Real zari
Zari made with real silver, gilded with a thin layer of gold, wound on a silk thread.
Also: pure zari, gold zari, silver zari
Real zari is made by drawing silver into a fine wire, flattening it to a thin strip, and winding the strip tightly round a silk thread. The silver is plated with a thin coating of gold. The result is a thread that shines warmly, is heavy and costs a lot. Surat in Gujarat is a main source of zari thread. Real zari is used in expensive Kanchipuram, Banarasi and Paithani sarees and in heirloom pieces. Silver slowly tarnishes, so old real zari darkens, and the thread is kept dry and wrapped in soft cloth. Old zari sarees were once sold for the value of their metal.