Just like there are variations in the quality of wool and silk used for making carpets, there are differences in the type and quality of dyes used to color carpets and rugs. The kind of dyes used can influence the value of the carpet and decide it’s worth in the market. Some dyes are rich and saturated while the others are soft.

According to carpet dye experts, a good dye is one that shines when light falls and reflects off it. Transparent quality dyes are regarded as the best as their colors come to life when combined with lustrous wool.

Dyes that are not of standard quality can appear dim and flat. Good quality dyes respond fast to light and water exposure while inferior dyes fade when exposed to light. They also leave the surface and tend to run loose when wet. This can spoil the design and the whole creation and damage the carpet for good.

Vegetable Dyes – The Preferred Choice But Had Inherent Downsides

Some of the most authentic and high-quality antique rugs were colored using dyes derived primarily from vegetable materials. You can find such rugs and carpets in the leading rug store in San Rafael. Some commonly used dyes such as lac or cochineal were derived from insect shells. These dyes were developed carefully and steps were taken to make sure they did not run across wet carpets and did not fade noticeably when exposed to light. However, it is not easy to create high-quality dyes to impart rich and vibrant colors to rugs and carpets.

This fixing might take weeks, especially when there are rich colors involved. Synthetic dyes were used to achieve bright colors for the process of carpet dyeing and there were no complicated and lengthy fixing procedures involved. However, synthetic dyes were not the desired choice of artisans because the dyes were not stable.

The Progress Of Synthetic Dyes

Synthetic dyes such as fuchsine purple turned to gray because of exposure to extreme light. Colors such as aniline red bled badly when the carpets were cleaned or when they became wet inadvertently. Chrome dyes that were developed around 1920 were regarded as more stable than synthetic dyes, but they lacked the depth and vibrancy of dyes made from vegetables or insect shells.

The lack of availability of quality options in dyes has forced weavers to turn back to dyes derived from vegetables. This revival of natural dyes has led to an increase in the use of such dyes in most rug making markets globally.

Natural Vegetable Dyes And Synthetic Dyes – Key Features

One of the key attractions and a strong USP of the Persian rugs is its stunning colors and creative combinations. The Process of Carpet Dyeing is particularly true of antique Persian rugs. A common misconception about dyes created using vegetables is that the colors are not vibrant. This is far from the truth. Colors like royal blue, earthy brown, and brilliant red roundly disprove this claim.

Do You Know Why Natural Dye Colors Work Well In Combination?

Almost all Persian carpets created before 1850 exclusively used natural dyes and colors made from plants. Persian carpets often had colors in creative combinations. They did not seem to deliver the same effect in other types of carpets as they did in Persian carpets. There is a logical and scientific reason why natural and vegetable dye colors work well in combination.

Natural dyes do not qualify as pure colors. They are the elements of all the primary colors available in nature. The example of brilliant red dye created using madder root will help us understand this logic better. The brilliant red color is not in its purest form here but is dominant over other colors such as blue and yellow which is also reflected and visualized by the brain. However, only the dominant red gets registered and nothing else.

Natural plant dyes have all three colors within them and hence they work harmoniously together. Also, yarns reflect natural dyes in a more impactful manner. This is because of the variations in the hand-spun texture and design. Discrepancies in appearance can also happen due to differences in the source of materials, the different Process of Carpet Dyeing, and color production methods. All these combine to create a natural look that is conspicuous by its absence in synthetic colored carpets. For buying real, authentic carpets and rugs, the rug store in San Rafael is your best resource.

Synthetic colors cannot create that kind of look as they are flat and monochromatic. A red-colored synthetic dye will have only pure red color.

Common Rug Dyes And Color Dyestuff

Weavers can create beautiful colors from plants but only when the circumstances are favorable. The climate plays a key role and so does the easy local availability of the raw materials. Carpet centers with easy access to trade routes for transporting dyestuff generally produce carpets in different shades and colors.

Carpet weavers located in interiors and deep in the villages make do with whatever vegetable stuff is available locally. Nomadic tribes indulging in carpet making keep changing the carpet coloring patterns as they keep moving most of the time and hence have to use the resources available locally at that destination.

Here Are The Ways Various Colors Are Produced Using Natural Resources:

Red Color:

Red is the most commonly produced dyestuff in the carpet making and dyeing process. The red color is generally taken from the root of the Madder plant. It creates an orange-red shade. At times, red color is also produced from the outer covering of a certain type of insect called cochineal. It produces a red shade that’s more tending towards burgundy. As cochineal was often used in Spanish rugs, this red came to be popularly known as Spanish red. Red color also came from safflower and was used in some areas. However, this dyestuff is not popular as they tend to fade fast.

Blue Color:

The blue color for carpet dyeing came from the indigo plant, and it is still the most commonly used natural resource for blue color. The typical denim color associated with jeans comes from Indigo. The leaves of the plant are used to create color by a fermentation process.

Yellow Color:

Yellow-colored dyes are made of weld and larkspur. In some cases, pomegranate peel is also used to produce specific shades of yellow.

Green Color:

Green dyes are created using multiple dyeing processes. The yarn is first dyed in larkspur, then in saffron or weld, and finally in indigo. While there are multiple sources of obtaining green dye in nature, experiments show that most of them do not sustain the shade and quickly fade away. It is one of the more difficult dyes to create as the multiple steps of dyeing are not only time-consuming but add to the cost as well. That is the reason green color is not used as frequently in carpets and rugs as other colors.

Orange Color:

Henna leaves which are abundantly available in nature and across the world are the most popular choice for creating orange dyes. The Process of Carpet Dyeing madder red with weld yellow also helps create orange color. In some parts of the world where it is readily available, saffron is used to produce orange shades. This is, however, an expensive option.

Purple Color:

Purple dyes were sourced from hollyhocks. However, there is a problem with the shade as it fades quickly. A more stable and light-fast dye is created by using the gland of a specific variety of sea snails called Murex. Because of the complicated procurement process of murex, this dye cannot be easily produced. The exorbitant cost is also a deterrent.

Brown Color:

Walnut hulls, oak bark, and various varieties of nutshells are used to produce brown dyes. For some shades of brown, the natural color of the sheep wool was left undyed and used creatively in the weaving process.

Black Color:

The Process of Carpet Dyeing, the Black dye is made using dark wool which is dyed repeatedly using blue, red, and yellow dyes. Iron salts were also used, but not very regularly as they tend to deteriorate and resulting in oxidization of the wool.

Differentiating Natural Vegetable Dyes From Synthetic Or Chemical Dyes

With the demand for more variety of colors in carpets among customers, weavers began exploring ways of creating a wider range of dyes. The production of synthetic dyes was an attempt to satiate the growing demand for multi-colored carpets. Also, since natural colors were mostly unstable and there were shade variations in every batch because of the lack of standardization in the manufacturing procedure and tools used, synthetic dyes emerged as an option. They were uniform and standardized and gave artisans more control over the dyeing and finishing process.

History of Synthetic Dyes:

The first synthetic dyes were produced in the 1850s and were used in carpets within a decade of its invention. They became commonly available by 1900. All carpets produced before the 1860s were dyed using natural dyes. However, all modern rugs are not colored using synthetic dyes. Weavers preferred using natural dyes most of the time and resorted to synthetic dyeing only when forced by circumstances or customer preferences.

Scientific testing is the only way of determining what kind of dye has gone into coloring a carpet. The fiber sample must be tested at an accredited laboratory, but it may be impractical in many cases and very expensive too.

Weavers of old times were privy to the technique of detecting natural dyestuffs by just looking at them. With their many years of experience in carpet making and dyeing, they could easily determine whether a carpet was colored using natural or synthetic dye by a simple physical examination.

Tips And Techniques For Identifying Natural And Synthetic Dyes:

A proven way of spotting a carpet dyed synthetically is to spread the pile apart and look at the color over the fiber across its length. If the dye is chemical-based, they tend to fade faster than natural dyes when exposed to light.

Look at the roots of the carpet. If they are darker and the tip of the pile is pretty pale, the chances of dye being synthetic are high.

Carpets dyed synthetically are likely to have a darker shade of color on the back of the carpet than the front. That’s because the front side gets more exposed to light than the back of the carpet.

Carpets With Bright Dye Colors? You Can Bet It’s Synthetically Dyed!

If you come across carpets with bright and vibrant colors in shades of oranges and greens that look uniform and solid, it is more likely chemically dyed, especially if there are no signs of shade variations. It is nearly impossible to create such solid and consistent colors using natural dyes. For carpets that can provide real value for money, the rug store in San Rafael is the most recommended destination.

Natural Dyes Are Characterized By Imperfections

Variations are an inherent element of naturally dyed wool. It is not a downside but gives the carpet a uniqueness and a subtle charm. A completely uniform and monochromatic appearance that has perfection stamped in every inch cannot be achieved by manual dyeing using natural dyes. However, this is not always the case. Some silk carpets appear brilliantly dyed, even with natural colors. This is because the silk threads absorb and reflect colors differently.

Natural Dyes And Its Evolution

The need to find a good way to dye carpets and the constant experimentation with various resources led to the development of natural dyes. Weavers from the Middle Ages were using different kinds of stuff and taking them through a trial-and-error process to find out what stuck for long and what faded relatively quickly. The ones that were fade-resistant were used commercially because of their obvious benefits and advantages. Natural dyes are more fade resistant than synthetic dyes which explains why even 400- year-old carpets look as bright as they looked when they were made.

When Variations Brings Value

Carpets created using natural dyes and synthetic dyes have one thing clearly differentiating them – some degree of imperfection. The colors and patterns are unique and brilliant. The subtle imperfections make these carpets one of their kind and that what creates a special value for each one of these gems. They become priceless historical treasures that everyone wants to get their hands on. The Process of Carpet Dyeing unpredictability of the dyeing process further enhances its special value and makes them even more beautiful than the picture-perfect ones crafted by tech-driven machines.

Dyeing Techniques Used In Weaving Persian Rugs

There are many varieties of sheep wool in terms of shades available which weavers use to their advantage. You can find sheep with off-white wool, dark brown wool, and even pitch black wool. The ivory-colored wool lends itself to creative dyeing and is used to create polychromatic carpets and rugs. The earliest traditional dyes were created using various types of vegetables. These were diluted with clean water to create a liquid form of the dye. The fibers were soaked in this dye for a long time to allow them to soak the colors.

However, merely soaking the fibers with the dyes did not complete the task. The dyes had to be fixed and a mordant was used for the same. It was created using a mixture of various metallic salts known for their ability to stabilize colors.

The Process of Carpet Dyeing was important to stabilize the dyes so that they do not bleed or run when the rug becomes wet or when it is washed during the cleaning and maintenance process. Fixing also helps in preventing fading of the dye due to constant exposure to light.

Persian rugs were synonymous with a wide range of colors and rich, saturated tones. Dyers dealing with Persian rugs were known for their ability to deliver these results despite the limitations associated with vegetable dyeing processes.

How Synthetic Dyes Came Into Use

Fuchsine was the first chemical dye to be discovered around the mid-19th century. The discovery happened by accident in a lab. In the second half of the 19th century, new synthetic dyes such as aniline and azo were manufactured.

These first-generation chemical dyes looked a success initially as they allowed artisans to create vibrant tones. However, it dawned upon them later that the colors turned harsh and insipid within a relatively short time and were unstable. The tendency to run when wet was one of its major drawbacks.

The Process of Carpet Dyeing improved dyes created around the 1930s such as chrome or alizarin synthetic dyes proved to be more stable and reliable. Their colors allowed better control and were devoid of the harsh look of the earlier dyes. They displayed enhanced stability to water and light as well. The modern dyes also allowed the production of larger quantities of dyed wool in consistent shades, which was a huge relief for weavers.

As vegetable dyes could not be used to control the tones uniformly, weavers were forced to look at alternative shades of a specific color within the design. However, the inability to create a uniform look would later become a selling point for carpet markers as this aspect was appreciated and recognized as an element of real art. If you are looking for ancient carpets dyed using natural vegetable dyes, head to the best rug store in Berekely.

Conclusion

The Process of Carpet Dyeing revive the use of traditional dyeing techniques is constant in the modern carpet making industry. They are now used alongside other advanced synthetic ways of dyeing carpets to suit the demand and tastes of the changing market and the profile of today’s buyers and art collectors.

Tips For Buying Authentic Ancient And Modern Carpets Of The Best Quality

The presence of a large and increasing number of carpet selling online and offline outlets has made it tough for customers to locate authentic carpet buying resources. As carpets and rugs buying entails substantial investment, it is important to do some deep research and spend time locating the most authentic places to buy ancient or modern carpets and rugs.

A reliable and reputed rugs dealer will not only provide you with multiple choices and a wide range of collections, but can also guide you into making practical buying decisions that are driven by current market demand and your budget.

Istanbul Rug, the leading rug store in San Rafael, is highly recommended by many buyers as the best place for buying all types of Oriental carpets and rugs. This reputed carpet dealer has one of the largest collections of antique, traditional, modern, silk, and other varieties of oriental rugs here. Their customer support is outstanding and among the best available in the industry.