Snow Blossom has compiled this visual guide slides clarifying the differences between silk filled duvets in the making. If you would like see more in detail in action, please go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9ldzzyPhBA

1. How To Choose
A Silk Filled Duvet
Presented By Snow Blossom
Sunday, 15 May 2011

2. What are the differences
between silks?
• First, you need to know what is Mulberry Silk and what is
Tussah Silk
• Second, you need to know how silk has been extracted,
by hand or by machine? These are two completely
different methods of making silk with completely different
results
• We will demonstrate how the production varies for
different silk fillings.
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3. Easy & Simple Steps
• By Feel: pure mulberry silk is a fine fibre and feels very
delicate and soft to touch.
• By Smell: hand extracted silk smells fresh as a result of being
dried by air with no bleach or softeners added.
• By Colour: hand extracted silk has a natural pearl colour
while machine silk is more shiny with a whitish colour.
• Watching this presentation: you will learn about the three
different types of silk filled duvets: hand extracted silk filling,
machine extracted long fibre silk filling, chopped short fibre
silk filling.
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4. Mulberry Silk
Silk worms which are raised exclusively on mulberry leaves
produce a silk called mulberry silk
© Snow Blossom
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5. Mulberry Silk Cocoons
These cocoons are the mulberry silk cocoons and have a pearly colour,
are smaller in shape, smoother, finer and rounder. The silk floss is softer
and enriched with proteins & amino acids.
© Snow Blossom
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6. Tussah Silk Cocoons
These are collected from the wild and are from worms which eat oak leaves.
They are rougher, coarser and have a dark brown colour. The silk threads are
less springy and have uneven surface and can be woven into fabrics with a
coarse surface. This silk fabric is really for making curtains, cushions, bed
spreads, garments, and is less luxury as filling for duvets.
© Snow Blossom
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7. Mulberry Silk Cocoons -
Snow Blossom only chooses
the best!
© Snow Blossom
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8. Hand Extracted Silk Floss (step one)
This video shows how the floss is teased from each cocoon. It is
washed and stretched by hand to make it into a cap-shaped silk
net ready for natural drying in the air.
© Snow Blossom
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9. Hand Extracted Silk Floss
• As you have watched this process of hand extraction you
can now understand that all our silk floss produces a
duvet filling in which there are no additives, softeners,
conditioner, or bleach. This type of silk filled duvet costs
more to produce.
• After the silk floss has been pulled into the shape like a
cap, it is then dried by air, in partial shade. See the
following photo.
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10. Air Drying Silk Floss
(step two)
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11. This video shows that after the silk floss caps are
dried they need to be rubbed in order to loosen
the fibre and shake off any debris.
(step three)
© Snow Blossom
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12. (step four)
This video shows the silk floss caps are stretched
opened by hand to shape them ready for the next
step...Layering
© Snow Blossom
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13. The hand extracted silk floss is very fine and comes in
smaller pieces. Therefore many layers must be used to make
one duvet filling. Hence these duvets are more airy, softer,
lighter and springier. No chemicals whatsoever have been
used in the whole process! (step five)
© Snow Blossom
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14. When silk is hand stretched and layered in this way a mulberry silk is
produced to fill duvets which are far superior in comfort, durability, quality
and beneficial to the health of their users. The layering method traps air
between each layer and ensures the level spreading of the filling. The result is
the duvet as soft as cloud, just like slumbering in an angel’s wing!
© Snow Blossom
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15. Snow Blossom’s Silk Filled Duvets &
Silk Filled Pillows
We ONLY use hand extracted mulberry silk as
shown in the videos that we made in the factory
of our supplier.
There are no chemicals in our duvets &
pillows.
Our duvets have a valid Oeko-Tex Standard
100 Certification as issued by the European
textile testing authority.
Snow Blossom has a persistent commitment to
quality.
© Snow Blossom
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16. Now Let’s Examine the
Machine Extracted Silk Floss
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17. Kilos of silk cocoons are poured into a machine for boiling
prior to extracting. Because of the fatty nature of the silk
worm pupae (chrysalis) the extracted silk floss is yellowish
in colour. See the next picture...
© Snow Blossom
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18. This is the finished
machine extracted
silk floss mat. Note its
yellow hue. The silk
mat will now be
bleached.
© Snow Blossom
Sunday, 15 May 2011

19. The Bleached Machine Extracted Long Silk Floss
Silk floss which has been industrially extracted can be machined
into a mat of any length or thickness.
© Snow Blossom
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20. Industrial softeners are also
This is a commonly used employed
bleaching agent
Commonly used softeners
ZL-300W has unique structure, and feel than the average amino-modified
silicone products , it’s more fluffy and smooth, apply a broader range of
• 914 fibers, and the effect of low yellowing.
Product Features
WEMEC 914 Strong Bleach Features: This product has an exceptionally strong 1. enhance or change the physical properties of fibers and fabrics,
ability to degrease and to bleach, it has good functionality for killing including water blocking resistance, tear strength and elasticity and so on.
bacteria. It spreads evenly and dissolves quickly even at the lower 2. low-yellowing characteristics, especially for white and light-colored
temperatures. It’s suitable for white cotton and synthetic blends. fabric.
3. softener is more than the average amino fluffy, a wider range of
applications can be used in dipping, padding or printing process on.
4. applicable to various fibers, including: cotton, linen, silk, wool,
cashmere and other natural fiber and synthetic fiber, blended fabric and so
on.
Translated by Natalie Xiao Bell - Snow Blossom
Sunday, 15 May 2011

21. These silk floss mats are
industrially dried: a
process taking around
twelve hours.
© Snow Blossom
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22. In this video we see the extracted silk floss being
layered into wadding for duvets. This wadding, unlike
the smaller individual matting pieces of hand extracted
process, produces duvets with an inferior character.
© Snow Blossom
Sunday, 15 May 2011

23. Hand layered machine extracted silk
floss can be produced quickly at
lower cost.
However it feels heavier with less
spring. Less air is trapped in this
wadding and chemicals have been
used to whiten the silk and to make it
softer and more fluffy.
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24. This cheaper, streamlined, industrial
process of silk extraction means a loss
of all the benefits associated with silk
fillings produced by the traditional
methods: the health, anti-allergy
properties and the environmental
advantages of less pollution and more
sustainable production techniques.
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25. Comparison between hand extracted silk floss
and machine extracted silk floss
!
This is silk floss extracted by
hand. It is softer & fluffier. It
smells fresher and has a
natural colour. They are in
smaller pieces and thinner.
© Snow Blossom
!
This is the machine extracted
silk floss which has been
bleached & softened. It can
have the smell of chemicals
used in its manufacturer and
it exists as larger continuous © Snow Blossom
matting.
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26. Comparison between hand extracted silk floss
and machine extracted silk floss
!
Hand extracted silk floss:
● Healthy as no chemicals;
● No Environmental Damage;
● Kind to skin;
● Good for allergy sufferers;
© Snow Blossom
!
Machine extracted silk floss:
● Bleach or softeners are used;
● Not as good for allergy
sufferers;
© Snow Blossom
Sunday, 15 May 2011

27. Now Examine
Another Type of Duvet Filling
• This is a duvet which has been filled with
small broken sections of silk mat. The pieces
of silk have had to be sewn together to
produce an even duvet filling. A result which
in addition has a less even appearance and
can produce a duvet with cold spots.
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28. Short Strands and Cluster Silk Filling
This duvet like the other lower quality products is labelled Hand
Filled. But like the last type it has been manufactured with short
strands of silk matting remnants, however, this filling is then
contained within a border of long silk floss. An imitation of a
quality product which might deceive the less knowledgeable buyer.
© Snow Blossom
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29. Merely opening the zipper will reveal continuous
wadding. The sewn together short pieces in the
middle are not detectable.
© Snow Blossom
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30. Patch-filling a duvet
© Snow Blossom
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31. Look Out for Certifications
Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Certification
This is issued by a European consumer products testing agency which
looks for the presence of 100 chemicals known to be harmful to human
health. The product awarded with this certification has no chemicals,
therefore it’s safe & healthy to use for babies and adults.
Note: Oeko-Tex certification is only valid for 12 month. The company
needs to submit their products for testing every year. It is important to
check out if the company holds a valid current certificate.
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32. We hope this presentation provides you with some clear
and useful consumer guidance on the differences
between silk duvets!
Very often, customers feel confused and ask us the
questions on which & how to choose a silk duvet in a
market place with many competing products. We hope
that our research on the different types of duvets will be
useful. Snow Blossom has brought to the UK an
unrivalled knowledge and expertise in the manufacture
of luxury bedding. We regularly visit China to meet the
producers and to visit factories. This visual book is a
consequence of these experiences. You can be assured
that Snow Blossom will only bring to you the very best
silk duvets which you can enjoy for years to come!
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33. A Perfect Silk Filled Duvet
© Snow Blossom
Sunday, 15 May 2011

34. Live Well & Sleep Well
Snow Blossom
The Luxury Silk & Bamboo Bedding
t: 0044 (0)161 9052666
W: www.snowblossom.co.uk
All Content Copyright ©2011 by Snow Blossom. All Rights Reserved
Resource: Snow Blossom
Sunday, 15 May 2011