Peace silk (Ahimsa)

Peace silk or Ahimsa silk (Sanskrit ahiṃsā, non-violence) follows a production principle popularised by the Indian inventor Kusuma Rajaiah in the 1990s. Unlike classic mulberry or tussah silk, the cocoons are harvested only after the moths have emerged — the pupa is not killed.

Because the continuous filament is broken when the moth emerges, the fibre must be spun rather than reeled, as with wild silk. After emergence, only about one-sixth of the original filament length can be recovered from a cocoon — which is why peace silk costs roughly twice as much as conventional silk. The hand is somewhat softer and more fluffy, the sheen less mirror-like. The ethical balance is debated: critics point out that emerged moths often die weakened and that certification is not uniformly regulated.

• No killing of the pupa inside the cocoon
• Shorter fibres, spun — softer hand, less sheen
• Significantly higher price (approx. 2× conventional silk)
• Ethical certificates such as Ahimsa Silks (India) secure the origin