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A glimpse into the meticulous journey of our saree where heritage, patience, and craftsmanship come together to create an enduring heirloom.

Before you invest your hard-earned money in a luxury handloom zari Kota saree, here are 5 ways to test zari to identify real zari, avoid fake zari, and purchase only superior quality real zari sarees. The kasauti test Like real gold, rubbing real gold zari on a kasauti or natural obsidian leaves behind a trace of gold. Fake zari is unable to do so.   The touch test Fake zari is stiff, real zari is soft and pliable. The scratch test When scratched, fake zari disintegrates, real zari is metallic, and hence resistant to scratches. The nitric acid test Unlike real zari, any traces of fake zari left behind on a kasauti, dissolve with a few drops of nitric acid. The burn test Fake zari can be burned, real zari cannot.  

Powerloom replication of zari Kota sarees is rampant. However, using the following tell-tale indications it is quite easy to tell counterfeit and authentic handloom zari Kota sarees apart.    No loose threads In genuine handloom sarees no loose threads appear behind motifs, as they are neatly woven in without any excess left behind. After weaving, powerloom sarees have leftover fake zari yarns behind their motifs. These loose yarns may come apart with a slight pull.    Quite lightweight Zari Kota and Kota doria are diaphanous fabrics. Hence, despite the extensive use of real 1gm gold zari, our sarees are quite lightweight. Conversely, counterfeit sarees are heavier due to the use of rigid fake zari.  Smaller khats In authentic handloom zari Kota sarees the signature check pattern or khats are compact and may have negligible irregularities. Whereas, their powerloom counterparts feature a larger and uniform check pattern.    GI Mark All real zari Kota handloom sarees crafted in Kota bear the official Kota doria GI mark. Powerloom sarees bear no such mark, since it is illegal to replicate in counterfeit sarees. Longer weaving duration Based on the design nuances, weaving of an authentic handloom zari Kota saree from start to finish takes around 2-7 months. Whereas, a powerloom can produce 15 or more zari Kota sarees in a single day.      Certificate of authenticity Each SónChiraiya zari Kota saree comes with its own certificate of authenticity. This may not be the case with powerloom sarees.  Now that you know exactly what to look for, we hope you find both the authentic zari Kota sarees of your dreams and your money’s worth.