Pashmina, derived from the persian word for wool is popularly known in the west as cashmere wool from the old spelling of kashmir. The wool is derived from the particular goat called capra - hircus also known as chyangra found at higher altitudes more than 14000ft in himalayas. The temperature there goes down to minus 400 c the goat survives at this temperature due to best thermo conductivity of the wool. The hair of the wool is very fine and is 15 microns less than that of the human hair. Which makes it very soft and warm. The wool is found in the under belly of the goat. The original colour of pashmina is white and earthy tones. But it can be dyed in varieties of colours. Different wools and fibres are oven together to give sheen and shine to the stole and shawls silks are added to give strength and sheen to the stole and shawls. Infact, the older the pashmina shawl gets, it becomes the softer and more valuable pashminas measuring around 1.2 mts in size are 20 times that they can be folded to the size of nuplen. Pashmina shawls are so light, soft and warm that kasmiris are said to use them for hatching eggs.
