Natural vs. chemical dyes in handmade rugs.

If given the opportunity to look at two handmade rugs side-by-side with the same motifs, colors, and knot count, would you be able to tell the difference between one made with chemical (synthetic) dyes and one made with natural dyes? No worries, because it’s been said that even experts in the field sometimes have a hard time discerning between the two. The quality of two rugs can be the same in terms of the motifs, colors, and knot count, but ultimately it’s a difference in the aging of the rug. A rug made with wool dyed with ingredients from nature can age more gracefully, offering that patina of settled-in & softened colors that’s so desirable. Chemical dyes will fade with use and time, but not quite with the same grace as a naturally dyed rug. Additionally, different dye lots can fade at different rates; the variation in color is known as abrash or the uneven hues of color that show as a rug ages. Chemical dyes won’t have the same abrash effect as a naturally dyed rug. A rug can have a combination of the two, chemical dyes mixed with a use of natural dyes, offering changes in hues and some effects of abrash. But a truly classic antique Persian rug will have dye lot variations due to 100% use of natural dyes. As handmade Persian rugs gained notoriety in the West in the early 1920’s, chemical dyes were introduced to the rug making industry, so most rugs post-1920’s have some traces or elements of chemical dyes in them. The take-away? Handmade rugs are just that; they have been made with a skill and precision that most of us don’t have. Whether you have a collection that includes chemical and/or natural dyes, your rugs are meant to be enjoyed; choose those you love through a trusted source and they will bring you a lifetime of joy.