About Pashmina

The name ‘Pashmina’ comes from Persian word ‘Pashm’ which means wool. However, over many centuries, Pashmina has come to be known as a special kind of wool which comes from the outer skin of the goats living in the high altitudes of the Himalayas. Pashmina wraps; scarves, stoles, shawls, and throws are hand spun and woven in Nepal and Kashmir in the Indian subcontinent. The pashminas from Kashmir are also known as Cashmere (the changed name of Kashmir) Pashmina. The words Cashmere and Pashmina have come into use as a substitute of each other and also together to express high quality of pashmina wraps.

Mention of pashmina shawls in writing is found between 3rd century BC and the 11th century AD. Zayn-ul-Abidin, the 15th century ruler of Kashmir, is known to be the founder of the pashmina wool industry. He introduced weavers from Central Asia. Cashmere Pashmina shawls have been manufactured in Nepal and Kashmir for hundreds of years.

The goats bearing pashmina fiber are commercially reared in the Himalayas as well as now in Gobi Desert (in Mongolia). The weather conditions in Mongolia are similar to those of the Himalayan region, and are quite suitable for the goats to grow pashmina. Owing to availability of vast open grazing grounds to produce pashmina economically and commercially, production of pashmina in Mongolia costs less than the Himalyas. The quality of pashmina wool obtained from the goats raised in Mongolia is the same as that of the Himalyan goats. Due to ever increasing demad of pashmina and not everyone knowing about the quality of pashmina, quite a few imitations have also appeared in the market. Acrylic and viscose pashmina are two of the most common imitations of pashmina.

The goats shed their winter coat every spring. Approximately 4 to 8 ounces of pashmina fibre is shed by each goat. It takes fibre of two to three goats to make one good quality pashmina shawl or stole. The pashmina fiber which is closer to the body of the goat is of better quality than the one on the outer side.

Pashmina wraps come in two forms; 100% pure and silk blended . Within both categories, the quality of pashmina is dependent on the quality of pashmina fiber. 100% pure pashmina wraps are lighter, softer and warmer than the silk blended pashmina wraps which are also known as silk pashminas. The silk pashmina wraps usually have a blend of 20 to 30% silk and 70 to 80% pashmina. Blending of more silk loses the charming grace of Pashmina and the wrap looks more like a silk wrap.