1. Tightness of weaving Expert weaving always comes through in the tightness of the weaving according to the type of cloth. Usually, tight weaving will produce a very soft cloth that is at the same time durable and strong.

2. Weight or density of the fabric This also relates to the tightness of the weaving, but also to the thickness of the cloth. In each category or type of cloth, whether it is 2-ply or 3-ply or 11-ply (such as a blanket weave), the heaviness and density indicates the tightness of the weave and the amount of silk used to per square inch or other surface measurements.

3. Design and color It is always the colors and designs which is immediately recognized, next to the “feel” of the silk textile or the tightness and weight of the silk pieces, that is valued. The more colors and complicated the design, the more value.

4. Color fast The colors should not run together when wet. (Reds, blues being the most difficult.) Better dyes and dyeing techniques are currently being used in Cambodia; the best synthetic dye is azo-free and is locals call it “german dye”. Natural dyes can also be color fast if dyed by an master weaver who knows the ancient traditions of color fasting with natural materials.

5. Mixed or 100% silk For some modern use, to add stretch or to make it more economical, cotton or sythetic fibres can be added to silk thread to make a fabric or textile. This makes good sense for economical low costs for large projects, however, traditional Khmer silk pieces are never mixed. If they are mixed it is not called “sote” (in Khmer meaning silk or silk cloth), but it is called “sung”, meaning a cloth that is made from silk and another fibre or entirely from non-silk). If you burn the filament strands at the edges of the cloth, it will shrivel like plastic. If you burn silk thread, it burns cleanly without shriveling and leaves no residue and no synthetic smell.

6. Traditional fabrics most valued Traditional and modern artistically designed “ikat” or “hol”, which are woven from individually dyed and multiple spools to produce intricate patters are most valuable. Add that the silk thread is Khmer “golden” silk grown in Cambodia, and natural dyes made from plants, insect resins, bark, and spices, these hand made “hols” are one-of-a-kind.

7. Hand woven The benefits of an expert touch produces the mot “high-end” textiles that has a quality of “liveliness”, luster and complexity that compliments the luxury of silk. Still affordable in Cambodia, Cambodians value hand woven silk above all other fabrics for special uses in traditional clothing and interior decorations. All of Khmer silk is hand woven in Cambodia.