Not all silk is created equal: a real guide to silk grades and quality

"100% silk" sounds simple enough — until you start shopping and suddenly you're staring at terms like "6A grade" and "30 momme" with absolutely no idea what any of it means. Is higher always better? Are these numbers even measuring the same thing? Let's untangle it all, so you know exactly what you're paying for (and why it matters for your hair).

First: not all silk comes from the same place

Most premium silk accessories — including ours — are made from mulberry silk, produced by silkworms that feed exclusively on mulberry leaves. This diet produces exceptionally fine, smooth, uniform fibres, which is why mulberry silk is considered the gold standard compared to other silk types (like tussar or eri silk, which tend to be coarser and less consistent).

So step one of any "is this real quality silk" check: confirm it's 100% mulberry silk, not just "silky" or a blend.

Grade and momme are two completely different things

This is where most people get confused — grade and momme sound like they should mean the same thing, but they measure two entirely different aspects of quality.

Silk grade describes the quality of the raw silk fibre itself — how long, clean, and uniform the individual strands are before they're ever woven into fabric. The scale runs from lower grades up to 6A, the highest commonly recognised grade, reserved for the longest, most unbroken, most consistent fibres. Lower grades come from shorter, broken, or less uniform strands, which are pieced together rather than reeled as one continuous filament — and it shows in the finished feel.

Momme weight, on the other hand, measures the density and weight of the finished woven fabric — essentially, how substantial the material feels once it's actually made into a pillowcase, scrunchie, or bonnet. A lower momme fabric is lighter and thinner; a higher momme fabric is denser, heavier, and generally more durable.

Here's the key thing to understand: a fabric can be 6A grade at almost any momme weight. Grade tells you about the quality of the raw material; momme tells you how it was woven. A quality product needs to get both right — not just one impressive-sounding number.

So what momme weight is actually good?

For everyday silk items like pillowcases and hair accessories, momme weight typically ranges from around 19 to 25 for most quality products — with heavier weights generally offering more durability and a more substantial, luxurious feel, at the cost of being a little more structured than very lightweight silk.

Guava Bay pieces are woven at 30 momme — on the denser, more substantial end of the spectrum. In practical terms, that means a heavier hand-feel, more durability over repeated washes and use, and less risk of snagging or thinning over time compared to lighter-weight silk.

Why we chose 6A grade, 30 momme mulberry silk

We didn't pick these numbers to sound impressive on a label — we picked them because they translate into a real, tangible difference for your hair and skin:

• 6A grade fibres mean smoother, more consistent silk with fewer imperfections, which means less friction against your hair while you sleep.
• 30 momme density means a pillowcase, scrunchie, or bonnet that holds its shape, resists wear, and doesn't thin out after a few months of regular use.
• 100% mulberry silk means you're getting the real thing — not a silk-look synthetic blend that mimics the feel without the benefits.

Put together, that's the difference between a silk piece that quietly does its job for years, and one that starts to look (and feel) tired after a season.

A quick note on shopping for silk elsewhere

If you're comparing silk products across different brands, here's a simple rule of thumb: if a listing proudly states a grade (like "6A") but says nothing about momme weight — or vice versa — that's worth pausing on. A genuinely transparent brand will tell you both, because both numbers matter, and neither one alone tells the full story.

The takeaway

Silk quality isn't a single number — it's the combination of fibre grade, fabric weight, and genuine mulberry origin working together. Next time you're shopping for silk (whether it's ours or someone else's), you'll know exactly what to look for — and exactly why it matters for the hair and skin it's meant to protect.

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Curious to feel the difference for yourself? Explore our 6A grade, 30 momme mulberry silk collection.