Zardozi and dabka — embellishment, not fabric

Zardozi and dabka belong to a family of hand-embroidery techniques worked with metal thread. They are embellishment — surface and construction techniques — and should never be confused with the fabric they are worked into.

Zardozi

Zardozi uses metal threads — traditionally gold or silver — often raised over padding beneath the work to create a dimensional, sculpted effect. Because the thread is firm and the technique deliberate, zardozi tends to be worked in contained motifs and borders rather than sprawling across a surface.

Dabka

Dabka is the lighter, finer cousin. It uses a thin twisted metal wire, yet still worked by hand into tight, regular patterns. It sits closer to the surface than zardozi, catching light in smaller, more evenly distributed notes.

Both are frequently combined with resham — silk-thread embroidery — for depth, and both are applied to a fabric underneath that may be chiffon, organza, net or silk. The material is what the garment is made of; the technique is what is worked into it. The Curated Pret taxonomy keeps the two separate for exactly this reason.