➪  Wool, Cashmere or Pashmina ?

Differences between wool, cashmere, and pashmina

The word wool is a natural textile produced by sheep, including those living in the Himalayas. It has been used for centuries to make warm and durable clothing.

Cashmere wool, on the other hand, is produced by goats living on the high plateaus of the Himalayas, in the Kashmir region. The master weavers of this region, called Kashmiris, are renowned for their weaving finesse, which has allowed for the creation of this fine wool on traditional wooden looms. Today, cashmere wool is produced worldwide from goats of different origins.

Pashmina wool, on the other hand, is exclusively produced from the long and very fine hairs of the beard and neck of endemic goats living at very high altitudes in the Himalayan mountains. The word "pashmina" comes from the Persian pashmînâh, meaning "warm wool." This superior quality wool is woven by extremely skilled artisans and is considered one of the finest in the world (from 14 to 15 microns, compared to 50 to 75 microns for a human hair). The weaving of a genuine pashmina is therefore very fine, with exceptional fiber quality. Only shatoosh, another high-quality wool, can compete with this fineness (see below for more information on shahtoosh).

Himalayan goats are unique thanks to their particular diet, which gives them a light and beautiful wool. These goats live from 3,000 meters of altitude, feeding exclusively on certain endemic plants to the arid and salty plateaus of the Himalayan mountains, the highest in the world. Each goat produces between 100 and 300 grams of wool per year, the quality of which depends on the altitude at which the animal is raised. The higher the altitude, the higher quality wool the goat will produce to protect itself from the cold. Thanks to their unique environment, these goats produce the most beautiful wools in the world.

Shahtoosh wool, mentioned above, is a fine and rare textile made from the hairs of the neck of the chiru, a Tibetan antelope that is endangered. Its production is illegal, and it is important not to encourage its illegal trade. See the article → What is Shahtoosh Wool ?