Metal you cannot see
A typical Kanchipuram saree uses about 700 grams of silk and 300 grams of zari, thread wound with silver and coated with gold. To the eye, real zari and cheap imitation look much the same. So whoever buys a saree is trusting the seller about the most expensive thing in it.
The state makes its own zari
In 1971 Tamil Nadu set up Tamil Nadu Zari Ltd in Kanchipuram to make genuine zari for the weavers’ co-operatives; it started production in 1974. Today it also tests zari and sarees with an X-ray fluorescence machine that reads the metal without cutting the cloth.
Protecting the name
In 2005 the state applied for a geographical indication, and Kanchipuram silk was registered in 2005-06, one of India’s early GI products. Only sarees woven in the region, in the traditional way, may use the name. The GI protects the word. It does not, on its own, stop a fake from being sold.
The GI protects the word. It does not, on its own, stop a fake from being sold.
When metal prices rise
Zari was pure silver until about 1990. As silver grew dearer, makers cut it to about 80%, then about 50% by 2015, and about 30% now, with copper making up the rest. Even so, by February 2026 rising gold and silver had pushed zari up 30–50%. A saree that sold for ₹7,000 now sold for ₹12,000 to ₹15,000.
Fake sarees with fake zari sell for far less. The zari-testing machines once placed in shops were reported to be old and not working. Trust, it turns out, needs constant upkeep.
Points for a finance reader
- Put a number on what customers cannot see. A test certificate turns a promise into proof, and supports a fair price.
- Watch your biggest input price. When metal is the costliest input, its price moves your cost sheet more than anything you control.
- A protected name still needs checking. A GI tag is the start of protection, not the end of it.