What silk fabric costs per meter — and what actually moves the price
Silk pricing is not a list; it is a function of six variables. Two suppliers can both quote “dupioni” at different prices and both be correct, because one is quoting 19 momme on finished cloth at 140 cm and the other is quoting 22 momme on greige at 114 cm with testing excluded. This page sets out the six drivers, the six ways a quotation misleads, and a twelve-point comparison that makes two quotes actually comparable.
Why this page contains no prices
A single headline number would be accurate for one specification and wrong for every other — and it would teach you to compare the wrong thing. Silk moves from greige utility cloth to custom-dyed, high-grade structured fabric by a multiple, not a percentage. So instead of a number, this page gives you the structure: fix the six variables, and any two quotations become directly comparable. We quote per order, and every quotation states its momme basis, grade, width and colour route so it can be checked.
Three terms that decide what a quote means
Grade is the quality classification of the raw silk yarn. It is set under GB/T 1797-2008 (Standardization Administration of China, 2008), and it is measured on the yarn rather than on the cloth. Momme basis is the point in processing at which the weight was taken, greige or finished. It is the single field most often missing from a quotation. Landed cost is what the cloth costs once freight, insurance, duty and inland handling are added, which is why two identical FOB numbers can land at different totals under different delivery terms (International Chamber of Commerce, 2020).
For example, a quote at 19 momme finished and a quote at 19 momme greige are not the same cloth. The second finishes lighter, so the cheaper number is buying less silk. The same logic applies upward. The raw material floor comes from a reeling district that produces for export at scale (Yizhou District Government, 2023), and a price well below that floor is worth questioning rather than celebrating.
The six drivers
Each of these raises or lowers the price independently. Change two of them at once and the quotes stop being comparable — which is how most price confusion starts.
Fibre grade
4A, 5A and 6A are not marketing tiers — they are measured properties of the filament. Higher grade means fewer defects per unit length, which means more cocoons rejected at reeling and a higher cost per kilo of yarn. The price difference is real and it lands in the cloth: a 6A yarn dyes evenly on the first attempt, a lower grade often needs a second lot to fix banding.
Weight in momme
More silk per square metre is more fibre per metre of cloth. Moving from 16 to 22 momme is roughly a third more material in the same yard. This is the most predictable driver on the page, provided both quotations measure momme on the same side of degumming.
Construction complexity
A plain-weave habotai runs off a loom at speed. A jacquard runs slower because every pick is selected, and pattern development adds a separate cost before a metre is woven. Structured cloths that need tight sett and heavy reed pressure also raise the loom time per metre.
Colour route
Four routes with different economics. Greige is the cheapest because nothing is dyed. A standard shade card amortises the dye lot setup over many orders. A custom match adds a lab dip plus a dedicated dye lot. Yarn-dyed or jacquard colour introduces the colour before weaving. A custom match on a small quantity is where quotations diverge most.
Quantity and width
Setup costs — loom dressing, dye lot, lab dip, inspection — are spread across the run. A narrow width at the same momme costs more per running metre because there is less cloth in the metre. Both effects are non-linear: the step from 300 m to 1,000 m usually matters more than 1,000 m to 3,000 m.
Testing and documentation
OEKO-TEX, GOTS, destination-market testing, inspection records and export documentation each carry a cost. They are also the first thing a quotation quietly drops when a price looks unusually low. If you need them, say so before quoting — not after.
Six ways a quotation misleads without lying
None of these are dishonest claims. Each is a true statement about a different thing, which is harder to catch.
Momme measured on greige, quoted as finished
The cloth is 22 momme before degumming and about 16–17 after. Both are true statements. Only one describes what you receive. This alone can explain a wide gap between two quotes for the same fabric name.
A lower grade sold under the same construction name
“Dupioni” describes a weave and a yarn source, not a grade. A 4A dupioni and a 6A dupioni are the same fabric name at different prices, and the difference shows up after dyeing, not on the swatch.
A narrower width
Quoting per metre without stating the width is the most common way to make a quote look competitive. 114 cm and 140 cm are not interchangeable when you are costing a marker — the narrower roll may need more metres for the same garment.
Standard shade presented as custom
Or the reverse: a custom match quoted at card price and then delivered as the nearest card shade. Ask which shade, and ask for the dip reference.
Testing excluded
A price that excludes OEKO-TEX or destination-market testing is not cheaper — it is a price for a different scope. Add the test cost back before comparing.
Different trade term
EXW, FCA and FOB prices are not comparable. The gap is the inland leg plus export clearance, and on silk it is not trivial. Always compare at the same Incoterm.
Twelve points to compare before you compare price
Put both quotations against this list. In most cases where one looks dramatically cheaper, at least one line differs — and once you know which, the decision is no longer about price.
| Field | What changes the number | What to ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | Yarn quality, not cloth quality | The grade named in the quotation |
| Momme | Greige or finished measurement | Basis plus a tolerance band |
| Width | Cuttable width, not loom width | Centimetres after finishing |
| Colour route | Dye lot setup and lab dips | Shade card reference or approved dip |
- 1Grade (4A / 5A / 6A) stated explicitly
- 2Momme, and whether measured on greige or finished cloth
- 3Momme tolerance band, not a single figure
- 4Width in centimetres
- 5Colour route: greige, shade card reference, or custom match
- 6Quantity the price applies to, and the break points above it
- 7Trade term (EXW / FCA / FOB and the named port)
- 8What testing is included, and who pays for it
- 9Lead time, and the date the clock starts
- 10Inspection scope and who attends
- 11Payment terms
- 12Validity period of the quotation
Where the saving comes from
When a quotation comes in well below others for a nominally identical fabric, the difference has to exist somewhere in the physical product. In practice it is one of four places: a lower grade, a lighter momme (often measured on greige), a narrower width, or reduced testing. Grade is the one worth checking first, because it is measured on the yarn against a published scale (Standardization Administration of China, 2008), and a downgrade is invisible in a swatch of the same weight and colour.
None of those is automatically wrong — a lighter cloth at a narrower width may be exactly right for a lining programme. The problem is only when the saving is invisible, because then it is discovered in the cutting room or after dyeing, when the cost of discovery is much higher than the saving.
An RFQ template that gets comparable quotes
Copy this into an email and fill in what you know. Rows you cannot answer are useful too — they tell the supplier where to advise rather than guess.
End use / garment: e.g. structured bridal bodice, AW collection
Construction: e.g. dupioni (or "open to recommendation")
Grade: e.g. 5A minimum
Momme: e.g. 19 mm on finished cloth, tolerance +/-1
Width: e.g. 140 cm minimum
Colour: e.g. custom match to Pantone 19-1532 TCX, or shade card
Quantity: e.g. 600 m, with break points at 300 / 1,200 m
Testing required: e.g. OEKO-TEX Class II, plus EU market requirements
Destination market: e.g. EU
Trade term: e.g. FCA Yizhou
Sample needed by: date
Any deadline constraints: e.g. production must ship before a fixed dateSend it to info@christopherbu.com and you will get a specification response before a price — because the specification is what the price depends on.
Price questions buyers actually ask
How much does silk fabric cost per meter?
There is no single answer, and any page that gives you one number is describing one specification. Silk ranges from greige utility cloth at the low end to custom-dyed, high-grade, heavy structured fabric at the top — a multiple apart, not a percentage. The honest way to price a project is to fix six variables first: grade, momme measured on finished cloth, construction, colour route, quantity and width. With those fixed, quotations from different suppliers become comparable. We quote per order for exactly this reason.
Why is silk fabric so expensive?
Because the raw material is labour-intensive to produce and the yield is low. A single cocoon yields one continuous filament of roughly 600 to 900 metres, and it takes several cocoons reeled together to make one 20/22 denier thread. On top of the fibre there is loom time, dyeing, finishing, inspection and the rejection rate at every stage. Weight compounds it: a 30 momme cloth uses nearly twice the silk of a 16 momme cloth of the same area.
Why do two suppliers quote very different prices for the same silk?
Almost always because one of the six variables is different and unstated — most often the momme basis (greige versus finished), the grade, the width, or whether testing is included. The fabric name is not a specification. Before assuming one supplier is cheaper, put both quotations side by side on the twelve points listed on this page; the gap usually explains itself.
Is Chinese silk cheaper than Italian silk?
They are different products in the same chain rather than two prices for one thing. China is the dominant origin for raw silk and greige; Italian mills are known for dyeing, finishing and quality grading, and much of the fibre they process is imported. A comparison only means something at the same specification and the same Incoterm — otherwise you are comparing a raw material price to a finished luxury fabric price.
Does a bigger order always get a lower price?
Usually, but with diminishing returns. Setup costs — loom dressing, dye lot, lab dip, inspection — are spread over the run, so the first increase in quantity produces the largest drop per metre. Beyond a point the saving flattens, and on custom colours a larger run can even add risk, because you are committing to more metres of a shade that has only been approved as a lab dip.
How can I reduce cost without losing quality?
Change the specification deliberately rather than hoping the price falls. Move to a standard shade card colour instead of a custom match. Take a slightly lighter momme where the garment allows it. Use a wider width so your marker wastes less. Consolidate several colours into one order to share the setup. For example, moving one lining style from a custom match to the nearest shade card colour removes the lab dip and the dedicated dye lot from the quotation entirely. What does not work is asking for the same specification at a lower price — the difference has to come from somewhere, and it usually comes from grade, weight or testing.
Why do you not publish a price list?
Because a published number would be true for one combination of grade, weight, width, colour and quantity and misleading for every other. Silk is quoted against a specification, and a price list would push buyers into comparing the wrong things. What we can do is quote quickly and state the basis clearly enough that our quotation can be checked against anyone else's.
Continue through the sourcing guides
The momme guide
The weight variable, and why the greige figure overstates it.
Open guide →Silk fabric types
The construction variable — 22 weaves and what each one costs you in loom time.
Open guide →Wholesale silk fabric
How the order runs once the specification is fixed.
Open guide →What a quotation must include
The same discipline applied to raw silk yarn.
Open guide →Send the specification, get the number
Fix the six variables and we will quote them — with the momme basis, width, grade and colour route written into the quotation. If you only know the garment, send that instead and we will propose the rest.
Sources and method
Methodology: this page publishes no unit prices. Silk is quoted against a specification. A number without grade, momme basis, width, colour route and quantity would be accurate for one combination and misleading for every other. The grade scale follows GB/T 1797-2008, which classifies the yarn rather than the cloth. Delivery terms follow the ICC's published Incoterms rules, because those decide which costs sit inside a quoted figure. The six drivers and the twelve comparison points come from quotations the atelier has reviewed, stated as structure rather than as a price list. Every figure that would depend on a specific mill or season is confirmed on the quotation instead.
- Standardization Administration of China: GB/T 1797-2008 生丝 (Raw silk) (2008). The grade scale quoted in a raw silk price, which is measured on the yarn and not on the finished cloth.
- International Chamber of Commerce: Incoterms 2020 rules (2020). The delivery terms that decide which costs sit inside a quoted price and which arrive later as landed cost.
- Yizhou District Government: Yizhou district profile (2023). The reeling base behind the raw material that sets the floor of a fabric price.
Reviewed by the Christopher Bu editorial team. Corrections and sourcing queries go to the B2B team, and the editorial standard is the same one used on the about page.