History of Silk
The discovery of silk and its origins date back to ancient times, and thus are shrouded in mystery. The first evidence of silk, which was a silk cocoon cut in half by a sharp knife, comes from between 4000 and 3000 BC; the first piece of silk fabric, however, comes from 3630 BC and was used as wrapping for a child.
We can say with certainty that weaving silk cloth originated in ancient China. As traditional Chinese tales go, a silk worm's cocoon supposedly fell into the tea cup of Lady Hsi-Ling-Shih; wishing to remove it from her drink, she accidentally began to unroll the thread of the cocoon. Her husband, the Yellow Emperor, insisted that she observe the life and habits of the silkworms, and soon after she began to teach others in the area the art of raising silkworms - sericulture. Because of that, she became known as the goddess of silk in Chinese mythology. Early in 1st century AD, a Chinese princess left the country to marry a prince of Khotan; she didn't want to leave without the fabric she loved, so she broke the imperial ban of exporting silkworms which led to large amounts of the fabric being produced in foreign countries. However, the secrets of sericulture remained well-guarded by the Chinese people for centuries, leading others to invent various new methods to produce the incredible fabric.
For around a millennium the right to wear and use silk was limited to the emperor and highest dignitaries. In those times it was a sign of great wealth because of its shimmering appearance - with its prism-like structure and surface reflecting light from every angle. Over time, the fabric was gradually introduced to other, lower classes and soon would be used for decorative accessories and even producing musical instruments or bows.
When China made its next great discovery, paper, they would introduce silk in the production process which would yield the world’s first luxury paper. It was certainly more expensive than that of other types, but also more practical. During the Han dynasty, the fabric's value became increasingly higher until finally lengths of silk cloth became a monetary standard in China. Silk was used by Han rulers as diplomatic gifts, as well as to buy off the threatening nomads and to weaken them by giving them a taste of luxury.
Now centuries on, very little has changed in the way the world produces silk since its ancient beginnings. To this day, its delicate, soft and shimmering qualities make silk one of the most sought after and luxurious materials in the world.