TUSSAR SILK

Tussar Silk, also known by its Sanskrit name Kosa silk, is produced from Tusser silkworms (Antheraea mylitta and Antheraea proylei). Produced mainly in the Indian state, Jharkhand, Tussar is valued for its texture and natural gold colour, which is unusually rich and deep.

Tussar Silk is a type of wild silk – it is obtained from silk worms that are not bred on mulberry trees but whose cocoons are collected from the local trees like Sal, Arjun and Saja. It is less expensive than cultivated silk and not as durable (cultivated silk has longer fibres). Some Tussar silk today is made is called non-violent silk, orAhimsa Silk, which is extracted from the cocoon after the silkworm larva has left it.

Traditionally, Tussar was dyed only with natural dyes – but with time, the range of colour and motifs has increased dramatically, thanks to the introduction of chemical dyes.

One such tussar silk saree is available in a pretty shade of purple with antuque gold border in Banares tissue style. It feels very light unlike the usual pure silk sarees. As mentioned above it also fallls into the category of Ahimsa silk. So anyone who is a vegetarian or who does not believe in wearing pure silk sarees for principle reasons may very comfortably wear this material.

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