Persian rugs are a sign of elegance and prestige. The rugs have two main features: handmade and unique. All Persian rugs are hand woven making them very costly. Since they are made from hand, there are no two rugs that look the same—all of them have unique designs and colour patterns.
Guide on buying the rugs
When making the purchase you need to consider a number of factors:
Edges: although, most Persian rugs are antique, it doesn’t mean that you should buy antique rugs with frayed edges. Before making the purchase you should pay close attention to the edges and if frayed you should avoid the rugs.
The reason for this is because it’s very costly to repair the edges. Frayed edges also give your rugs an ugly look.
Handmade: as mentioned before, all Persian rugs are handmade; therefore, you should be keen to avoid being sold a machine made rug and be told that it’s handmade.
The easiest way of knowing whether the rug is handmade is flipping it and looking at the back. If the area rug is handmade, the back and front should be identical.
Feel: how does the Oriental rug feel like when you touch it? Before parting with your money you should feel the rug in order to determine its texture.
Most homeowners tend to stain the rugs and don’t remove the stain properly. If the stain didn’t dry properly you will be able to tell by simply touching the rug. If you touch the rug and it feels like cardboard, the rug still has some stain and the fibres have rotten.
Paint: there are some unscrupulous businessmen who will try fabricating the rug colours by painting them. If you suspect that the contemporary Persian rug has been fabricated you should gently rub a wet piece of cloth along the rug’s surface. If any dye is transferred to the cloth you should head to another store.
Faux aging: just like there are some businessmen who will try selling you painted rugs, there are others that will try selling you rugs that have been made to appear old.
The most common way of making the rugs appear aged is through acid-washing. While the rugs will appear old, their tone will appear washed-out or beige. A real antique, handmade rug on the other hand will have vibrant colours regardless of its age.
