Garment & Textile · Embroidery

Zari — Real, Tested, Imitation

Metallic thread (gold, silver, gilt) wrapped over silk/cotton core used in brocade.

Origin

Surat (zari making), Varanasi, Kanchipuram

Era

Mughal

Also known as

Kinkhwab, Tilla

CC-licensed · free to use

Industrialist View

Real zari: pure silver wire, optionally gold-plated. Tested zari: 57% silver. Imitation: metallized polyester. Chennai Silk Park lab certifies.

Stiffens cloth — use larger needle (100/16); risk of shredding thread at high SPI.

1 kg real zari covers ~1 saree pallu.