What is a Silk Momme?
What is a Silk Momme?
The Merriam Webster dictionary defines a momme as a Japanese unit of weight equal to 3.75 grams.
Silk is measured by weight either by grams or by momme (mm). 28 grams = 1 ounce. 8 momme = 1 oz. Silk Momme is similar to other units of textile measurement such as denier and tex (density of fibres), super S (fineness for wool), worst count, and yield. Momme is defined as the weight in pounds of a 45 inches by 100-yard piece of silk. Of course, you may have to do some math to figure the momme for a silk you have, since most people don’t have a 100-yard length of silk. Here is a good table of silk momme measurements on Wikipedia
When choosing the right silk for your needs, it’s important to understand the density of the fabric. Silk fabrics with a density under 20mm is deemed lightweight, whereas silk fabrics with a density ranging from 20mm to 28mm is considered medium weight and from 29mm and up, the fabric is categorised as heavy weight.
Based on this, it stands to reason that products made from higher density silk would be more expensive. It is important to know that the shelf-life of silk products is also a function of density, i.e., the denser the silk, the more durable the product made from it. This also means that higher density silk can be more suitable for products that need washing on a regular basis such as pillowcases. The exception in this case would be a silk mask because it needs to be breathable, so a lighter momme, say 16-19mm would be ideal.
Lighter density silk is more common amongst manufacturers and sellers because it is less expensive to produce and can be used across a wide range of products. However, it is worth noting that products from lightweight silk are also going to wear out quicker over time than medium to higher density silk products. If you want to invest in pillowcases for example, it is advisable to purchase ones that are 25mm minimum; they cost more but you get better value for money.
Our itspuresilkTM pillowcases are 25mm for this reason and reasonably priced to ensure they are still affordable compared to the lighter, more common variety sold everywhere!
Hope you have found this post useful and can go on to make more informed decisions about your silk products going forward.
Fun fact, silk in a charmeuse weave often ranges from 12mm – 30mm!
P.s. I Love Silk!
Dee Emerald