What is zari? Woven and embroidered metallic thread

Woven zari and embroidered zari

Woven zari is part of the cloth. The metallic thread runs through the weave as an extra yarn that forms the pattern, which is how brocades, jamawar, zari-bordered dupattas and narrow woven trims such as kinari are made. Turn the fabric over and you see the metallic yarn travelling across the back between motifs, in line with the weave. It cannot be added afterwards or moved: you buy it with the fabric, and the cutter has to work round it. Our jacquard guide explains how woven patterns are cut.

Embroidered zari is added to cloth that already exists. The thread is stitched through the fabric by machine, or laid on the surface and held with tiny stitches by hand. The reverse shows ordinary sewing thread, motif by motif, and the work can be placed wherever the design calls for it. This is the kind covered in our guides to tilla work and zardozi.

Real, imitation and plastic zari

Three kinds of thread are sold under the one name, and they age very differently.

• Real zari: silver strip, usually gold-plated, wound round silk. It has a soft, deep glow and noticeable weight. Silver darkens slowly with air and damp, but the tarnish can be cleaned by a specialist and the thread keeps its value. It is now rare and costly.
• Imitation zari: copper wire plated with silver and sometimes gilded, wound round cotton, viscose or polyester. Often sold as tested or half-fine zari, it is bright when new. As the plating wears thin, the copper beneath reacts with moisture and the thread turns dull, reddish or dark, faster where perfume and perspiration reach it.
• Plastic zari: polyester film with a metallic coating, slit into hair-fine strips and used flat or wound round a core. It is light, soft and does not tarnish, which has made it the usual choice for everyday clothing. Its shine is a little glassier, it can be rubbed dull, and a hot iron can shrivel it.

How to tell which you have

Weight and colour are the first clues: metal zari is heavier and cooler to the touch than plastic, and real zari is a softer, less brassy gold. The old test is to scrape a loose end gently with a fingernail. A red or copper colour underneath means imitation zari; white metal underneath means silver; plastic zari shows no metal at all and stretches when pulled. Sellers of real zari normally say so and can back it up, so ask before paying a premium for the word “pure”.

Zari, zardozi and tilla: three words

Zari is the thread. Zardozi is a craft that embroiders with metal, mostly coiled wire and sequins stitched by hand. Tilla is the everyday word in Pakistan for embroidery in metallic thread. A listing that says “zari work” could mean any of these, woven or embroidered, by hand or by machine, so ask which, and look at a photo of the reverse. Our comparison of zardozi, tilla and gota sets the looks side by side.

Looking after zari, and asking for it

Whatever the type, keep zari dry, put perfume on before you dress, and press from the reverse on a low heat with a cloth in between. Store pieces wrapped in cotton, not plastic, which traps damp. Our article on storing embroidered suits has more.

If you want a metallic look on an outfit we are stitching, or on fabric or a garment of your own, tell us the tone you like and where it should sit, and send a photo. No particular thread or technique is promised in advance; your written quote confirms what is possible on your fabric and design. See the custom embroidery page, then start a design quote.