Italian silk scarves

ELIZABETTA • ABOUT CASHMERE/PASHMINA

Cashmere:

Cashmere is a luxury fabric, very soft and warm.

Cashmere originally came from the soft downy undercoat of the cashmere goat from the Kashmir province of India. The diameter of the fiber must be under 19 microns to be classified as cashmere (human hair has a diameter of 75 microns). Today there are more than 60 breeds of goats in 12 countries that produce fibers of less than 19 microns. The finest quality cashmere still comes from the cashmere goat and the higher the elevation where they live, the finer the wool. Most of these Goats live in China, Mongolia and Tibet. In the spring, herders climb the mountains to comb the downy undercoat of the shedding goats. The fibers are then separated and cleaned of dirt and coarse fibers. Because it is so fine, it must be spun by hand into yarn.

Old hand weaving loom

It takes one goat three years to produce enough wool to make one shawl!

Pashmina is a greatly misused term. It comes from the Persian word “pashm” which means “wool” In fact, cashmere and pashmina refer to wool from the same goat, except pashmina is the very finest of the separated wool, having a diameter of 12-14 microns, and the goats mostly live in the highest altitudes in Kashmir and Tibet.

Cashmere is frequently combined with silk to add to the garments strength.

	Cashmere is warmer than wool.
	Cashmere does not itch.
	Cashmere drapes beautifully and is lightweight.
	Cashmere dyes exceptionally well, and the color is permanent.