The Language of Zari

Real zari is a flattened metal thread wound over a silk core. Held to the light it glows warm rather than flashing white, and it softens with age instead of flaking.

Our karigars in Varanasi still couch zari by hand, laying the thread on the surface of the silk and stitching it down with a matching filament. A single poshak border can take a full day.

To care for it: never iron directly over zari, store the garment folded inside out, and keep a sachet of dry rice in the box during monsoon.