According to the Chinese legend, queen Hsi-Ling-Shih, wife of the mythical Yellow Emperor started the idea of silkworm rearing and the loom. Legend says that the Yellow Emperor reined the country in 3000 BC; so China can claim of silk rearing from that period. However, studies conducted that it originated much earlier.
Since silk began with the Royal family, evidently for a long period of time, its use was restricted to the King and his family.  It is said that the king wore a white silk robe inside the palace and a yellow one outside the premises.

Much later, it reached out to the various sections of the society. Its use was initially meant for clothing and decoration and later on for industrial purposes that included fishing lines, musical instruments, and various kinds of bonds, bowstrings and rag paper. In due course of time, this fabric became accessible even to the common man and silk clothing gained popularity.

In subsequent centuries silk reached other countries and became extensively popular. Let us discuss briefly silk trade in other countries:

India – Silk is considered to be extremely fashionable in Indian sub continent. In the olden days, the use of this fabric was restricted only to the affluent class and cotton was used by the poorer section. In the modern times, silk production mainly happens in Kanchipuram and Dharmavaram in South India and Banaras in North India. ‘Murshidabad Silk’ produced in Malda and Murshidabad in West Bengal is also very famous from the historical time and woven with handloom in Birbhum and Murshidabad district. Most of this silk is used for the manufacture of saris, the national attire of the country. Silk sarees are an integral part of the lavish Indian weddings and are usually very expensive.

Europe – Italian silk is considered to be the most valuable silk in the world. Its popularity had spread so far and wide that the Francis I of France had invited Italian silkmakers to France to create a French silk industry, especially in Lyon. An attempt to establish silk production in England was made by James I by purchasing and planting 100,000 mulberry trees; unfortunately the particular species were unsuitable for the silk worms and the endeavour had failed. Silk was also used in Medieval Europe but only by the royals.

North America – Around the 17th century, James I of England started silk production in the American colonies primarily to deter the tobacco industry. However, only the Shakers in Kentucky adopted the practice. In the 19th century, an effort was made to restart the sik industry by a group of European born workers in Paterson, New Jersey and very soon the city became a US silk centre.

How is silk made?
Silk production is a tedious and lengthy process that requires continuous supervising of the smallest of the details. To ensure the quality of silk, it is important to consider two conditions - prevent the moth from hatching out and setting the perfect the diet on which the silkworms should feed.

The hatching of the eggs occurs at 77 degrees; the baby silk worms gorge on the mulberry leaves and becomes almost 10,000 times their weight within one month. This feeding happens unless they have built up enough energy to enter the ‘cocoon stage’. During this period, a jelly like substance is formed in their silk glands which harden on contact with air. These cocoons look like white puffy balls. After eight to nine days, these silk worms are killed, by steaming or baking. When these cocoons are dropped into hot water, they become loose and open out into filaments which are unwound into a spool. Each filament is between 600 and 900 meters long. To get one silk thread, approximately five to eight filaments are twisted together; these silk threads are then woven into cloth or used for embroidery work.