The Pashmina Story

PASHMINA is superior quality Cashmere and is also known as the “Diamond Fibre” and the “Soft Gold of Asia”. It is the finest , softest and warmest wool found in nature, which comes from the underbelly of Capra Hircus goat (Ibex), found in the remote regions of the Himalayas at about 14,000 feet above sea level.  The goat grows a thin inner coat of hair that insulates them during the long harsh winters and it is this long silky hair which is used to produce PASHMINA.
 
The size of the fibre is 1/6th the diameter of a human hair.  Every summer the herders collect the under-fur from the goats and after cleaning and spinning, Pashmina (Cashmere) yarn is produced.  From one goat, only 4-8 ounces of the Pashmina can be produced in a year.  It takes the annual growth of three goats to produce one Pashmina shawl.  These goats are not harmed in the process of Pashmina production, as it is collected after being shed naturally.

The yarn is then transferred to the Weavers and unlike mass produced products, handmade Nepalese Pashminas created on hand looms may have small irregularities in weave and texture.  These authenticate its origins and are a mark of a truly handmade article which has taken many people, many hours to create.
 
The regal texture and warmth of this fine fabric enchanted Ladies of the 18th Century Court in France and St. Petersburg, as well as Mogul Emperors.  Napoleon may have started the Pashmina fashion when he presented a Pashmina Shawl to his wife.  Two hundred years later Pashmina remains an essential part of the fashionable wardrobe, attesting to the durability and appeal of this classic accessory.
 
The unique quality of Pashmina products is that it becomes softer with each use, making it gentler on the skin.  These precious jewels last a lifetime and have been handed down from generation to generation in Nepal and throughout the world.