Akungathandabuzeki ukuba isilika yinto entle neyobunewunewu esetyenziswa zizityebi kuluntu. Kwiminyaka edlulileyo, ukusetyenziswa kwayo kwiikhaphethi zemiqamelo, iimaski zamehlo kunye neepijama, kunye nezikhafu kuye kwamkelwa kwiindawo ezahlukeneyo zehlabathi.

Nangona ithandwa kakhulu, bambalwa abantu abaqondayo ukuba amalaphu esilika avela phi.

Ilaphu lesilika laqala ukuveliswa eTshayina yamandulo. Nangona kunjalo, iisampulu zesilika zokuqala eziseleyo zinokufunyanwa xa kukho i-fibroin yeprotein yesilika kwiisampulu zomhlaba ezivela kumangcwaba amabini kwindawo yeNeolithic eJiahu eHenan, ukusukela kwiminyaka yoo-85000.

Ngexesha le-Odyssey, nge-19.233, u-Odysseus, ezama ukufihla ubuwena bakhe, umfazi wakhe uPenelope wabuzwa ngeempahla zomyeni wakhe; wathi wayenxibe ihempe ekhazimla njengesikhumba setswele elomileyo elibhekiselele kumgangatho oqaqambileyo welaphu lesilika.

UBukhosi baseRoma babuyixabisa kakhulu isilika. Ngoko ke bathengisa isilika ebiza kakhulu, eyisilika yaseTshayina.

Isilika yifayibha yeproteni ecocekileyo; izinto eziphambili zefayibha yeproteni yesilika yi-fibroin. Iimbungu zezinye izinambuzane ezithile zivelisa i-fibroin ukuze zenze ii-cocoons. Umzekelo, isilika etyebileyo kakhulu ifunyanwa kwii-cocoons ze-larvae ze-mulberry silkworm ezikhuliswa ngendlela ye-sericulture (ukukhuliswa ngokubanjwa).

Ukufuywa kweempukane zesilika kukhokelele ekuvelisweni kwesilika ngorhwebo. Zihlala zifuywa ukuze kuveliswe umsonto wesilika onombala omhlophe, ongenazo iiminerali ngaphezulu. Okwangoku, isilika ngoku iveliswa ngobuninzi ngeenjongo ezahlukeneyo.