Choosing the perfect rug matching your house style is not so easy. Nowadays, a lot of people prefer eastern carpets, the so-called oriental rugs. These rugs can be a great addition to your house in case you want to give it a more modern look. However, it is quite difficult to find the ideal one for your house without being deceived by swindlers and purchase a genuine oriental rug. We have prepared a small guide for you to look at when buying an oriental rug in London.

Types of Oriental Rugs

As the name implies, oriental rugs have great historical value coming from different eastern cultures. It’s highly important to be able to differentiate between them while buying one. There are a lot of rugs categorized by origin. Here are some of them:

Persian Rugs – one of the most ancient and expensive rugs hand-woven in Iran. They might include symbols like husks, pomegranates, flowers, etc. and be of blue, red, gold, brown or beige colours.

Ikat Rugs – as the name suggests, Ikat is a design pattern used in ancient cultures such as Peru, Japan, Yemen, India, etc. They stand out with color variation and are coming in diamond or triangle shape.

Bokhara Rugs – Bokhara comes from Uzbekistan and features red, navy and brown colours with oval-shaped motifs.

Chinese Rugs – easily distinguishable rugs containing flora and fauna motifs. The carpets are quite thick compared to other oriental rugs. They can be made of wood, silk and cotton.

Armenian Rugs – Armenia is one of the oldest rugs weaving centers. The rugs contain red, white, green and yellow colours each having symbolic values. Traditional Armenian ornaments can be found in them.

Why are Oriental Rugs Expensive?

There are a few reasons that make oriental rugs expensive.

First off, the age of rugs, the older the rug, the more expensive it is. They are not only beautiful but also have historical and cultural value, thus standing out from the rugs produced nowadays.

It is quite arguable to say the denser the knot, the better as in the case of the age, but the latter is also a factor of durability. Different types of rugs have different knot density, so you should also pay attention to this factor, as well.

The next thing you should consider is the weaving evenness. Pay closer attention so that the weaves are consistent within the whole rug.

Material/Fiber is another key factor to look at. Rugs made of wool, as a rule, cost more than the others. Silk rugs are also of high quality, yet they require a special carpet cleaning technique.

How to Determine the Authenticity of Rugs?

Tips to  Determine Authenticity

If you are still not sure how to differentiate authentic Oriental rug from a replica, here you can find a few simple tips to do so when buying an Oriental rug.

1.       Buy from reputable sellers with good reviews.

2.       Avoid big sales, burning offers, furniture stores.

3.       Remember! Genuine Oriental rugs can’t be cheap.

4.       Ask about the history of the rug from the dealer to understand its value.

5.       Look for reliable resellers when buying vintage rugs, better choose auctions.

6.       Purchase online but require a written guarantee for a full refund.

7.       Look at patterns from behind, pattern markings on the back are signs of high quality.

8.       Be aware that the rows of knots on the back also indicate authenticity.

As you can see there are plenty of ways to identify an authentic Oriental rug. Yet rugs have cultural value and they should be cautiously cared for. After buying a rug in the UK, you will certainly need rug cleaning services in London. Deep Cleanings company will come for rescue offering high-quality hand washing services for your carpet.

Stay tuned to our previous and upcoming articles, read about home cleaning tips and even more.