If you’re going to make one outrageous impulse buy while you’re in Abu Dhabi, make it a carpet. More and more artisans are leaving this dying art for better-paying jobs, which means carpets handmade by experts won’t ever get any cheaper. Because supply is decreasing and costs of materials and transportation are increasing, too, these unlikely investments are almost certain to appreciate in value; some carpets have tripled in value over the last four or five years, so consider them heirloom purchases that you can hand down to your children.

Leslie Rodrigues of the Oriental Carpet House and Antiques explains the factors that should determine the price of any carpet you purchase. But bear in mind that when it comes to carpets, beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.

Material
One of the main indicators of the quality of a carpet is the material from which it’s made. In general, traditional carpets are made from 100 percent pure wool, 100 percent pure silk, or a wool/silk blend. These materials will be fashioned on a base made of either cotton or wool.
You can tell the difference because the fringe along the short ends of a cotton-based carpet will be white, while the fringe at the short ends of a wool-based carpet will be dark beige.
The type of material you choose depends on how you intend to use the carpet. Wool is more practical for heavy traffic areas, while cotton is cheaper but not as durable. Silk is the strongest of the materials, but is very expensive—you would probably display a silk carpet on a wall or only use it for special occasions.
If you decide on wool, be aware that the type of wool varies too. Carpets from the subcontinent generally use posh wool from the back of the sheep; this wool is drier and not as durable or as high in quality. Persian carpets use kork wool, the soft water-resistant wool from the underside of the neck and chest of the sheep.

Density
The other main indicator of quality is the number of knots per square inch. Like computer pixels, the higher the density of knots, the more detailed the pattern can be. More intricate designs are more expensive.
A single-knotted carpet can provide higher definition and more detail. Silk carpets are almost always single-knotted; and while these carpets are very durable and strong, the cost of these pieces is so high they would probably not be the ones you’d put in a high-traffic area of your home—instead, you’d be more likely use to these as decorative rugs, or perhaps prayer rugs.
A double-knotted carpet is more durable and more practical for regular use.

Origin
Though the quality of the material and the density of the knotting are the main determinants in the cost of a carpet, other factors will have some bearing as well. The origin of the carpet is one of these secondary indicators of price.
Iranian/Persian carpets are the most popular worldwide. You can get carpets from Pakistan and India for a third of the price, but they won’t have the same resale value.
Certain areas of Iran also produce preferred traditional designs and quality, notably Heriz and Tabriz in the northwest. Others areas to look for include the Bijar, Qum, Kashan, Nain, and Isfahan regions in the central part of the country.
The nomads of Iran, especially the tribal wanderers of the Kurdistan, Luristan, and Qasheai regions, also produce much-loved carpets.

Manufacture
There’s something especially charming about anything that’d been made by hand; but when it comes to carpets, handmade also means better quality. Why? If a single knot somehow comes loose in a handmade carpet, you’ll lose that one knot. If a single knot in a machine-made carpet comes
loose, however, the entire row of stitching will unravel.
Some handmade carpets are woven by families in villages, others are made in master workshops. Different families and workshops have specific traditional designs unique to them, giving their carpets a degree of individuality.
You can tell the difference because family carpets include a signature—the family’s name in Arabic—woven into the carpet itself. That personal touch can add to the value of the carpet and in another 50 years, when handmade carpets are even harder to come by than they are today, that signature may contribute to a
higher value.

Choose your dealer
A reputable dealer should be able to produce a certificate of authenticity indicating the type of material used, the amount of density, the area of origin, the name of the family (if applicable), and the style of manufacture.

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