Difference between synthetic and natural dyes>>"Antique Rugs of the Future" Project

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Question: Is there any real difference between synthetically and naturally dyed rugs? And if there is, does it matter?

Answer: Natural dyes are far superior to chemical dyes for certain reasons:

-With exposure to light all colour fades, but natural dyes fade or mellow leaving lighter tones that are just as beautiful, if not more so, than the original colour.

-Natural dyes are more compatible and harmonious with one another. By contrast, chemical colours are easy to use and can produce good results, but have certain drawbacks, in that they can look hard or garish; some fade very quickly, and others fade unevenly leaving blotches.

-One of the key reasons why natural colours look better than chemical colours because they are not 'pure' colour: a natural red, for example, will include blue and yellow, whereas a chemical red will only contain red pigment. The impurities of natural dyes, which may comprise from five to 25 percent of the dye, consist of other hues that are similar to the main one, and it is these mixtures that make natural dyes so beautiful and create their harmony with neighboring natural colors. Where one person will see some purple in a hank of gray yarn, another may see some blue in it. To be able to see the difference is partly genetic, like the ability to curl one's tongue lengthwise, and partly a matter of experience. On the other hand, evenness of a synthetically dyed carpet is flat and uninteresting. Natural dye, precisely because of its unevenness, makes color vibrate or sparkle. And for some people this "imperfection," a sign of the artist's hand working natural substances from the garden or fields, has spiritual overtones.

-Natural dyes make different shades at the different time of the day. When these natural dyes expose to the light, they leave lighter tones, which makes them to look beautiful in different way than their original colors.

-Natural-dye enthusiasts see "mellow" hues that sparkle and glow which give esthetically comfortable feeling. But to be able to see these features one needs, perhaps, a passion for color.

-Natural dyes are substantially less destructive to the environment than the chemical dyes widely in use. Synthetic dyes used in textile dyeing generally cause environmental pollution and health problems in humans.

-Each plant provides an amazing diversity of shades. From one plant one may obtain between 5-15 varying colours and shades. These colours and shades are subtle and tend to harmonize with one another. The resulting fabrics or fibres are now original pieces - it is extremely difficult for anyone to duplicate exactly (even the dyer).

-Natural colour is inherently more muted than chemical colour, which looks very stark, and so if chemical colours are used while the desired effect is for the 'natural' look, it will be necessary to mix a variety of colours in imitation of nature.

-Colour created from natural elements lasts much longer than chemical dyes.