Mulberry silk

About momme weight

Silk bedding quality is referred to using momme weight.

Many people are familiar with thread count, which is used with many fabrics as a way to distinguish the overall quality of the fabric.

However, with silk, thread count is not generally used because it is not a good means to distinguish between different qualities of silk.

Silk is an incredibly fine thread to begin with, and thread counts would be extremely high, regardless of the quality of the silk. So for example, a low-quality silk may have a similarly high thread count to a high-quality silk. For this reason, silk uses an alternative system to measure quality, called momme weight.

What is momme？

 In simplest terms, momme weight describes the weight of 100 yards of silk, 45 inches wide, in pounds. So, if a fabric is listed with a momme weight of 8mm, it means that 100 yards of the fabric weighs 8 pounds.  Many silk dresses and other silk clothing items will be around 8mm in weight. Higher quality silks tend to be 14, 15 or 16mm or higher. The best Silk bedding is 19mm or 19 pounds in weight per 100 yards.

range of momme weight 

Silk generally falls into a range of 6 momme on the lower side to a maximum weight of 30 momme. For bedding, silk with a 19 momme weight is generally considered to provide the best balance of strength, aesthetics and affordability.

Importance of momme weight

If you are looking at various silk bedding options and you are unable to find a listed momme weight, you should look elsewhere. Without a declaration of momme weight, you have no way of knowing the quality of silk.

Effect of momme weight

While a higher momme weight silk will be more opaque than a lower momme weight silk, silk in general is a semi-transparent fabric. When deciding on color, remember that dyed silk will be more opaque as the dye will stop light from passing through the fabric, while white silk will be less opaque. However, many people enjoy white silk for its classic look and ability to match with many different types of bedding.

Difference of Silk types.

How well do you know your silks?

We’re often asked by many of you about the qualities of the different silks we use and why some are more suitable for certain activities than others.
We’ve therefore provided a mini guide to help you with your shopping.

What’s Mulberry Silk？ Mulberry silk is the most common and widely used silk around the world, and accounts for about 90% of the world’s supply.

  • the bulk of silk produced around the world comes from the mulberry variety.  is produced by the Bombyx mori silkworm who feed on mulberry bushes.
  • he careful breeding for quality and the strict diet of mulberry leaves are what make the end product, mulberry silk, the very finest silk available today.
  • The disadvantage of using mulberry silk is that it requires extra care to maintain its smooth texture.

Charmeuse Silk (Satin Silk)

  • Used in everything from bedding to dresses to shirts.
  • Lightweight and has a natural elasticity, which makes it the ideal fabric for use in sheets, pillowcases and other kinds of bedding. 
  • The front of the fabric has a satin sheen to it while the back has a dull finish.


Tasar Silk

  • Made from wild silkworms which have not been bred. 
  • Not as soft or durable as cultivated silk. 
  •  Most wild silk comes from India and not China.

Eri Silk

  • A creamy white-colored silk.
  • Derived from two domesticated species of silkworms known as Samia ricini and Philosamia ricin. 

Muga Silk

  • Golden yellow in color.
  • Belongs to the same genus as the Tasar silkworm.

Spider Silk

  • A non-insect silk variety that is soft and fine in texture.
  • The most difficult silk to produce as spiders cannot be bred like silkworms and do not produce as much yarn as silkworms. 

Mussel Silk  

Obtained from bivalve found in shallow waters along the shores of the Italia and Dalmatia of Adriatic.

Anaphe Silk  

Commonly produced in the southern and central African countries. 

Coan Silk

Poduced from the larvae of the Pachypasa atus which is common in the Mediterranean region covering Italy, Greece, and Turkey.

  Have we missed anything?

What is the difference between Charmeuse silk and Mulberry silk?

Mulberry silk refers to the silk made from the cocoons of the larvae of Mulberry silkworms reared in captivity. The entire production process is carefully monitored and the environment of the silkworm larvae strictly controlled to allow the larvae to spin silk threads that are rounder, finer, smoother, lighter and more uniformly colored than any other type of silk in the world. Mulberry silk fibers are also extremely strong, easily beating steel fibers of the same diameter in strength and durability.

Charmeuse silk, technically speaking, does not refer to a type of material as Mulberry silk does; it is a silk fabric made with a particular way of weaving, allowing for extra luster and shine on the front side in exchange for a dull finish at the back. Charmeuse silk can be made from all kinds of different silk including Mulberry silk and is often used on products that does not require showcasing of both sides of the fabric such as pillowcases and duvet covers.

We at Lilysilk promise you that every time you see Charmeuse silk used on our website, it means Charmeuse silk made from 100% pure and natural Mulberry silk and nothing else.