SILK

Ahimsa Silk

Many of our mills still make use of silk, from Sovratex up in Como to Clarenson in southern France - it is an inimitable fiber.

However, when it comes to friendly silk, JJ Exporters is our only mill to use Ahimsa silk, also known as ‘peace silk.’ More specifically JJ uses tussar silk, which comes from silkworms that breed on wild forest trees, instead of Mulberry trees.

Most silk harvesting requires the silkworms to be killed in their cocoon stage, whereas Ahimsa silk allows for the completion of metamorphosis of the silkworm to its moth stage. It is a method of non-violent silk breeding and harvesting.

Ahimsa silk was commercialized in 2001, and has now gained popularity in light of mass sustainability initiatives in recent years. Because the silk relies on the completion of silkworm to moth, it is a much longer process, making it softer and more expensive silk.

There are three types of Ahimsa silk: Muga, Tussar and Eri. These differentiate themselves according to region of the silkworms and types of leaves they feed on.