Buying Tips

Good Handmade Rugs are not only beautiful, but also so durable that they last for generations, hold their value or even appreciate over time, age beautifully and look prettier with age. They are very easy to maintain and clean. These qualities make handmade rugs a greater value than any other home furnishing in the amount of beauty they add to any home or office, and the value and incredibly long service they give to their owners.

As beautiful and mysterious as handmade carpets are, they are also very hard to judge unless you are an expert. This makes it extremely important that you deal with a reputable carpet dealer who has substantial stock, preferably specializing in handmade rugs, with many years of experience. Going out of business sales and traveling auctions are the worst place to buy rugs, because they are usually outlets for the rejected goods of the rug industry and don't always offer any real savings.

Five Factors that influence the quality and price of Oriental Rugs:

• Materials (wool, cotton, silk)
• Complexity of Design (and color)
• Dyes and Dying (vegetal or synthietic)
• Weaving & Knotting
• Age and Condition

Materials (wool, cotton, silk): An oriental rug consists of wool pile yarns knotted to warp and weft yarns, usually of cotton, and its quality depends in part upon the number and strength of warps and wefts, but chiefly upon the quality and quantity of pile yarn. Soft, fluffy wool is generally not as durable as finer stiffer wool.

Sheep grazing in cool moist climates produce superior, long staple, lustrous wool. Length of fiber, springiness and luster determine its quality. A cotton warp and weft provides a more stable and durable foundation than wool. Silk, one of the most ancient noble materials, has strong shine and due to its subtlety makes possible the most dense weaving.

Complexity of Design (and color):

Designs may be crude or elegant, commonplace or distinctive. A simple design may have only a few colors while a Persian floral pattern may have as many as thirty-five. An intricate design with many colors requires more time and a highly skilled weaver. The design elements of an oriental rug include; the "field" or main background of the rug, which is surrounded by a "border." Many rugs have a "medallion" or large enclosed portion of a design, typically diamond, octagon or hexagon-shaped in the center of the rug.

Dyes and Dying (vegetal or synthetic):

Dyes and dying vary from the cheapest dyestuffs and most hurried methods, highly expensive dyes and the finest, most painstaking methods. Some rugs are colored by dyemasters whose families have for generations been specialists in the art.

In the middle of the XIX century the Persian government prohibited the importation of chemical dyes, including an order to stop work at all manufactures that used them. Cutting off the right hand of any dyer guilty of breaking that law was a severe consequence. Since English chemist Perkin founded aniline dyes in 1856, which caused the colors to run, many high quality synthetic dyes have been discovered, and nowadays they are used everywhere. Synthetic dyes make a more uniform color.

However, other qualities of plants' pigments can not be substituted. They are able to give colors so deep and mild that even at high intensity they never look irritating. The recipes of dying were considered to be a secret of workshops or clans, being transmitted by heritage. Dying depends on the climate and the type of soil on which the plants grow. Quality of the wool also influences the tone of a color of dye. Using the same production process may give varying tones of colors. In Persia, this difference is called "abrash." In India and Pakistan, it's called "dohrang." The nomads who dye only a small portion at a time do not achieve the same color tone of a dye, which is the reason why one can meet various tones of the same color on a single carpet. Variations in color are part of the natural beauty of handmade oriental rugs.

Today, chrome dyes and natural dyes are used and both are very reliable, safe and do not run. You can determine if the colors will run by wiping a damp cloth over the rug.

Why does the color of a rug seem lighter from one side?

The pile of a rug doesn't stand straight up. It leans in one direction, and light is either reflected or absorbed, depending upon the source of light. Weaving & Knotting: The weave - formed by knotting pile yarns to warps and binding the mesh together by the weft threads can be even or irregular, fine or coarse, firm or loose, apprentice work or the work of a master weaver. Knot count may vary from 50 to 1000 knots per square inch. A higher count usually indicates a more valuable rug, but not always. The fineness of a rug can be determined by looking at the back of the rug.

Knot density (for durability) and fineness (for design definition) are important indicators of quality in some rugs of intricate design. To test knot density, push your fingers down to the base of the pile. If the knots feel tightly packed the rug will be durable. To determine fineness compare the back of different rugs.

In some rugs such as tribal rugs the larger, coarser knots are complementary to their bold designs. These loose woven rugs are often of greater value than ones with a much higher knot count.

There is no fully agreed terminology for knot density although in recent years the following classification has come into use:

Knot densities of over 290 knot per square inch are rare in old and antique wool carpets, although they are not unusual in carpets with silk piles. The Vienna Hunting Carpet has 1,000 knots per square inch, while the finest silk carpet known has a knot density of 3,200 knots per square inch.

Age and Condition:

Especially in older rugs, the warp and weft threads should be checked from the back of the rug to see if there are any breaks or cuts. Also look to see if there have been any repairs. The pile should be checked for holes, stains, and moth damage. The fringe should be check to see if it is original or replaced, and in good condition. Also check the edges of the rug for wear.

Shopping for Rugs:

Before you go shopping, measure your space to determine your desired rug size. Bring fabric samples, wall paper, and pillows with you. Share with the staff at the store your room layout and ideas. After looking at many rugs, your favorites will be apparent. Rugs will look different in your home depending upon your colors and lighting. Take a few rugs home to see them in both daylight and at night before you decide on the one that's perfect for you.