How to Identify Oriental Rugs

Examine the rugs for authenticity. Hold the rug facing up and bend the pile back across with the width of the rug. In authentic oriental rugs, there should be a small knot at each of the yarn's base close to the back. This process is called "grinning."

Inspect the fringes of the oriental rug. Handmade rugs usually have an extension of the warped yarns, which are the foundation threads that run the length of the rug. Machine made rugs do not have knots, and fringes are separately sewn onto the rug.

Check the quality of the rug by running the back of your hand back and forth over the surface. If you notice a lot of fibers that appear to be fuzzy on either the rug or your hands, this is a sign of poor quality wool. When the wool that is used to make the rug is taken from a dead sheep instead of a live one, it has a dry and brittle feeling, resulting in easy shedding.