Where Cashmere Wools Orignate

Production of cashmere or pashmina shawls used to be restricted only to the area of Kashmir under colonial British India. The British colonial authorities controlled the trade in cashmere wool and fabrics because it is a unique garment product not to be found anywhere else in the world. The pashmina fabric is derived from the fine undercoat fibres (as opposed to the outer coarser hair) of the domesticated cashmere goat. The fibres back then used to be imported wholly from Tibet and Tartary (the people are called as Tartars who are of Mongol descent) via Ladakh (a region in northern India famous for its mountain beauty views and heavily influenced by Tibetan culture and is often called as “Little Tibet”) for production into shawls at British Kashmir. It was a thriving but heavily regulated cottage industry.

Places where the cashmere goats breed and thrive are located in the remote regions at high altitudes prone to extremely cold temperatures. It is no wonder that the cashmere goats have developed this type of wool that is warm when worn that provides excellent protection against cold despite its light weight. It is surprisingly very soft that gives a natural insulation without the necessary bulk. It is similar to silk in lightness but is far superior when providing insulation against cold. Artificial breeding of the goats is done in colder regions of China and Mongolia as well as in India, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. In fact, cashmere or pashmina shawls are so fine and soft they are also called as "ring shawls" because a big piece of shawl can easily pass through a small ring. Goats are also breed in Mongolian grassland properties.