SILK: LUXURY FIBRE

As I already mentioned a few months back, at our luxury 5-star hotel Asia Gardens & Thai Spa, you will sleep in the best Asian cotton sheets. But today, it is a different type of Asian fabric that inspires us, silk.

Silk is a natural protein fibre produced by certain insect larvae, although nowadays, it is industrially made using only “Bombyx Mori” larvae.

Silk fabric was first made in China, there is evidence of silk being used dating back in the year 1.300 b.C.

The Chinese empress Xi Ling-Shi, and all her Chinese imperial family, used dresses exclusively made with this fabric. However, in time its production expanded and traders quickly realised the value of its texture and shine.

This increase in the demand for silk turning it into an internationally traded luxury product.

The first market silk was exported to was Egypt, and it later expanded to Asia and Europe creating the famous “Silk Route”, named by a German geographer in 1877.

Silk was a luxury product which symbolized popularity and power. The mystery behind its making also made it attractive, as it was only known to Chinese masters. The final product was an exquisitely refined material.

This precious thread is obtained breeding a particular type of silkworm. Depending on their quality the thickness of the resulting fibres varies, and the fibres are then wound into a ball.

Each silkworm produces approximately 1,500 metres of fibre, known as “raw silk fibre”. The leftovers are called “floss silk” and are often used combined with other basic fibres.

If you like luxury, we invite you to come to the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa and start your own Asian route of relaxation and wellbeing.