Since it was first processed in China, silk thread has been used in embroidery for more than 5000 years. Silk is an animal fiber made from the viscous fluid of the silkworm. Originally, silkworm cocoons were collected from trees. In 2640 B.C., a Chinese Empress discovered that if a silk cocoon was placed in hot water to soften the natural glue or sericin (holds the cocoon together), then a silk cocoon could be unwound and stretched into a long filament. Fo Xi, China is first Emperor, taught the Chinese people to cultivate mulberry trees and raise silkworms.

Handmade jewelry (or handmade jewellery) is jewelry which has been assembled and formed by hand rather than through the use of machines. This means that jewelry may be made using drills, lathes, or other machinery, but it must be guided by the human hand.Today, with the rising interest in natural fibers, embroiderers acknowledge silk for its practical and lustrous qualities.

The translucent cellular structure of silk allows it to absorb dyes and to reflect light to a high degree, giving the finished product a pure color and a beautiful luster. When worked in specialty stitches and laid properly, silk has a bright sheen unrivaled by other threads. Due to the different cellular structures of silk and cotton, for example, silk is very smooth while cotton is fuzzy.