If you want to know more about Pure Cashmere or Pure Pashmina then you have come to right place.

What is Difference b/w 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 these countries still pashmina is more popular word. In past years Pashmina has been marketed in some countries like U.S, U.K and others as Cashmere, 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 treat Cashmere as more pure than pashmina, in reality there is no difference between pashmina and cashmere. Both refer to same type of wool. But few people have used these names according to there own understanding. 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 also can 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, its now a days 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. Please make sure how much % of cashmere or pashmina is there in that product. Sometimes its just 10-20% of cashmere in their products. 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. Be sure before you buy how much pashmina or cashmere is present in product. 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 hands knitted pashmian scarves are manufactured in different ways. Hand Woven means its manufactured using some traditional machines, in India these machines are called are called KHADDIs which needs to be operated by hand instead of automatic weaving machines. While when pashmina scarf is hand knitted, it means it is knitted by someone by hand and no machines are used. Hand knitted products looks different from woven in their design and makes sure you stand out from crowd when you wear them. Hand knitted products being produced using manual process, means that they need more work by someone who knits it. You can see difference between Hand Knitted and Hand Woven pashmina scarf by visiting our pages on pashminas. You can see yourself how hand knitted pashmina scarf stand out from one which is hand woven by using machines which are hand operated.
  • 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 looks 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 will suggest that you try natural colored Cashmere which does not uses 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 I 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. Also it is sad to say that there are lot of manufacturers in India, China, Pakistan, Tibet,Nepal and other third world countries who do not pay fair price to people working there. So we think all Pashmina, Cashmere sellers should make sure that they are buying from businesses in third world countries who pay fair price to people working there. Buyers should be aware of this when they buy pashmina or cashmere products from any shop, make sure the shop is paying fair price to people involved in manufacturing these beautiful products. Otherwise we might be here wearing cheap cashmere while people who actually produced those beautiful products might be living in poverty.

How you can be sure that what you buy from us (uniqLooks) is pure?

We have chosen our manufacturers after examining how they acquire cashmere wool and how they produce their products. Our Manufacturers directly buy cashmere from nomads in Tibet, 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 have 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. We also visit our manufacturers in India at least once a year to make sure that the people who work at their premises get fair value for their skills and are working in healthy environment.

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 its produced etc, You are also welcome to contact us on enquiry@uniqlooks.com or through our contact page or by calling us at 08456529519

Click here to go to our Hand Knitted Cashmere Scarf page