Due to the existence of archaeological finds it has been proven that different kinds of precious metals have been used - in addition to several fields of life - to decorate our textiles for representation purposes. In my thesis I examine the different metal fibres from a morphological, technical and manufacturing point of view. Furthermore I survey silks, a particular group of textiles woven with metallic threads along major centres, technical procedures, and historical factors influencing the evolution of patterns. In my thesis, I also cover innovative textiles of the 21st century, which owe their special functions to their metal content.