To find the perfect Persian rug, is the ultimate prize. When looking for Persian rugs for sale, it is very easy to become overwhelmed with all the choices between the different types and patterns, not to mention the prices.
Here are few tips that can come in handy when shopping for your Persian rug
The material Persian Rugs are made of
Persian rugs are usually made of wool or silk or a blend of wool and silk. A 100% pure silk rug is quite fine and has a shiny finish to it. The most common material used is wool and the quality is dependent on factors such as the breed of sheep, pasturage, the climate and time of shearing. If it is your first time looking for Persian rugs for sale, it is common to mistake wool or silk for the synthetic fibers of machine-made rugs – which are flammable and will give off lint.
The all-important knot count
The most important features to look for when looking for Persian rugs for sale, is the knot count of the rug. The best quality Persian rugs have at least 120 knots per square inch.
Where do you see the knot count you may wonder?
Simply flip the rug over and look at the knots from the underside. You don’t have to count them, but the back of a Persian rug tells it own story. One that is handmade has a soft backing and a fewer knots, whereas the knot uniformity of a machine made Persian rug will certainly raise an eyebrow.
The color
Quality, traditional Persian rugs are made from natural dyes. Look for colors that seem to come from nature: indigo plant for blues, cochineal insects for red and pomegranate rind for shades of yellow. Synthetic dyes have a habit of penetrating the fiber evenly, whereas natural dyes will coat the surface.
How to look for natural colors in a Persian carpet?
Simply bend the carpet to isolate a few threads, if a subtle unevenness is noticeable, you will know that you are dealing with natural colors.
Know the difference between the types
Not all Persian rugs are created equal, and it is quite a common occurrence for novices to mistake a gabbeh (a pile rug commonly woven by nomads) or a gelim (a flat woven carpet) for a traditional Persian rug just because it’s from Iran. These varieties are indeed beautiful in their own right, but considering that a true traditional Persian rug is a lifelong investment - I will rather make sure that I know the difference so that I don’t invest hard-earned money in the wrong one.
Bargain persistently when shopping for Persian Rugs
Nobody like to be taken for a ride, so a bit of bargaining is quite in order. When it comes to Persian rugs for sale, you get what you pay for. While you do not want to overpay, something cheap will eventually be indicative of its quality. A good rule of thumb is to remember that you are actually investing in a piece of art. True Persian rugs = painstakingly intensive labor, with the weavers sitting hunched over a loom for several months up to several years creating thousands of knots depending on the size of the rug.
Don't you find it strange that such valuable works of art are then placed on the floor so that people can walk on them? I certainly do, but what really counts in the end - as long as you think you’re paying a fair price, consider it a good deal.