As Moroccan rugs have become popular, so have cheap machine-made copies. Here's how to tell a genuine handwoven Berber rug from a fake before you spend your money.
1. Feel the material
Real Moroccan rugs are made from 100% natural sheep wool. It feels soft, warm and slightly textured. Fakes are often synthetic (polypropylene) and feel slick, shiny or plasticky.
2. Look at the back
Turn the rug over. A handwoven rug shows the pattern on the back with slightly irregular, hand-tied knots. A machine-made rug has a perfectly uniform back, often with a glued mesh or fabric backing.
3. Embrace the imperfections
Genuine rugs have small variations — a line that isn't perfectly straight, a motif that shifts slightly. These are the fingerprints of a human weaver. If everything is flawlessly symmetrical, it's likely machine-made.
4. Check the dyes
Authentic rugs use natural, plant-based dyes (madder root, indigo, henna, walnut) that have depth and mellow beautifully over time. Synthetic dyes look flat and uniform.
5. Ask about origin
A real seller can tell you the region, the tribe and often the weaver. Every OwnCrafted rug is handwoven in Oued Zem, Morocco, and ships with a heritage card bearing the weaver's name and region.
6. Buy direct when you can
Buying directly from the makers avoids resellers, guarantees authenticity and gets you a fairer price. It also means your money supports the artisans who wove the rug.
Buy with confidence
Every OwnCrafted rug is 100% natural wool, handwoven to order, signed by its weaver and shipped worldwide. Browse our authentic Moroccan rugs.