Grades of Silk: What Are the Advantages of Better Silk Quality?

 

When shopping for silk bedding, silk sheets, or a luxurious silk pillowcase, you’ll likely come across terms like “Grade 6A” or “100% mulberry silk.”

But what do these terms actually mean?

Silk fabrics are ranked by quality — from 6A (the highest) down to 2A — based on purity, fiber length, softness, and durability.

Understanding the difference between grades like 6A, 5A, and 4A can help you choose silk that feels better, lasts longer, and delivers real beauty benefits for your skin and hair.

Understanding Different Silk Grading Systems

Silk grades, from Grade A to Grade C, show the quality of silk—high grade 6A mulberry silk is softer and smoother than lower grades.

 Pure silk fabrics fall into different grades. Which is best? These are the most common silk grades to keep in mind while you're shopping:

• Grade A silk: This is the highest quality silk. It's divided into multiple categories of 2A through 6A, with 6A being the highest.
• Grade B silk: This silk grade is slightly rough and uneven with air pockets. It also doesn't have the same sheen as grade A silks.
• Grade C silk: This silk grade looks yellowish and has brown dots since it's made from the innermost layer of raw silk. It also has a rough texture and isn't as breathable as higher grades. It's more suitable for silk pillows rather than silk pillowcases.
• Grades D, E, and F: These silk grades offer poor quality overall.

A Closer Look at Silk Grades

Which Silk Grade Is Best? Side-by-Side Comparison

Silk Grade	Look & Feel	Beauty Benefits	Durability	Cost	Best Use
Grade A (6A–2A)	Ultra-soft, smooth, high sheen	Excellent for skin and hair (anti-frizz, anti-aging)	Very high	$$$ (Premium)	Pillowcases, bedding, luxury sleepwear, scarves
Grade B	Slightly rough, less uniform sheen	Moderate benefits (some friction possible)	Medium durability	$$ (Mid-range)	Linings, decorative items, occasional wear
Grade C	Coarse, dull, may appear yellowish	Minimal benefits (can cause irritation or frizz)	Low durability	$ (Budget)	Craft use, filler pillows, not ideal for direct skin use
Grades D–F	Poor texture, visibly flawed	No beauty benefit; may damage skin/hair	Very poor	¢ (Lowest)	Industrial use, non-wearable applications only

Pro tip: Blissy only uses Grade 6A silk — the highest quality for hair, skin, and sleep.

Grade A Silk

Grade A silk is the highest quality, known for its long fibers, luminous sheen, and luxurious feel. Within this grade, 6A silk is the finest—followed by 5A, 4A, 3A, and 2A—offering exceptional softness and uniformity.

It’s ideal for skin and hair, helping prevent frizz and fine lines while remaining breathable and cool. Though it’s the most expensive, it’s also the most durable, making it a smart long-term investment for comfort and beauty.

Grade B Silk

Grade B silk has medium-length fibers and a slightly uneven texture with small imperfections and air pockets.

While more affordable than Grade A, it lacks the smooth finish that benefits hair and skin. It may feel coarser against the face and won’t last as long due to lower durability.

Grade B silk doesn’t typically come in 6A to 2A rankings and is better suited for less visible items like silk linings or accessories.

Grade C Silk

Grade C silk is made from the innermost, roughest layers of the cocoon. It often has a yellowish appearance with brown specks and a matte, coarse texture.

This silk doesn’t breathe well and may cause friction against hair and skin. It’s not suitable for pillowcases but is sometimes used in inexpensive silk products.

While it’s the most budget-friendly, it lacks durability and offers minimal comfort or skincare benefits—making it best avoided for sleep or beauty use.

What’s So Special About High Grade Silk Fabrics?

Finer silk has a beautiful, healthy sheen and a soft and smooth texture. When you buy a Blissy Silk Pillowcase made with grade 6A silk, you can look forward to resting your head on a comfortable and stylish fabric night after night.

Higher grades of silk also have greater durability. They might seem fine or delicate, but don't let that fool you. They're incredibly strong.

Blissy silk robes, hair accessories, sleep masks, and similar products made with grade A silk are great long-term purchases.

Benefits of Grade 6A Silk vs. Other Grades

High grade silk, especially 6A mulberry silk, stands out for its superior quality—soft, durable, and perfect for luxury bedding and apparel.

From its smooth texture to its ability to hold vivid dyes, grade 6A silk offers unmatched benefits that make it a top choice for luxury fabrics. Discover why grade 6A mulberry silk stands above other silk varieties across key metrics like appearance, feel, durability, color, and reputation.

Appearance

Grade 6A silk has the most lustrous sheen. It also has an even texture that makes it ideal for silk pillowcases. The highest quality 6A silk has a beautiful, pearly white color before dyeing. Silk pillowcases made from Grade 6A mulberry silk have a smooth, flawless appearance.

Feel

Silk products made with Grade 6A silk are highly breathable and comfortable. They also offer superior softness. The long silk floss fibers create a light, airy feel ideal for silk bedding. Grade 6A mulberry silk has an exceptionally smooth feel on the skin.

Durability

Grade 6A silk has long strands of silk fibers with incredible tensile strength. This silk grade also lasts longer than other grades.

Silk threads made from the longest silk floss strands are very resilient. Fabrics woven from grade 6A mulberry silk fibers stand up well to repeated use and washing.

Color

This quality of undyed silk has a pearly white color, which is beautiful on its own. Its color also makes it ideal for being dyed vibrant colors to make silk pillowcases and other silk products.

The natural off-white color provides a blank canvas for crafting unique color palettes. Dyers can create custom shade gradients only achievable with grade 6A mulberry silk's dye absorption.

Reputation

Grade 6A silk is a smart long-term investment. Its superior quality provides the durability and longevity that define luxury textiles.

Its unparalleled quality means products made from grade 6A mulberry silk, like high-end silk pillowcases and bedding, carry great prestige.

Luxury fashion houses and brands recognize that only the highest grade 6A silk fabric lends their offerings the most elite, prestigious reputation.

Silk Types and Quality Factors

Silk quality depends on both the type—like mulberry silk, muga, tussah, and eri—and the momme weight, which measures thread density and durability.

Mulberry Silk (The Gold Standard)

Products made from 100% mulberry silk offer the best quality. This silk comes from the mulberry silkworm (Bombyx mori), which feeds on mulberry leaves, producing fibers that are both soft and durable—perfect for luxury pillowcases and sheets.

Other Types of Silk

• Muga silk – Known for its natural golden color, muga silk is rare and durable, but far less common than mulberry silk.

• Tussah silk – Produced from wild silkworms, tussah has a coarser feel and uneven texture compared to high grade mulberry silk.

• Eri silk – Also called “peace silk,” eri is strong and matte in appearance, but lacks the smooth softness of mulberry silk.

Momme Weight (Measuring Silk Density)

Beyond type, the momme weight determines silk’s quality. A 19-momme pillowcase uses fewer silk threads, while a 22-momme product is denser, smoother, and longer lasting.

Minimum Quality Standards for Different Grades of Silk

High Standards of 6A Silk

Among the grades of silk, 6A silk stands out for meeting the highest-quality standards—pure mulberry fibers with exceptional consistency and safety.

OEKO-TEX Certified Silk Products

If you've noticed the OEKO-TEX label on silk products, this means the silk production process was done safely, with no toxic chemicals in your silk.

Crafting the Finest Quality Silk

Grade 6A silk sets the bar for purity in luxury textiles. From start to finish, no shortcuts are taken in producing the finest quality silk.

From Raw Mulberry Silk to Luxury Fabrics

The raw mulberry silk is harvested before being spun into exceptionally consistent, long strands of silk floss. Artisans weave these fibers into charmeuse or silk satin fabric with meticulous attention to detail.

Silk Pillowcases and Bedding

No harmful chemicals or questionable dyes are used, so the finished silk pillowcases and bedding carry the OEKO-TEX label for non-toxic processing.

Why Grade 6A Is the Pinnacle

This careful approach at every stage results in Grade 6A silk that exceeds benchmarks for cleanliness, consistency, and chemical safety. Grade 6A represents the pinnacle of luxury silk.

Higher Silk Grades vs. Satin and Sateen

Not all fabrics marketed as silk are created equal—only high grades like Grade A or 6A silk deliver the true quality of silk, unlike satin or sateen lookalikes.

Spotting Real vs. Fake Silk

Whether you shop for a silk pillowcase or mulberry silk robes, watch out for lower-quality silks and silk lookalikes. Checking the silk grade is an easy way to identify top-grade silk and avoid low-quality silk.

Opting for inferior silk grades or synthetic silk-like fabrics results in products that lack the supple drape, breathability, and durability that make high-quality mulberry silk so coveted.

Satin and Sateen Are Not Silk

What about products labeled "silk-like," such as satin or sateen?

These aren't real silk products.

Satin is a type of fabric weave that might also have synthetic fabrics. Sateen is another weave. This weave is usually made of cotton rather than silk.

Sticking with 100% Grade 6A Mulberry Silk is the only way to enjoy the unparalleled softness and luxury that high-quality, long-fiber silk provides in pillowcases, robes, and bedding.

How to Identify Authentic High Grade 6A Silk

Authentic 6A silk is easy to spot when you know what to look for—labels should state 100% mulberry and confirm safe silk produced without blends.

To make sure you're purchasing 6A silk, always read labels and product descriptions. Look for the silk grade and the OEKO-TEX Standard 100 label. Authentic products will have a description, such as "100% mulberry silk".

Words to look for (and avoid) when shopping for Grade A silk:

It is possible for satin to be made of silk, but it is often not. Make sure it is "silk satin", and always check the label.

• Satin

• Sateen

• Silk blend

• Synthsilk

• Synthetic silk

• Silken

• Silky

• Mock silk

• Silk (yes, even the word silk may be misleading—make sure to read the detailed description or check the label!)

Whether you're comparing silk sheets or silk pillowcases, look for a lustrous sheen, rather than a shiny one. Authentic silk will also feel soft instead of slippery like satin.

Why Invest in Grade A and High-Quality Silk?

Investing in Grade A silk—especially 6A silk pillowcases and bedding—means choosing fabrics with durability, elegance, and almost no impurities or harmful substances compared to lower grades.

In other words, you won't be spending money replacing them every couple of years as you would with a cotton pillowcase or a low-quality silk pillowcase.

The finest silk products also can't be beat when it comes to style. Investing in high-quality silk bedding means you're getting timeless elegance.

When to Splurge on the Best Silk Grades

Buying a Blissy 100% mulberry silk pillowcase or robe is money well spent! Our silk products feature Grade 6A silk for the finest quality available.

Don't settle for a low-quality silk product, like grade b silk and grade c silk. Even Grade 5a, 4a, 3a, or 2a won't you the superior benefits of grade 6A.

Want a luxurious silk robe to wear around the house? Or the softest silk pillowcase for less bed head? Splurge on Blissy's 6A silk products for long-lasting quality and style.

Shop Blissy for the Finest Quality Silk

Ready to boost your beauty sleep? Shop Blissy for a pure mulberry silk pillowcase with 22-momme weight, grade 6A silk, and beautiful colors and designs!

Check out our other 6A silk products, like our Blissy sleep masks, robes, and hair accessories.