Quality	Service	Uniqueness	Value

General Information & Pictures

1. A brief summary of Persian rugs

Persian rugs have been around for many centuries and they have always been considered a form of art and also as a means of investment. The word "Persian" has become synonymous with Iranian rugs, since this is what is meant when I talk about Persian carpets. Other countries like India, Pakistan, China, and many others make rugs as well, but when we talk about Persian carpets, we are referring to rugs that are made in Iran and that are handmade. I say handmade, because there has been an unfortunate trend lately to copy real Persian rugs by others countries, who then mass-produce them using machine technology. A real Persian carpet is handmade in Iran and only natural wool and fibers are used in the process. One of the reasons, why Persian rugs are so valuable, is because they are handmade by individual weavers, rather than in factories. Also, Persian rugs are made of all natural wool and silk and do not have synthetic silk or wool.

Another reason why many individuals worldwide collect Persian rugs is due to the uniqueness of the rugs. Every Persian carpet is different from another, even when they come from the same city or even weaver. If you notice in my inventory, I have many rugs from the same city, but each one is different. Unless a weaver specifically intended to make a set of identical rugs, you will not find two Persian rugs that are the exact same in every aspect.

The result is that when you are looking at a real Persian rug, you are looking at a piece of art that is handmade and is designed to not only match your home and personality, but also to last for many, many years.

Picture #1

2. Terms you should be aware of about Persian rugs

There are many different words that are used commonly, when discussing Persian rugs, and here are some with a brief description:

Name of the rug:
Persian carpets are named after the city or the region in which they were made. Among the most popular ones are Tabriz, Bidjar, Nain, Qom, Hamadan, Mud, Meshkin, Mashhad, Kirman, etc. Each region has a unique characteristic and method of making rugs, so take a moment a look up a name on a map to see where the rug is from.

City or Tribal Rugs:
There are basically two types of handmade Persian carpets, city or tribal, and they are very different and easily recognized.
City rugs are typically the higher quality and much more expensive rugs such as the Tabriz, Nain, Isfahan, and Qom carpets. Most city rugs come in low and high quality and the designs and colors can vary from very traditional designs to pictorials. City rugs are named after the towns and cities that they are made and for example, almost all of my rugs are city rugs.
Tribal rugs are named after the regions rather than cities and are often designed in very traditional designs and low quality wools. Whereas city rugs are meant to be used as decorations, tribal rugs tend to be more like utility rugs that are designed to be used heavily. Most tribal rugs are made using lower quality and many weavers are part of tribes that move around like nomads. The carpets they make are used to place in tent and they are therefore less luxurious and more practical for the tribal environment. Examples of tribal rugs are Hamadan, Meshkin, and Heriz carpets. Unlike the city rugs, the tribal carpets rarely ever exceed 200 kpsi and are also much smaller, since larger rugs are too heavy to handle, especially if the tribe moves around the country side by horse.

KPSI:
These letters stand for "Knots Per Square Inch" and we use the kpsi to measure the quality of most Persian rugs. As a rule, the higher the number the finer and more valuable the quality, but there are very few exceptions, many the Bidjar rugs. They are the only one ones, where even a 250 kpsi rug is considered to be very fine and it has to do with the way those rugs are made. For the practical purpose, anything with less than 150 kpsi is typically considered low, 150-250 medium, and 250+ high quality. Most retailers know that you are not going to get on your knees and count the knots with a measuring tape and therefore will often exaggerate the numbers to make it look like you are getting more for your money. If you want to know if a seller is honest, verify the kpsi yourself and see if he is good or just pretends.

Length of time to make rug:
The simple truth - weeks for smaller and medium size pieces and up to several months for larger high quality Persian rugs.  Many retailers will completely lie when it comes to the length to make a rug so that they can justify their overly inflated prices. As you can see in the pictures above, that's my mother in the pictures so I'm sure that I know what I am going to tell you. A weaver does not get paid until the rug is completed and he sells it to a retailer, wholesaler, or individual. There are too many ways that a rug can be flawed (crooked, discolored, loose knots, off-center design, etc), so a weaver needs to finish and sell it to pay his mortgage and feed the family. If rugs would take months and years and many retailers claim, everybody in Iran would be homeless and on food stamps. I will use the rugs you see in the pictures as an example. Small high quality Tabriz rugs up to 5' are typically made by one person and a good weaver can knot about 1 square meter per 10 working days. So a 7x10, which is roughly 6 square meters would take about 60 working days if only one weaver worked on it, but almost every large rug is made by 2 or more working in teams, which can cut down the time dramatically.

Wool: 
Material used to make the pile of the Persian rug, unless otherwise specified it is Sheep wool that is used to make the rug. There are some Persian rugs that are also made with goat wool, but that is so rare that I don't want you to dwell on it. Virtually all Persian rugs are made with Sheep wool and that's all there is to it.

Kurkwool:
Kurkwool is a much finer kind of wool than regular Sheep wool. It comes from Lamb. Just like the hair of a child is finer than the hair of an adult, the wool of a Lamb is much finer than a Sheep. Since a Lamb can only generate so much wool before it matures, the amount of wool is much less and therefore much more expensive than regular wool. Kurkwool is only used in high quality rugs and when you see it, you will know instantly the difference between regular wool and Kurkwool.

Silk:
Most finer Persian rugs have silk included in them, some have silk added to the wool while others are made completely of silk. The silk comes from the plants and is all natural. Some rugs, like many Chinese rugs for instance, use synthetic silk, which is much cheaper and not nearly as luxurious as real silk.

Foundation:
The foundation is the base of the rug. The most visible parts of the foundation are the fringes. Most Persian rugs have a cotton foundation, but there are also some carpets that have a silk foundation. These types of rugs are very valuable and are much more expensive than rugs with a cotton foundation. Some clients have asked me whether a silk foundation would be more fragile than cotton and actually the opposite is true. Either foundation will basically last a lifetime, but silk is one of the strongest natural substances and is extremely durable. As rule, silk foundation rugs are 20-30% more expensive that the same high quality rugs with a cotton foundation.

Pile:
The pile is the rug itself and it is the wool. Depending on the quality of the rug, you can have a pile from 1/4 to 3/4 inch thickness.

Raj:
Raj is the measurement of the quality for Tabriz rugs only. Some retailers will list a raj count for every type of rug, and this is absolutely wrong. Every region in Iran produces different type of rugs and different methods are used to classify the quality.

Here are the terms and measurements for some of the more popular Persian rugs:

Raj:
Again, only used for the Tabriz rugs. It is the number of knots over a distance of 1 raj, roughly 7 centimeters or 2.5 inches. The higher the raj, the better the quality and most quality pieces start at about 50 raj. Most high end Tabriz rugs are 50 raj and if you are new to rugs, look at the silk highlights and the quality. The rug should have very fine Kurkwool (Lamb wool) and plenty of silk highlights. Also, some sellers will rank the rugs as 60 raj or higher to make the rug more expensive. Please note that virtually all Tabriz rugs in the above 50 raj category should have a silk foundation and they should feel very soft and light. There is a huge price difference between a 50 and higher rug and it's important that you know the actual count before you write the check.

Lah & Tapas:
This measurement is used in Nain rugs only and it refers to the numbers of yarn that make up each fringe. The lower the number, the finer the rug. For example, the most common Nain rugs are known as Tapas. They basically have about 12 yarn in each foundation which typically translates into about 100-140 kpsi. The finer ones are categorized in Lah and you can have either 9lah, 6lah, or 4lah. The lower the number, the finer the rug and especially the 6 and 4 lah are extremely fine and valuable. I have had a couple of 6lah and they typically have about 600 kpsi.

Reft:
This measurement is used in Isfahan rugs only. Even though Isfahan and Nain rugs are made in the same region. The reft is similar to the raj and is basically the number of knots over a distance of 10 cm. Most high end Isfahan rugs have a silk foundation and are basically a high end version of Nain rugs. It's like the difference between a Toyota and a Lexus. Both made by the same company, but with different goals and ideas.

Abrisham:
Means silk in Iranian (Farsi)

Alloh:
Means very fine or luxurious in Iranian (Farsi).  Typically, it refers to all silk pieces or very high quality wool rugs like a 60+ raj Tabriz or a 6lah Nain.

Well, I guess I’m suppose to tell you why you should spend all your money on my Persian rugs and why my carpets are better than those from anyone else. Unfortunately, I am not not very good at coming up with great sales pitches, so let me give you some helpful tips that you can actually use to find the right rug for the right reasons.

The most important advise I can give you is:

ASK AS MANY QUESTIONS AS YOU CAN THINK OF

You probably know where the rug will go and how much you can afford to spend, but what about the rest. There are many different things to consider, everything from pets to cleaning, that it is so important to ask away. It's also a great way to find out how honest and sincere the seller is. Knowledge can be learned and in this business often faked, but a sincere desire to do the right thing is rare and always appreciated. So ask away....

When choosing a rug, take a look at your home and how you treat it. Basic rule is that the rug should match in quality and price of the furniture in the room.
If, for example, you have several children or pets and your primary concern is keeping your floor from being ruined, then buy an inexpensive rug that will serve more as a utility rug rather than a luxurious piece. This way you don't spend a fortune and you will still have a nice rug to look at and if your kids run over it with muddy shoes, so be it. A standard quality Persian carpet with about 100-150 kpsi will probably do the job and the cost is probably not much more than a fake oriental carpet from your local store like Target, Home Depot, or Costco.
On the other hand, if you have a nicely decorated home and the kids are either well behaved or evicted by means of college, job, or marriage, then you are probably ready for a nicer high quality Persian carpet that is designed to be practical, but also decorative. Basically, you are looking for a quality and luxurious piece and you took great care in arranging your home, so the rug needs to be of equal statue. A nice Persian rug like a 50 raj Tabriz carpet or similar will do you probably just fine and it has the looks and quality that you would like. I should warn you though, the high quality Persian rugs often come with a lot of compliments, so learn a bit about the rugs so you can impress the visitors.
The last category is reserved for the best of the best. These are rugs that will make you scratch your head and say WOW. Among them are rugs from Qom (pure silk), 50+ raj Tabriz, Isfahan, Hereke, or other rugs that are extremely fine and valuable like the metal rugs in my galleries. These type of rugs typically have a silk foundation, and are either made of pure silk or have a large amount of silk added to the design and not just the wool. Some clients have spend a great deal of time and money in designing their homes and typically have a formal area that requires something very special. If you are such a person, than work with the retailer or designer, and place close attention to the rug. A few numbers here and there can put a big dent in your checking account. The very high end rugs can look and feel very similar, so it's really important that you are working with someone who knows what he or she is doing and can point out the differences.
Special note: Some designers like to deal with certain retailers and often there is typically a kickback involved. I have dealt with some very fine and outstanding decorators and also with a few that are somewhat less then honorable.

One of the most common question I hear is:
What is a good price on a rug?

Assuming you are looking for a standard size rug, let’s say about 10 feet by 7 feet.

A nice rug, made of wool and perhaps some silk highlights should cost no more than $1200.00 unless you plan to make a salesman very happy.  At this level, the prices can vary greatly depending on the quality and the design of the rug.

A high end rug made of Kurkwool and silk can cost up to $5000.00 and more depending on the quality and make. For example, a nice Tabriz rug can cost from $3000.00 to $5000.00 even though it has the same quality but due to the difference in design, age, and overall uniqueness.  At this level, the color and design become as important as the quality and the rarer the rug, the more you will be expected to pay. Keep in mind that these rugs will probably be passed down to the next generation and most clients who buy these rugs, buy them for live.

As to the best of the best, well the sky is the limit. But before you start writing the check, please do your homework first. Make sure you either know your stuff or deal with someone you can trust. In that size, depending on the rug, you can expect to pay at least $5000.00 and up.

If you are new to Persian rugs, please look at the link below for some added helpful information.

NEW SECTION: GUIDE TO BUYING PERSIAN RUGS

4. Important information and tips about Persian rugs

There have been many new developments that have taken place in the last few years and here are just a few.

• Until 1999, Persian rugs were sanctioned under U.S. laws from being imported into this country. This had raised the prices on the rugs that were already in the States and had created somewhat of a shortage of fine Persian rugs. Some retailers chose to smuggle them in, but this was a very expensive and risky operation, as well as illegal. Now that the law has been lifted, prices of Persian rugs have fallen to a more appropriate level. It is my believe, that the prices have stabilized and that there should not be a great drop in the value of the rugs.

• The prices for rugs are dictated by the strength of the dollar versus the rial, which is the Iranian currency. From 1999 to about 2002, the dollar was very strong and accordingly the rugs were cheaper to import. Since then, the dollar has taken a bit of a nose dive and the rugs have become more expensive with the weakening of the dollar. Overall though, the value is still excellent when you compare Persian rugs with other types or artwork and I don't foresee any further price escalation at this time.

• Another reason for the slight rise in prices is that the number of weavers has been steadily declining over the last 10 years due to a slowing demand for Persian rugs, mainly in Europe. The primary market for Persian rugs has been in Europe for decades and only in the last few years have other areas such as the Americas and the Far East emerged. Since the markets in Europe have been flooded and the demand has dropped considerably, many weavers have found it too difficult to make a living in the rug trade and changed care 

• Some retailers will sell Persian rugs made in India or Pakistan as real Iranian rugs. If you have any doubts, get a second opinion. Some retailers like to sell there rugs like cars and it is very unfortunate. My advice to you is to shop around and get to know the seller.

Persian rugs are designed to be used and abused and especially the high end pieces will last you pretty much your whole life. The best advise I can give you is to use simple common sense. As you can imagine, my house is full of rugs in every shape and quality and I have never worried about them. Treat your rug like you treat the rest of your furniture and you will get the same results. Also, remember that genuine Persian rugs are made of natural wool, which is much like the human skin and rejects foreign substances. 

Simple steps to take to keep your rug looking as it did the day you brought it home.

• When the rug is dirty, just vacuum it. Don’t use excessive power as it can harm the rug over time. The more suction, the more stress on the rug. Just use a normal setting, unless there is a good reason. Some vacuum cleaners seem to have more power than my truck, and there is just no need for it. I use an inexpensive one and it works just fine and after many years, the rugs still look like new.

• NEVER shampoo the rug or use bleach based cleaners, without consulting a professional rug cleaner. Many cleaners contain chemicals and/or bleach, which can cause damage to the rug or cause the colors to change. If you have a spill, just use lots of clean towels towels and a bit of warm water. Place lots of paper towel under the rug to catch the water and then just tap the top of the rug with a clean, dry towel. Don’t wipe the stain. There is no point in spreading the misery. Also, don’t push too hard. Most of the spill in on the top of the rug so just be gentle. If the stain was caused by red wine or a pet accident, attend to it immediately. The sooner you clean it, the better off you are. Worst case, check with a retailer or a laundry cleaner.

• Turn the rug every few month. Especially if it lies in direct sunlight. Sunlight bleaches out the color on the rug where it directly shines on it. If the rug is near a window or door, just turn it from time to time so that the colors stay even.

• If you hang a rug on a wall, try to use clamps rather than nails. Most textile shops sell clamps and they work great. Depending on the size of the rug, you can also use nails, but make that they are very small ones and use plenty of them along the border of the entire rug. This will keep gravity from pulling on the rug and will not cause any damages. If you are not sure, just with a retailer or myself first.

• NEVER use a comb to straighten the fringes. Combing causes the wool to thin out  the fringes to a point where the knots will come loose at the end of the rug. Simply grab a loved one and on a count of 3 flip the end of the rug over. Ok, it does not have to be a loved one, just stay away with the comb or brush.

• Be careful when you use padding under the rug to keep it in place. Some rugs, especially those with all silk foundation, don’t do well with padding and you may end up causing more harms than good. There are different types of padding available and check with a professional on which type of padding to use.

• If in doubt, ask a professional retailer or a cleaner. It may sound simple but if you had seen the things I have seen, you would understand what I mean!

I hope you find this information helpful. As stated earlier, if I can be of any assistance, please feel free to let me know.

Take care,

Mike

NEW UPDATE: Jan. 08

I have written an updated article about the prices of Persian rugs and please click on the following link below to read the most current information. This article will be updated every time a new shipment arrives or if there are new dramatic events.

Take care,

Mike

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me directly.

Email:  mppersianrugs@aol.com or by Phone: (719) 282-9099

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