Quality of Rugs

Considerations

• A good quality rug should lay flat and not turn up at the corners. The shape should be reasonably regular with all sides being parallel, and colors should not bleed into other areas nor appear faded. Natural dyes tend to be more in demand than synthetic dyes, although the quality of the dyes offered today make the difference nearly undetectable.

Adult Artisans

• Rugs handcrafted by adults show a higher level of sophistication and exceptional quality. There is a good chance that low-priced rugs have been sewn by child labor and should not be purchased.

Knots Per Inch

• Hand-knotted rugs tend to be the highest quality and are much more labor intensive to manufacture. Additionally, the more knots per inch, the higher the quality of the rug. Knots range from as low as 30 knots per inch to as high as 1,200 per inch.