Checkmate “King Of Cashmere”
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Pashmina is the most noble cashmere.
The word pashmina is derived from the persian word “pashminah” which means wool.
Pashmina is harvested from the capra hircus (or Changthangi) goat’s light winter undercoat. It is delicate and softest in the neck (particularly below the throat) and stomach area.
This goat lives under extreme conditions and is therefore collected at the foothills of the Himalayas, especially in Ladakh.
One “Changra goat” produces 150gm of pashmina/year. When it loses its winter fur, it is combed to gather the fine silkier hair which is of high quality.
While a cashmere fiber has diameter less than 19 microns, pashmina is much less than 16 microns.
Mostly worn by men, pashmina shawls were once a privilege and only worn by kings.
Owing to the softness of the wool, a hand-spun pashmina stole takes several days to create, sometimes even months.
Last but not the least, this “diamond” wool is synonymous with luxury, since time immemorial….
