"Metallic thread" covers two quite different products, and buyers regularly order the wrong one. This guide separates them the way the factory floor does — by construction — so your enquiry lands on the thread your work actually needs.
We twist round and flat zari in Jaipur, wrapping metallised polyester film around a core dyed in-house; cores, put-ups and minimums are on the zari thread page.
What zari actually is
Zari is metallised polyester film (the trade calls it lurex or mylar) wrapped around a core thread. On our lines the core comes first: dyed in our own house — spun polyester finished to a cotton hand, or viscose where a softer, higher-sheen core is wanted — and the film is wrapped over it. The natural, undyed core is cotton.
Two constructions come off the frames:
- Round zari — film spiralled around the core, giving a rounded, corded metallic thread with depth and body. The classic borders-and-laces zari.
- Flat zari — film laid flat along the core, giving a ribbon-like metallic face that reflects light in planes rather than points. Broader flash per metre.
What generic metallic embroidery thread is
The spools sold as machine metallic thread are usually twisted metallic filament — slit film plied with a support strand — engineered to run through a high-speed embroidery machine without shredding. It is thinner, carries less metal surface per metre than zari, and its whole design brief is machine survival rather than visual weight.
Side by side
| Property | Zari (wrapped core) | Filament metallic |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | Film wrapped over a textile core | Twisted metallic filament |
| Metal presence | High — reads rich at arm's length | Lighter sparkle |
| Body | Corded, substantial | Fine, limp |
| Natural home | Borders, gota work, laces, couching, tassels, rakhi and occasion-wear | High-speed machine embroidery of logos and motifs |
| Handwork | Excellent — made for it | Frays under hand tension |
Which one your work needs
Choose zari when the metal is the point: sari borders and trim, gota and lace work, couched embroidery, tassels with metallic accents, rakhi making, and festive packaging cords. Round zari where you want depth; flat zari where you want maximum flash per metre.
Choose filament metallic when a multi-head embroidery machine is doing dense stitching at speed — that is the job it was built for. It is not our line: our machine embroidery thread runs in rayon/viscose for sheen, and our metallics run as true zari. If your work needs both, the same enquiry covers zari and rayon together.
Ordering zari without back-and-forth
State construction (round or flat), shade (gold, silver, or a core-dyed tone), count or film width if you know it — or send a strand of what you use now — and the metreage. MOQ is 1,000 m per SKU, put-up on reels, spools or hanks, and cut lengths can ship aglet-tipped from the same floor. The full specification and price band are on our zari thread page.
Frequently asked questions
Is zari thread real gold or silver?
Traditional zari historically used real metal on silk; the zari of today's trade — including ours — is metallised polyester film in gold and silver tones wrapped over a textile core. It gives the metallic presence occasion-wear needs at a price production can actually run, and the construction is stated plainly on every quote.
What is the difference between round zari and flat zari?
Round zari spirals the metallic film around the core, giving a corded thread with depth — the classic choice for borders and laces. Flat zari lays the film flat along the core, giving a ribbon-like face that reflects broader planes of light. Both come off our own frames; many buyers run round for structure work and flat where maximum flash per metre matters.
Can zari thread run on an embroidery machine?
Zari is built for handwork, couching and trim-making rather than high-speed machine embroidery — dense machine stitching wants a fine twisted metallic filament designed for that job. On our floor, machine embroidery runs in rayon/viscose and the metallic work runs as true zari; tell us the machine and the work and we will say honestly which thread fits.
What is the minimum order for zari thread?
1,000 metres per SKU, where each shade-and-size combination is its own SKU. Reels, spools and hanks are all standard put-ups, cores are dyed to shade in our own house before wrapping, and every enquiry is quoted within one working day.