What is Pashmina Wool?

Pashmina is a type of cashmere wool and the textiles that are made from it. The name comes from Pashmineh, made from Persian word pashm or wool. This wool comes from a special breed of goat indigenous to the Himalayan mountains. The special goat's fleece has been used for thousands of years to make high-quality shawls that also bear the same name. Throughout history, kings, queens and other nobility were the only ones who could afford to have shawls and blankets made from this ultra luxurious fabric. Ancient texts make reference to the fine textiles made from Pashmina and mentions of Pashmina have been found all the way back to the times of Mahabharat.

The Himalayan Mountain goat, Capra hircus, sheds its winter coat every spring and the fleece is caught on thorn bushes. The soft undercoat of the goat is what makes Pashmina so soft, warm and light. One goat sheds approximately 3-8 ounces of the fiber. The soft underbelly fur of approximately twenty goats is needed to make one Pashmina shawl. Entire villages support themselves by scouring the mountainside for the finest fleece to be used. Now, with the popularity of Pashmina all over the world, cottage industries have sprung up and there are many goat farms where the soft underbelly wool of the goats can be more easily harvested.

Pashmina is an indigenous Nepali word which only became popular after the so-named shawls, woven in Nepal, started being popular in the west. What are commonly thought of as Pashminas have their origin in Nepal, where the people have a cultural heritage of hand-weaving Pashmina shawls with the well-known fringing and hand dyeing.

They are known for their softness and warmth. The fine craftspeople of the Kashmiri region of India also work extensively with Pashmina to weave the artistic masterpieces known as Kashmiri shawls. These shawls have been worn by the people of the region for thousands of years. The test of the quality of a Pashmina or Kashmiri shawl has always been the fineness of the shawl. Supposedly, the highest quality Pashmina shawls can pass through a wedding ring.

What is the Difference Between 100% Pashmina Shawls and Pashmina/Silk Blends?

Pure Pashmina is a rather gauzy, open weave, and is very fine and light.. The most popular Pashmina fabric is a 70% Pashmina/30% silk blend, but 50/50 is also common. The 70/30 is tightly woven, has an elegant sheen and drapes nicely, but is still quite soft and light-weight. The highest quality is still 100% Pashmina, which has no synthetic fibers blended with it. There is one online textile art gallery called A Common Thread that sells 100% Pashmina for very low prices, so check them out if you're looking for a good price on high quality pashmina shawls.