How to Tell Authentic Persian Handicrafts from Imitations
Real Minakari is colored glass enamel fired onto copper, baked multiple times at high heat so the colors set permanently; on genuine pieces, the colors are even and glossy, and the painted edges have a slight raised texture. Fakes are usually printed and flat, and the color dulls quickly with light wear. Khatam marquetry works the same way: authentic Khatam is made from tiny hand-cut pieces of wood, bone, and metal assembled together; if the geometric pattern is perfectly smooth with no irregularity at all, it is probably a printed sheet, not handmade.
Caring for it after it arrives
Keep Minakari pieces out of direct sunlight, since the colors fade with prolonged light exposure. Wooden Khatam pieces should stay away from humidity, or the wood segments can start to separate.
Why these ship insured
Since these items are fragile, they are packed with dedicated cushioning, and shipping insurance is built into the price, so if anything is damaged in transit, it gets covered.
Why this gift means something different for Iranians in every country
Authentic Persian handicrafts are hard to find at Iranian stores abroad, because most of what gets sold as "Persian handicraft" in Los Angeles, Toronto, or London is either a printed, machine-made import or priced several times higher than the original inside Iran. Ordering directly through Soughat Shop means what a craftsman in Isfahan or Shiraz actually made by hand reaches your family directly, whether you are ordering from the US, Canada, the UK, or Australia.
Payment
You pay from abroad in USDT, Bitcoin, or Solana; we handle safe sourcing and delivery inside Iran.
