Silk Rugs

Pure Silk Rugs

Persian Qum Silk Rug Virginia Beach

Persian Qum Silk Rug

Silk, known for its silky softness is the most luxurious of all rug fibers. Therefore hand knotted pure silk rugs are considered the most luxurious of all Oriental rugs.

Because of the nature of the silk fiber, a rug weaver can produce a very high knot count for hand knotted silk carpets which places silk rugs in the fine rug category.

Pure silk rugs, wool with part silk and rugs made with a silk foundation are types of silk rugs that are produced in several countries, such as China, Iran, Turkey and India.

Silk rugs from the city of Qum, Iran, also spelled Qom, are considered a prize in the world of Oriental rugs. But due to an embargo of Persian rugs from Iran, those beautiful pure silk Persian Qom rugs have limited availability.

Tabriz Rugs

The city of Tabriz is another major rug producing area in Iran. Persian Tabriz silk and part silk rugs and carpets are also highly desirable. But availability is limited because they are banned from direct import into the US.

Persian Silk Rug Designs

Persian silk rug designs feature the tree of life, intricate medallions and figurative patterns of humans and animals. Fortunately Persian rug designs are now expertly reproduced in other countries.

In the United States, today’s silk rug category has primarily been replaced by imports from China and India. Chinese silk rugs became popular after the first Persian rug embargo of 1987. Many of the pure silk rugs of China are very fine and feature beautiful colors and patterns that are unique to China as well as traditional Persian designs. Chinese Persian design silk rugs are known to match or exceed the fine Persian Qom rugs. However, due to changes in the Chinese culture, where jobs are now becoming more high tech, the craft of hand knotting rugs is a dying art. Over time, this will cause the availability to decrease and the value to increase.

Persian design silk rugs from India are also very beautifully made and are more abundant in the US. Kashmir is known for the most beautiful and skillfully executed silk rugs made in India. The rug weavers in Kashmir adhere to the traditional Persian designs of Iranian villages of Kirman, Kashan, and lsfahan, to name a few. The “tree of life”, floral and garden pattern designs are prominent in Kashmir silk carpets.

Jaipur India is another well known silk rug producing region that makes exceptional silk rugs, and wool rugs with part silk.

Sari Silk Rugs Hampton Roads

Sari Silk Rugs at Mark Gonsenhauser’s

Types of Silk Rugs Available at Mark Gonsenhauser’s

  • Chinese silk rugs: This includes 200-1000 line rugs in pure silk, silk with cotton foundation, and wool with part silk. There are available in select sizes.
  • Custom made silk rugs & part silk rugs: If you require a specific size, color, and design, we have a fantastic custom rug department that can make it for you.
  • Jaipur silk rugs: Pure silk rugs and wool with part silk produced in Jaipur India are available in many sizes, colors and designs.
  • Kashmir silk rugs: Pure silk Kashmir rugs are available in many sizes, colors and designs.
  • Persian Qum/Qom silk rugs: We carry a beautiful collection of pure silk Qum rugs, although because of the embargo these are limited.
  • Persian Tabriz silk rugs / Persian Tabriz “design” silk rugs: Tabriz rugs of pure silk and wool with part silk are available in various sizes and colors.
  • Persian Nain silk and part silk rugs: We have a selection of various sizes in Persian Nain rugs.
  • Sari silk rugs: These unique rugs of India are produced using recycled sari silk material that is spun into yarn. These are available in many sizes, designs and colors.
  • Turkish Hereke silk rugs: Pure silk and part silk Hereke rugs are occasionally available in our inventory.

Care of Silk Rugs

Silk rugs require very special care. Our rug cleaning department is qualified to expertly clean your silk rugs. The process for pure silk rugs is dry cleaning. Although some rugs with wool and part silk can be water washed. We recommend that silk rugs be cleaned by a professional rug dealer who specializes in rug cleaning. Please call us at 757-333-1010 or come by and our cleaning department will consult with you on cleaning your silk rug.

At Mark Gonsenhauser’s Rug and Carpet Superstore we have the largest and most impressive selection of silk and part silk rugs in Hampton Roads. That includes traditional, transitional and contemporary designs. Come by our Virginia Beach rug store and our sales and design staff will be happy to present our silk rug collection to you!