Eri silk (Ahimsa)
Also known as: Endi silk, Errandi silk, Peace silk of Assam, Samia ricini
Warm, fluffy "wool silk" of the eri silkworm Samia ricini — Ahimsa principle: the moth leaves the cocoon, leaving only short fibres to spin.
Description
Eri silk is made from the cocoons of the castor silkworm Samia ricini, bred mainly in Assam and Meghalaya (north-east India). Unlike classic mulberry silk the moths are not killed inside their cocoons: they emerge before the cocoons are processed further. As a result the fibres are short and discontinuous — eri is not reeled but spun like cotton or wool.
The hand therefore resembles soft wool with a subtle silky sheen — eri is often called "wool silk". It is thermally insulating, airy and pleasant to wear in winter, which is why the Assamese population traditionally uses it for scarves, shawls and warm everyday textiles. Fashion brands such as Aiayu (Denmark) or Cos&Chi (Germany) use eri as a vegan-friendly Ahimsa alternative to mulberry silk.
- Ahimsa: moth emerges from the cocoon before processing
- Not reelable — spun short fibre, wool-silk hand
- Warm and breathable — a winter natural material
- Market niche: vegan-friendly silk alternative
Properties
| Fibre type | Natural fibre (animal, Ahimsa wild silk) |
|---|---|
| Origin | Assam, Meghalaya (India), Nepal |
| Hand | Soft, woolly, with subtle silky sheen |
| Ethics | Ahimsa — moth emerges alive |
| Application | Scarves, shawls, winter wraps, home textiles |
Related product categories
Sources & references
1- Wikipedia: Eri silk Wikipedia — Freie Enzyklopädie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eri_silk
