such as silk, viscose, acetate, cupro or polyester, may be used for the fibre composition. “Artificial silk” is not on that list.
- On a label, the name “silk” may not be used for other fibres, whether on its own, as part of a compound word or as an adjective. So “viscose silk” may not appear in a fibre composition.
- Only textiles made entirely of a single fibre may be labelled “100%”, “pure” or “all”.
- The fibre composition must be clearly visible before you buy, including when you buy online.
Words such as “silky”, “silk touch” or “satin finish” say nothing about the fibre; they describe how a fabric looks or feels. If a product page does not give the fibre composition, it leaves out the one statement that matters.
Artificial silk or real silk: how to tell them apart
When you shop, you have three clues, and only one of them is required by law:
- The label. “100% silk” means silk fibre. If the label lists only viscose, cupro, acetate or polyester, the fabric is not silk.
- Feel and sheen. They are hints, not proof. Acetate fabrics, for example, look very much like natural silk and feel almost as soft.
- Price and silk specifications. Specifications such as momme (a unit for the weight of silk fabric) or grade, and a higher price, point towards real silk, but they are not proof. Real silk offered at the price of a polyester fabric should make you sceptical.
Whether a fibre is really silk can only be settled for certain with a lab test, and not even the often-suggested burn test can do that. Labs identify fibres with methods such as microscopy, solubility tests in specific chemicals and spectroscopy. In a blend, the share of each fibre is measured only after that identification, usually by dissolving one of the fibres selectively. The burn test, by contrast, only sorts a fibre into a broad group, such as protein, cellulose or synthetic fibres. Silk is not the only protein fibre: wool is one too. The burn test cannot identify blended yarns, and dyes or finishes, such as crease-resistant or flame-retardant ones, can change the result.
A wet test does not tell artificial silk from real silk either: viscose loses much of its strength when wet, but silk is also weaker.
Care: viscose, acetate, polyester and silk
For any textile, the care label comes first: it sets the temperature, the programme and the drying. Beyond that, the fibres differ in a few respects.
Viscose loses much of its strength when wet and is easily damaged by rubbing. So handle wet viscose gently: do not rub it hard or wring it tightly.
Acetate does not tolerate acetone, which destroys the fibre, so keep nail polish remover containing acetone away from acetate fabrics. The fibre is also sensitive to heat: the usual advice is to iron acetate only at the lowest setting, slightly damp and on the reverse side, to keep its sheen. Take care with solvent-based stain removers too, because acetone and some other organic solvents dissolve the fibre. What acetate is made of, where it is used and how it compares with silk and polyester is covered in our guide to acetate fabric.
Polyester is usually easy to care for and machine washable; the care label gives the temperature.
Silk is a protein fibre; how to wash and dry it step by step is covered in our guide on how to wash silk. Many heavy-duty and all-purpose detergents contain enzymes, among them proteases, which are added to break down protein stains. So for silk, use a protease-free delicate or silk detergent.
Silk at RENESSY
At RENESSY we chose the natural fibre. The pillowcases in our silk pillowcase collection are 100% organic mulberry silk, 22 momme, Grade 6A, with silk on both faces, not a silk front on a cotton or polyester back. The silk is GOTS certified. The pillowcases carry the OEKO-TEX MADE IN GREEN label, and the label ID M27MNB1V9 can be checked on the OEKO-TEX website. The pillowcases carry the Dermatest 5-Star seal and the Dermatest Sensitive Skin seal, dermatologically tested for sensitive skin.
Frequently asked questions about artificial silk
Is artificial silk real silk?
No. Artificial silk is an old name for silk-like fibres made from cellulose, such as viscose, cupro or acetate, while real silk is a protein fibre from the silkworm's cocoon. The fibre name on the label shows the difference.
What is fake silk called?
Fake silk goes by names such as artificial silk, art silk or imitation silk. None of them is a fibre name: the fibre composition on the label names the actual fibre, such as viscose, acetate, cupro or polyester, and in the EU the label may not use the word “silk” for any of those fibres.
Is artificial silk polyester?
No, artificial silk originally meant fibres made from cellulose. Imitation silk is now also made from polyester, though, and the fibre composition on the label tells you which fibre it is.
Is art silk the same as satin?
No. Art silk refers to fibres, satin to a weave. A satin fabric can be woven from polyester, viscose or silk, for example; silk woven in a satin weave is called silk satin and is real silk.
Can you wash artificial silk?
Yes, if the care label allows it, and in the way the label specifies. On top of that, handle viscose gently while wet, because the fibre is much weaker in that state. Acetate is also weaker when wet, does not tolerate acetone and should be ironed only at the lowest setting.
How can you tell if something is artificial silk?
Most reliably from the fibre composition: if it lists only viscose, cupro, acetate or polyester, the fabric is not silk. Feel and sheen are only hints, and whether a fibre is really silk can only be settled for certain with a lab test.
Sources
- Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 on textile fibre names and related labelling and marking of the fibre composition of textile products, consolidated version: EUR-Lex
- German Textile Labelling Act (TextilKennzG): Gesetze im Internet
- Wikipedia: Rayon
- Wikipedia: Art silk
- Wikipedia (German): Kunstseide
- Wikipedia (German): Viskosefaser
- Wikipedia (German): Celluloseacetat
- University of Georgia Extension: Understand Your Fibers
- American Institute for Conservation, Textile Specialty Group: Fiber Identification
- ISO/TR 11827:2012 (Textiles, Composition testing, Identification of fibres): ISO
- ISO 1833-1:2020 (Textiles, Quantitative chemical analysis, Part 1): ISO
- CAMEO (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston), Acetate fiber: CAMEO