Ngokungathandabuzekiyo isilika sisixhobo esihle nesisetyenziswa zizityebi ekuhlaleni. Ukutyhubela iminyaka, ukusetyenziswa kwayo kwimiqamelo, iimaski zamehlo kunye neepajama, kunye nezikhafu kuye kwamkelwa kwiindawo ezahlukeneyo zehlabathi.

Phezu kwako nje ukuthandwa kwawo, bambalwa abantu abaqondayo ukuba avela phi amalaphu esilika.

Ilaphu lesilika laqala ukwenziwa kwiTshayina yaMandulo. Nangona kunjalo, iisampulu zesilika zokuqala ezisindileyo zinokufunyanwa kubukho beprotein yesilika kwisampulu zomhlaba ukusuka kumangcwaba amabini kwindawo yeNeolithic eJiahu eHenan, eqala ngo-85000.

Ngexesha lika-Odyssey, i-19.233, i-Odysseus, ezama ukufihla ubuni bakhe, umfazi wakhe uPenelope wabuzwa ngempahla yomyeni wakhe; wathi wayenxibe ihempe emenyezelayo njengolusu lwetswele elomisiweyo libhekisela kumgangatho okhazimlayo welaphu lesilika.

UBukhosi baseRoma babuxabise kakhulu isilika. Ngoko barhweba ngeyona silika inexabiso eliphezulu, isilika yaseTshayina.

Isilika yiprotein fiber ecocekileyo; ezona nxalenye ziphambili zeproteni yesilika yifibroin. Imibungu yezinye izinambuzane ivelisa i<em>fibroin ukuze yenze amaqomboloko. Ngokomzekelo, eyona silika ityebileyo ifunyanwa kumaqokobhe ombungu wesilika we-mulberry okhuliswa ngendlela ye-sericulture (ukukhulisa ngokubanjwa).

Ukukhuliswa kombungu wesilika kwakhokelela ekubeni kwenziwe isilika. Ngokuqhelekileyo zifuyelwa ukuvelisa intambo yesilika enombala omhlophe, engenazo iiminerali phezu komhlaba. Okwangoku, isilika ngoku iveliswa ngobuninzi beenjongo ezahlukeneyo.