There are many methods through which the authenticity of a natural silk fabric can be verified, but the most precise and convincing way is through the burning test. With a lighter or match a piece of silk fabric is ignited, and if there is a burned hair scent present, the intensity of the flame is of medium level, and the ash resulted after the burn is dark black and crumbly, then we have in our hand a fabric made from natural silk.

Another way to test if a fabric is made from natural silk represents the observation of its luster, as it is different from any other fabrics. Natural silk simply shimmers, and that is due to the triangular structure of the silk fibers which allows the fabric to refract incoming light.

Also, if at touch the fabric is extremely smooth, or even feels like a waxed surface, then we're talking about a natural silk fabric, as this characteristic is unique to natural silk.

Same as silk fabrics, the authenticity of a natural wool fabric can be determined by performing the burning test. A small piece or a thread from a wool fabric or garment is ignited with a lighter, and if there is a scent of burned animal hair and the ash resulted is dark black, then the fabric or garment is made from natural wool.

There are many ways to recognize if a fabric or clothing article is made from pure genuine cashmere. In some situations, some clothes are made from a mix of cashmere and silk, and it can be very easily verified. If the fabric shines as the silk does, then the composition isn’t 100% cashmere.

If you hold in your hands a cashmere garment, you simply rub it between the fingers, and if the respective garment or fabric will get linty and will have slippery surface then it’s definitely not cashmere.

Also, if a cashmere fabric or garment is gently stretched then returns right away to its initial form, then it’s made from cashmere. If the clothing article is crumpled between hands it represents a way to check the quality of the cashmere, less wrinkles means a higher quality of the cashmere.

And of course there is the burning test. A piece of fabric is lightened up using a lighter or a match, and if there is a smell of burned animal hair and the ash resulted has a powdery texture then we are talking about natural pure cashmere.

There are two ways which are the most used and the most accurate to determine if a fabric or garment is made from 100% genuine natural cotton.

The first method consists of taking a piece of cotton fabric and another made from linen for example, because most often cotton is confused with linen. These two get moist with wet fingers, and if the cotton material absorbs the moisture in a longer period of time than the linen one, then the first is made from genuine cotton, as cotton has a lower absorption rate.

The second and the most precise way is through the burning test. A piece of fabric or thread is ignited with the use of a lighter. If the fabric keeps a constant flame, the smell is one similar with burned leaves, and the ash is easily crumbly, then the fabric is made from natural genuine cotton.

The most efficient method to verify if a fabric or garment is made from genuine natural linen is to moist the respective fabric using your finger tips and pressing them on the piece of material. If right away the moisture passes on the opposite side, then the fabric or garment is made from linen.

Also, the authenticity can be established via the burning test. With the help of a match or lighter a piece of fabric is burned and if the scent is of of burned leaves and the ash resulted is crumbly, then the fabric is made from natural linen.

Being the result of two or more fabrics, testing velvet's authenticity can be a bit tricky.

But, knowing that it can be made from silk, cotton or linen, the burning test can be performed. So, if the scent is one of burned animal hair or burned leaves (in case of cotton and linen), and the ash is of an intense black color and crumbly, then the respective velvet is made from natural fabrics. In case there is a slight or strong odor of burned plastic, then synthetic fabrics are present in the composition.

And of course, there’s the test of feeling and observing the fabric, as a natural silk material will be very soft at touch and a lot more shiny then a cotton made one, for example.

When it comes to distinguishing handmade lace from the one made by machines, there aren’t to many aspects that differentiate them, but what can be noticed about the machine made lace is the fuzzy look of the lace, and the ribs in the stitches are a lot of the times obvious.

A lot of the times lace is confused with embroidery, but there is a key element that makes them apart. Embroidery is an ornamental component which is completely applied on a fabric, while lace is a freestanding fabric, although there are laces that are sewn on an individual fabrics, like the Limerick or File lace.

Lace can be identified depending on its composition:

Cotton Lace – is less elastic, more rigid and thicker;

Silk Lace – has a shiny appearance and very soft to touch;

Viscose Lace – has very slim threads and it’s very light;

Polyamide Lace – is the most thinnest lace and has an enlarged look, being almost invisible;

Macramé is recognized pretty easy, especially after the specific knots from which is made. Also, even if it has a rigid appearance or it's rough at touch (depending from what material is made), it has to be flexible enough to bend.

Considering that most macramé made from natural fibers have in composition cotton, linen or hemp, this can be tested through the burning test. A thread from the respective macramé is ignited, and if there is a scent of burned leaves and the ash is of intense black and crumbly, then the threads are made from natural fibers. If the scent after the burn is one of burned plastic, then the fabric is made from synthetic fibers.