Oriental carpets are unique floor coverings, bringing to your home and environment an opulence borne from centuries of careful craftsmanship and passionate creativity. Many people regard an oriental carpet as an artwork in its own right. Asian weavers create these fine rugs in unique patterns from individually knotted fibers and knowing how to pick a good quality rug is essential if you want to get the most for your money. This type of carpet can be expensive so you really want to take your time and shop carefully. Here are some tips on how to choose an oriental carpet that you can hand down to future generations.

* Take Accurate Measurements for Your Oriental Carpet

The first step is choosing the right oriental carpet for your room and taking accurate measurements helps to avoid mishaps. Measure the floor area carefully and decide if you want your rug to cover the whole floor or if you prefer having a border of, for example, uncovered wooden floors around the edge of your carpet. If you are covering a staircase, measure and count the number of risers.

* Match Your Oriental Carpet with Your Existing Decor

Take a photograph (in good light) of the room where you intend displaying your oriental carpet. Once you are at the store the photograph will help you to match colors and patterns to the existing décor in the room. You may be faced with a choice of geometric, floral, pictorial and decorative designs and become confused as to whether a design you like will work with the rest of the items in your room. A photograph will help you decide.

* Choose the Right Textile for Your Room

Nothing can beat wool carpets for warmth, softness and durability but if the orinetal carpet is more for display and decorative effect and won’t have heavy traffic then you can consider the delicate, luxurious silk carpets – especially if the climate is warm. Remember to know your rug terminology – if a rug is labeled as art silk, it’s actually rayon.

* Ask About the Origin of Your Oriental Rug

Ask the seller about the origin of your oriental carpet. Persia (Iran) is considered the finest producer of oriental rugs in the world. Genuine oriental carpets also come from Afghanistan, China, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Tibet, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Romania, Albania, Morocco and Egypt.

Find out in what area of the applicable country your rug was woven or by whom. Rugs made in Turkey are often deemed of superior quality while the city of Hereke is lauded for its wonderful carpets woven from silk.

* Inspect Your Oriental Carpet

Always inspect your rug before you buy it. Turn it over and look at its colors and the quality of the weave. Artificially aged or ‘washed and painted’ rugs are lighter on the back than in front. This is in contrast to normal fading, in which the back would never be exposed to daylight, while the face of the rug might fade. A washed and painted rug is not ‘fake’ it is just one which has been aged by artificial means.

* Examine the Knot Count of the Oriental Carpet

A higher knot count will create more detail in your oriental carpet. This type of rug will be more long-wearing that ones with lower knot counts but the count can vary by design and the rug’s country of origin. Rugs with higher knot counts fetch an equally higher price per square foot.

* Test Your Rug for Colorfastness

You can test your rug for colorfastness by rubbing a damp cloth over a dark area of the rug. If the color comes off on the cloth, find another retailer, pronto.

* Never Pay Full Price for the Oriental Carpet

When you buy an oriental carpet bargaining for the best price is traditional and expected. Try asking the salesperson to lower his stated price. Rugs sell for upwards of $20 to $75 per square foot. How much you pay largely depends on its country of origin, quality, age and condition.

* Buy Your Oriental Carpet On Approval

If your seller agrees, take the rug home on approval. Get a due-back date in writing and fit the carpet in your room. The time to view the effect of your oriental carpet will help you to see whether the rug matches your room and is pleasing to the eye. It also offers the opportunity to have an expert examine it for authenticity.

* Get Proof of the Oriental Carpet’s Quality and Value

Ask your salesperson for a receipt or provenance for your oriental carpet. Details listed should include a detailed description of the rug, its age, country of origin, and materials, such as silk or wool. If you want to trade it in at a later stage many stores will ask for some details indicating its value.

* Where to Buy an Oriental Carpet

Always shop at a reputable store, where the salespeople are experienced, knowledgeable and helpful. While you may get a good deal at a local sale beware of continuous going-out-of-business sales and traveling hotel-room sales. By all means buy from auction houses but only if they have a solid reputation. If the rugs have no price tags on them find another dealer. Discounts above 20 percent often indicate that the original price of your rug is inflated.

Wilton, Karistan and Couristan brand are machine made rugs in oriental designs, but are not considered oriental rugs. Authentic oriental rugs are never made of nylon or polypropylene.

If you do a lot of traveling or have relatives who do, buy your oriental carpet overseas but be prepared to bargain.

Checklist for Oriental Carpets

* Correct color and pattern * Wool or silk? * Country of origin * Naturally or artificially aged? * High knot count * Price based on quality, origin, age and condition * In-home trial * Trade-in and trade-up policies

The guidelines above are designed to protect you from spending your hard-earned money on an inferior product. There are many on and offline references on oriental carpets and we suggest you do some research to make sure you know as much as possible about this investment before you buy one. This will help you to make an informed decision and choose and oriental carpet that will last you a lifetime.