If you want to know about Pure Cashmere or Pure Pashmina then you have come to the right place.
What is Difference between Cashmere and Pashmina?
Cashmere and Pashmina are words used for same type of wool. As per our knowledge, pashmina is the original word used in Asia specially in India , China, Tibet, Pakistan and Nepal. In U.S, U.K and other European countries Cashmere is more popular, so most of us might have listened Cashmere word more than Pashmina. But currently, pashmina word is also getting popular in U.K and other European countries. Few sources consider Cashmere as more pure than pashmina, in reality there is no difference between pashmina and cashmere. Both refer to same type of wool. But to get feel of Real and Pure Cashmere or Pashmina, you should buy 100% pure Cashmere products. In questions below we will refer to Pashmina and Cashmere words alternatively so these words means same on this page.
What is Cashmere or Pashmina?
Pashmina goats are found only in very high altitude areas. Pashmina is the fine undercoat grown by these animals to save them from very low winter temperature in these high altitude areas.Goats shed pashmina in spring, which is combed off them and collected. Average goat yields 450-500 grams of pashmina in its raw form. This is then processed to produce Cashmere or Pashmina yarn.Pure Cashmere is very soft and very warm wool. Tibetan Cashmere is considered the best in world due to its long fiber. This type of cashmere wool can also be found in Mongolia. With increasing awareness among people about cashmere, new areas in world are emerging which also claim to produce very high quality and pure cashmere or pashmina. Kazakhstan is among those emerging markets.Must Know Things If you want to buy Pure Cashmere
What cashmere or pashmina is used for?
Initially in India, Nepal, China, Pakistan and other Asian countries, cashmere was only used for manufacturing shawls or stoles. Pure Cashmere products are quite popular in India. But with Cashmere becoming popular in other countries, now a days it is used to manufacture almost any kind of clothes like sweaters, socks etc.
What you should look for before buying any item made from Cashmere?
- Make sure you buy 100% pure cashmere.Generally when you go to many high street stores or supermarkets or most of web shops, you will find items marked as cashmere. Look at the labels to find out how much % of cashmere or pashmina is there in that product. Sometimes its just 10-20% of cashmere. There is no use of buying such product if you want to feel touch of pure cashmere. Some sell 70% pashmina and 30% silk to reduce price. Make sure how much pashmina or cashmere is present in product before you buy. If you want to buy something which keeps you warm in winter and which is very soft then go for 100% Pure Cashmere.
- How product is manufactured?Try finding if pure pashmina scarf, stole, shawl is woven using machines or if they are Hand Knitted. It is important to know that hand woven and hand knitted pashmina scarves are manufactured in different ways. Hand Woven means it is manufactured using some traditional machines, in India these machines are called KHADDIs which needs to be operated by hand instead of automatic weaving machines. Hand knitted means it is knitted by someone by hand and no machines are used. Hand knitted products look different from woven in their design.
- Check return policy of shop from where you are buying. Can you rely on it if product is not good or can you return it if you are not satisfied.
- What kind of colors they use to color Cashmere Products? Cashmere Products generally look beautiful with or without color. But coloring pure cashmere wool sometimes damages delicacy of cashmere fabric. To get feel of pure and real cashmere we suggest that you try natural colored Cashmere which does not use any artificial colors.
- You need to know why some shops are selling Cashmere at low prices? Have a look at next point for detailed information.
How people are selling it for very cheap prices?
The word pashmina (cashmere) has been used and abused for years and most of what is sold as pashmina (cashmere) in the market is usually highly adulterated. Tibet (Controlled by China these days) is one of biggest exporters of pashmina (cashmere) . It is a multi million dollar business. Chinese authorities collect pashmina or cashmere from Tibetean NOMADS at very low prices. Pashmina (cashmere) wool can be adulterated with very fine lambswool at processing units so that it gets mixed up. It is impossible to tell difference, unless the yarn is tested in a micron testing laboratory. By this way both NOMADS and customers are exploited. This explains why so called pashmina shawls are available for £20-30 and scarves from £15-£25. Cost of pure pashmina yarn is £70 / Kg, and it takes 250-500gms of pashmina to weave a shawl and then labour costs also add up to cost of shawl/stole/scarf.So if you are finding pashmina (cashmere) shawls, scarves at very low prices, beware of those shops and websites. Make sure you are buying pure cashmere. Only after getting 100% pure cashmere you can feel softness and warmth of cashmere. Most of products which are said to be cashmere are mixed with silk and sometimes you might not even see description to check if its 100% cashmere.
How you can be sure that what you buy from us is pure?
We have chosen our manufacturers after examining how they acquire cashmere wool and how they produce their products. Most of our cashmere products are produced in Scotland. Our manufacturers directly buy cashmere from nomads in Tibet and Mongolia which means our cashmere is not adulterated. Also our manufacturer pays fair price to Nomads, this make sure that everybody in this chain starting from nomad to manufacturer (including persons working with manufacturer) gets paid fair price. We want you to feel warmth, softness and design of our Cashmere before deciding to buy cheap products from somewhere else. If you already have scarf made from pashmina from someone else as soon as you receive our product you will find what a pure cashmere or pashmina is and how warm and soft it is to skin.
Being researched so much about cashmere and visiting various people, we have got good insight into cashmere trade. This also helps us to provide you best Cashmere or pashmina.If you need any information in general about Cashmere, how it is produced etc, You are also welcome to contact us on enquiry@lovarzi.co.uk or by calling us at 08456529519
