Silk and Silkworms

Silk is one of the most expensive fibers. Due to its cost and the tedious production process, it is considered a luxury textile. A presentation by Professor Marian Goldsmith, a biologist, divulged the details of silk worms and silk production. She began the presentation with a brief history of silk production. Silk originated in China in the year 4900 B.C. According to myth and legend, princess Hsi-Ling-Shih discovered silk fiber when a cocoon fell into her cup of tea and began to unravel. For 3,000 years silk production was considered a national secret, at pain of death if exposed. Eventually, the trade spread along the Silk Road. Sericulture developed in Japan, Korea, and India. The “secret” spread to Constantinople, and then Europe.