Silk Rugs Explained: Qum, Hereke and Modern Custom Designs
A silk rug can be a finely drawn Persian medallion, a small Turkish Hereke or a contemporary area rug made for a particular room. These pieces share a material, but their origins, construction and intended use differ. Fibre composition, foundation and knotting shape their character, while the design and scale determine their presence in the room.
This guide brings together our work with hand-knotted rugs, cleaning and restoration at Djoharian Collection, a family business since 1967. It compares traditions and practical choices; the linked collection and product pages provide details of individual pieces.
What makes a genuine silk rug?
Natural silk is a protein fibre produced by silkworms. Its fine yarn gives hand-knotted rugs their precise drawing and a surface that changes with the light. Seen with the pile, colours appear lighter; from the opposite direction, they become deeper. This movement of light brings both a tiny floral motif and a broad contemporary colour field to life.
The construction adds another layer of character. Silk-on-silk rugs combine silk pile with a silk foundation, while other pieces have silk pile on cotton warp. Wool-and-silk rugs bring together the body of wool and the lustre of silk, either in separate areas or within the overall pile composition. “Bamboo silk” belongs to a different material family: it generally means regenerated cellulose, commonly viscose, rather than silkworm silk. The shared sheen conceals very different fibres and care requirements.
Qum, Qom or Ghom: Persian silk rugs from Iran
Qum, Qom and Ghom are different spellings of the same Iranian provenance. Fine Qum silk rugs often show medallions, floral vines, gardens, hunting scenes or prayer compositions. The appeal lies in the drawing and colour relationships as much as in the knot count. Qum also produces wool rugs, so a provenance name alone does not mean pure silk.
A workshop signature is one part of a rug’s story. The drawing, border rhythm, knotting and finishing reveal how that particular piece was made; an inscription adds a further link to its maker or workshop. Our Qum silk rug collection shows the range of this Persian tradition.
The Qum silk hunting rug 10777 gives it a figurative form. Riders, flowering trees and animals fill an ivory field, framed by golden-ochre and olive-green borders with Persian verse cartouches. At 155 × 107 cm, approximately 5.1 × 3.5 ft, the scene is large enough to read clearly and compact enough for a wall display. Pile, warp and weft are all natural silk; its approximately 900,000–1,000,000 knots/m² / 580–645 kpsi allow the fine detail of the hunting scene.
Hereke: Turkish silk rugs and the Özipek example
Hereke is a Turkish provenance, not a Persian one. Fine Hereke silk rugs can combine very small-scale floral drawing, carefully arranged borders and workshop signatures. The Hereke tradition includes silk-on-silk pieces as well as other material constructions.
Our Özipek Hereke silk rug 14279 is a compact example: 76 × 100 cm, approximately 2.5 × 3.3 ft, with natural-silk pile and silk warp. Its listed density is about 1,000,000 knots/m², approximately 645 kpsi. A red field, dark central medallion and fine floral borders reward close viewing. It suits a quiet, lightly used space or a properly supported wall display.
Modern silk area rugs: traditional knotting, contemporary design
A modern silk rug is not defined by a particular country or by a plain design. Contemporary hand-knotted pieces may use abstract fields, geometric motifs, sculpted surfaces or traditional patterns interpreted in new colours. Natural silk can form the whole pile, selected highlights or a blend with wool. The composition should be stated accurately rather than treating every luminous rug as pure silk.
Contemporary Heriz designer rug 15975, Once upon a Time I was a Heriz, illustrates the distinction. Hand-knotted in Nepal using the Tibetan knot, it has 80% silk and 20% Tibetan highland wool in the pile, with a cotton warp. Its gold, fuchsia and turquoise palette reinterprets a Heriz pattern. At 310 × 245 cm, approximately 10.2 × 8.0 ft, it is a room-size area rug; its 150 kpsi, approximately 232,500 knots/m², supports a different scale of drawing from the small Hereke. It is a contemporary Heriz-inspired design, not an antique Persian Heriz rug.
Browse contemporary hand-knotted designer rugs.
Knot density: useful information, not a quality score
Kpsi means knots per square inch. For comparison, multiply kpsi by approximately 1,550 to obtain knots per square metre. Thus 150 kpsi is about 232,500 knots/m², while 1,000,000 knots/m² is about 645 kpsi.
More small knots can support finer curves and tiny motifs, but density alone does not determine quality or value. Yarn quality, knot structure, drawing, colour, finishing, condition and repairs also matter. A bold contemporary composition does not need the density of a miniature floral silk rug. Compare rugs made for a similar purpose rather than ranking unrelated designs by one number.
Custom silk rugs: choose size, colour and material together
A custom silk rug or bespoke wool-and-silk area rug starts with the room and how it will be used. For a contemporary commission, we can discuss the dimensions, palette, motif scale and material mix. A wool version or a lower silk proportion may suit a busy household better than a high-silk pile.
- Define the space: send room dimensions, a furniture plan or photographs, plus the desired size in centimetres or feet.
- Agree the design and specification: choose the palette, fibre composition and knot density together. Changing the format can require redrawing the pattern rather than simply enlarging it.
- Review a physical sample: a sample of about 30 × 30 cm / 1 × 1 ft helps assess colour, texture and sheen under your own light.
- Confirm the quotation and timing: production depends on size, fineness and the agreed specification; the general custom programme typically takes around 3–9 months.
The contemporary Heriz design provides a starting point for a custom discussion. A custom commission is a new rug; it does not turn a modern design into a Qum or Hereke provenance. See our custom rugs and made-to-measure process.
Where to use a silk rug, and how to care for it
A quiet sitting area, bedroom or wall display often makes more sense for fine silk than an entrance, a rolling office chair or a busy dining table. A wool-silk blend is not automatically stain resistant: the silk percentage and its position in the pile still matter. For heavy everyday use, consider wool and decide on the actual construction.
Use a rug pad compatible with the floor, protect the rug from sustained direct sunlight, and vacuum gently with reduced suction and no rotating brush. Keep the nozzle away from fringes. Blot spills promptly with a clean absorbent cloth; do not rub, saturate the rug or experiment with household stain removers. Have washing and stains assessed by a professional familiar with silk rugs. Fragile or antique pieces need an individual condition assessment. For wall display, support the textile across its width rather than suspending it by the fringes.
Silk rug questions answered
Are Qum and Ghom rugs the same?
Qum, Qom and Ghom refer to the same Iranian provenance, whose workshops produce both silk and wool rugs.
Is a Hereke rug Persian?
No. Hereke is in Turkey. A Turkish Hereke and an Iranian Qum are distinct provenances, even when both use natural silk.
Is bamboo silk real silk?
Bamboo silk generally describes regenerated cellulose, commonly viscose, rather than silk produced by silkworms.
Does a higher knot count always mean a better rug?
No. Density helps explain the scale of drawing. Materials, construction, design, finishing and condition must also be assessed.
Can I order a modern silk rug in a custom size?
Yes. Dimensions, colours and silk-wool composition can be discussed for a contemporary hand-knotted commission. Confirm a sample, quotation and lead time before production.
Can a silk rug go under a dining table?
Assess the actual rug and use. High-silk piles and very fine pieces are less forgiving of spills and chair movement. Wool is often the more practical choice for a busy dining area.
Djoharian Collection — since 1967. Our work includes selecting new and antique hand-knotted rugs, bespoke production, cleaning and restoration. Djoharian is a Label STEP Fair Trade partner. Ask us about the specific material, condition and intended use of the piece you are considering.
Further reading
Examples from the rug trade and references on textile care:
