Day 24 of 30
Day 24 · Week 4 · Know Before You Stock
The fake is too perfect. The real one always has a small irregularity — that’s the tell.
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Week 4 · Know Before You Stock
WEEK 4 · KNOW BEFORE YOU STOCK
Spotting Fakes —
Real vs Imitation
Mill-made copies look almost the same. The 30-second tests — burn, back, weight, motif uniformity — tell you the truth.
The Concept
The fake is too perfect. The real one has small irregularities — that’s the tell.
Power looms can copy almost any design. What they cannot copy is the small irregularity a human hand leaves — one motif slightly bigger than the other, the zari weight changing across the saree, the back-side being clean (because the karigar wove it that way, not because a machine finished it). The fake always looks ‘cleaner’ than the real one. That sounds backwards, but it’s the rule. Once you know the four fakes that flood the market — fake Banarasi, fake Kanjivaram, fake Pashmina, fake Kalamkari — the tests take under a minute each.
Too perfect ≠ real handmade
Look for the small irregularity
That’s where the human hand left its mark.
Visual Guide
Easiest → Hardest Fake to Spot
Easiest → Hardest Fake to Spot
Smell + back-side reveals it👃 Smell
Burn test on a thread end🔥 Burn
Weight + sound + zari behaviour⚖️ Weight
Ring test + warmth + burn test💍 Ring
← Easy to spotTrained eye needed →
Side by Side
Four Fakes That Flood the Market
🥻
Banarasi
1
fake type
Fake Banarasi
Powerloom with metallic-coated thread
🔥 Burn testReal: silver insideFake: plastic smell
🌺
Kanjivaram
2
fake type
Fake Kanjivaram
Art silk body + machine-zari border
⚖️ Light = fakeNo korvai joinIdentical motifs
🧣
Pashmina
3
fake type
Fake Pashmina
Viscose blend sold as ‘Cashmere’
💍 Ring testReal fits throughFake plastic
🎨
Kalamkari
4
fake type
Fake Kalamkari
Digital print on cotton, sold as hand-painted
🔄 Back-side testReal: faded backFake: no bleed-through
The 30-Second Tests — Real vs Fake
| Test | Real | Fake |
|---|---|---|
Burn test (1 yarn end) Smell + ash reveals fibre |
Cotton/silk: paper-burn smell, soft ash | Polyester/nylon: plastic smell, hard bead |
Back-side check Flip the saree |
Almost as clean as the front | Knots, threads, messy |
Motif check Compare two same-design motifs |
Tiny differences — never identical | Two motifs are pixel-identical |
Zari rub test Rub a small section gently |
Holds its shine | Metallic colour flakes off |
Ring test (Pashmina) Pull through a finger ring |
Slides through easily | Catches, won’t fit |
Put It to Work
How to Use This in Your Store
Your Brand Edge
When a customer DMs you worried about authenticity, don’t just say “ours is real”. Teach her one test she can do herself when she gets the piece. For a Banarasi, tell her to do the burn test on the loose end thread. For a Kanjivaram, ask her to lift it — real silk has weight. Customers who learn one test become customers for life — because now they trust the category, not just you.
“Didi ek choti si test bataati hoon — jab piece mile, palla ka ek loose thread end pe lighter jalao. Real silk ya cotton mein paper-burn smell aayegi, soft ash banegi. Polyester mein plastic smell, hard ball bana hua dikhega. Yeh test kabhi galat nahi hoti.”
Remember this always: The fake is too perfect. Real handwoven always has small irregularities — that’s the human-hand signature. Burn test, back-side check, motif comparison — three tests, 30 seconds each. Teach your customer one of them.
Day 24 Quiz
Check What You Learned
3 questions · Mark your attendance · Keep your streak alive 🔥
Question 1 of 3
In a real handwoven Banarasi, two identical motifs on the same saree will be:
A
Pixel-identical — that’s the proof of craft
B
Slightly different in size or zari weight — the human-hand tell
C
Exactly the same width but different colour
D
Both faded
Question 2 of 3
In the burn test, real silk or cotton will smell like:
A
Burning plastic
B
Burning paper — soft, powdery ash
C
Burning rubber
D
Nothing at all
Question 3 of 3
A real Pashmina shawl can pass through:
A
A coin slot
B
A finger ring — slides through smoothly
C
A bottle neck
D
A keyhole
Your WhatsApp Number
+91
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