Quality vs. Quantity
floral Arrangements
There are six grades of silk flowers, from lowest to the highest quality. Upper quality grades are available to professional florists only, and the ones who know where and how to source. You will not find them in craft or craft chain stores.
Let us first go quickly through the quality grades of artificial flowers in a manner you can relate to:
- dollar stores: grade 1, sometimes 2;
- flea markets: grades 1 and 2;
- craft sections of department stores: grades 2 (mainly) and 3 (sparsely);
- individual and chain craft stores: predominantly grade 3, if grade 4, rarely, and at a high price.
Grades 4, 5 and 6 are professional grades, where realistic look in details, higher quality materials used and better made individual components (of flowers) come into play.
Grade 3 is made out of cheaper materials. Therefore shapes do not hold that well and edges (of petals) frail easily. The color is not uniform due to using cheaper dye lots. The texture and consistency of lower quality materials does not allow recreating details with precision in the manufacturing process.
There is a big difference, in appearance and price, once you move from grade 3 to 4.
Grade 4, made with better materials have a pretty realistic look, with all details recreated well (petals, leaves, stems, joints, thorns, etc.), in thickness, shapes and colors. Shapes do not "limp" and flowers have a natural look in color and texture.
Grade 5 are made with such degree of precision that even natural flaws in fresh flowers are copied. Very close to 100% of botanical accuracy and the most lifelike look.
Grade 6, called new generation/real touch of silk flowers offers the ultimate in quality. Not only the look is ultra realistic, but a feel to the touch is imitated. The texture of the materials is such that when you touch petals, leaves and stems you have a sense of touching fresh flowers.
