Pashmina Wool Fibers

Pashmina is another name for Cashmere

Pashmina fibre is a downy undercoat of the Capra Hircus Laniger goats that live in the Trans-Himalayan regions including Ladakh, Mongolia, Iran, Afghanistan, and some parts of central Asia. It is one of the most precious and versatile animal fibres. A large variety of luxury goods – both knitted and woven — are produced from it. Ladakh produces less than 1% of the world’s total raw Cashmere, but it’s the finest in the world.

The long-staple Ladakhi Cashmere has a fibre length well suited for hand spinning, and a diameter ideal for knitwear. A symbol of luxury and elegance, Pashmina has always been the love and desire of women all around the world. To own a Pashmina is to experience royalty! Only a woman can explain the worth and excellence that a Pashmina Shawl beholds. Pashmina shawls and hijabs have been treasured for their expensive material and reminiscent designs since time immemorial.

Difference Between Cashmere and Pashmina

Cashmere shawls are being made in Kashmir and Nepal for thousands of years. Both, the Pashmina and Cashmere shawls are derived from mountain sheep. The main difference between them is the diameter of the fibre. The Pashmina fibres are finer and thinner than the cashmere ones and, therefore, ideal for making lightweight apparel like fine scarve.

Well to be fair enough to check the originality of pashmina is a very difficult job, only an experienced person can differentiate between a real one and a fake one. I can give you the characteristics of pashmina, which may help you.

• First thing Pashmina is the Superior Quality of Wool after Shahtoosh,
• Superiority depends upon the capability of certain fabric to give out Warmth,
• Pashmina is the Down hair of Chegu (Changthani), an antelope who live in Changthang plateau of the Kashmir region, where the temperature drops to -40 degree Celsius.
• The Thickness of pashmina yarn should be 11 to 12.5 Microns, below11 microns is shahtoosh and above 12.5 microns is cashmere.
• For a perfect Pashmina Shawls it needs to be Handmade if it is not handmade please Don’t call it Pashmina.
• A Good Quality Pashmina Shawl must weight +/- 200 gm.
• The tight weave of a shawls makes it durable for a lifetime.

Making of pashmina shawls

The wool collected every spring before the goat grows a new coat each winter is cleaned. Combing separates the hard and soft fibres. Then on the Charkha, it is carefully handspun. The wool merchant separates the yarn for use as warp and weft. For a colourful Shawl, the Rangur (dyer) at this stage would see the yarn arriving at his door. After dyeing, the hanks of wool morph into bobbins and are made ready for warping.