Tightness of the weave -
the tighter the knots, the better the quality.
A Tibetan contemporary rug may have 84-120 knots
per square inch in comparison to a Persian
silk rug that may have 800-900 knots per square
inch.
Type of wool used - every
country has its own type of wool. New Zealand
wool (used to make Azar wool rugs) is the
best quality because of its sheen and strength.
Baby lamb's wool is used to make fine quality
soft Persian rugs (also available through
Azar Rug Gallery).
The design - an intricate
complex design like a Tabriz rug, requires
more knots, tighter knots and is much more
labor intensive to make.
The size of the rug - the
larger the rug, the more materials and labor
is required to make that rug.
Country of Origin - countries known for their hand-knotted rugs include India,
Pakistan, China, Turkey, Iran and Tibet. Other
well known rugs come from Egypt, Russia, Afghanistan,
Belgium, Morocco and Romania.
Rugs made in the
country of origin - Each, and often times each region within that rug-producing country,
is known for its own unique designs. Rugs whose design, colors, and construction are authentic to a particular country, (hence referred to as “of the country of origin”) will be the most valuable and will appreciate over time. To mass produce these same designs due to cost and demand, these rugs have often been replicated by weavers or manufacturers in other countries. These replicated rugs are usually considerably less expensive, however, they never match the rugs of the country of origin in design, vibrancy of the dye colors, or in the quality of the construction of the rug. In addition, they will not appreciate in value like the rugs of the country of origin.
