Cashmere (the English name for the fibre) or cachemire (the name given in France to the same fibre) is a fine natural textile fibre made from the hair of the Capra Hircus goat.
Its name derives from the historical region of Kashmir, currently divided between the states of India, Pakistan and China, from where Cashmere fiber was exported to Europe since the beginning of the 1800s.
What are the main producers of Cashmere fibre?
The species in the wild has a range that includes various regions including Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Turkestan, Iran, Balochistan, Pakistan and India. It is estimated that around 104 million Cashmere animals are raised worldwide, of which 75 million in China alone.
Even in Europe there are wild populations, introduced by man, in some islands of the central-eastern Mediterranean, such as Crete.
Some populations of domestic goats, which returned to the wild state relatively recently, are present in some European countries such as Great Britain and in Italy they are present on the island of Montecristo and on the island of Caprera, as well as there being some small farms managed in various parts of Italy from Tuscany to the Alps. There are also farms in North America and Australia.
The combing of the undercoat: this is how the Cashmere is collected from the Goat
The hand of cashmere is soft, silky and velvety, giving a warm and soft sensation. The thinnest and finest part is the down of the undercoat and is called duvet, that is, the soft and woolly lower layer; the thickest part with stiff, rough hairs comes from the outer coat and is called giarre.
To collect the precious fiber which will then be transformed into a textile yarn, the undercoat is manually combed during the moulting season, typically at the end of winter and beginning of spring.
How much Cashmere is produced in the world?
It is estimated that the average annual world production of Cashmere is around 5 million kg and China is the leading producer in the world (from 60% to 90% of world production based on seasonal trends), followed by Mongolia, Afghanistan , Iran, India, Pakistan.
What are the main countries that transform Cashmere fiber into clothing?
Although the production of the fiber takes place practically entirely in Asia, the European continent imports 80% of its production and Italy alone represents 60% of the world's imports to supply the fashion industry, an excellence of our production, as also appeared in the article "Italy, the Kingdom of Cashmere " back in 2011. The United Kingdom is the second European importer with a share of around 12% of the total.
Italy, the Kingdom of Cashmere?
Italy is the main European country for the processing of cashmere, not only in the manufacture of finished knitwear products, but also for spinning activities.
The most important companies in the world that work with this fiber with a complete production cycle are based in the Piedmont areas of the Biella and Valsesia areas: from the selection of the fiocco of cashmere (the best one can be recognized by the length of the fibres) until it is transformed into yarn and then into fabric.
Thanks to the purity of the streams found in these areas and the chemical-physical characteristics of their waters, it is possible to process the cashmere obtaining an absolute softness that is difficult to reproduce elsewhere.
It is no coincidence that Lanaioli manages to combine artisan skills and a Made in Italy tradition to tell the story of its brand and the cashmere products made in our country.
Why is Cashmere so precious and expensive?
Production is on average between 100 and 200 grams of fine hair for each adult animal, decidedly modest quantities, which make this fiber not only extremely thin, but also very rare and expensive.
Furthermore, to make a sweater, since the Cashmere yarn is very thin, a length of approximately 6.5 km of thread is required, supplied on average by the production of 3 Capre Hircus.
What is the finest Cashmere?
The most valuable cashmere is the “Two Ply”, the two twisted threads. The thinner the fibers, 14-15 microns , the more sought-after and naturally valuable and expensive they are. The difference between 13 microns and 13.5 microns in terms of cost can be valued even in thousands of euros.
Of course, these are significant prices, but there are lower gauges that can guarantee products of excellent workmanship and more accessible in terms of cost, while maintaining the quality and comfort of this precious natural yarn intact.
What are the most requested and most expensive Cashmere colors?
The most requested color, and the most expensive, is white. Followed by light gray and reddish brown (light brown, dark brown, red and fawn).
How can you always keep a Cashmere garment beautiful?
After purchasing Made in Italy spinning and manufacturing garments, known for their mastery in knitwear, it is important to take care of these precious and exclusive garments. With the right care, they can last for many years.
It is important to keep cashmere garments safe from moths by placing dedicated products in wardrobes and drawers. Garments should be washed carefully in cold water (at most lukewarm) and strictly by hand, using natural soaps . We provide some advice on how to keep your cashmere sweater beautiful and long-lasting on our blog.
Pure Virgin Cashmere or Regenerated Cashmere, what are the differences?
As we wrote in our article on the topic of the differences between Virgin Cashmere and Regenerated Cashmere , these are essentially in the methods of production of the fiber. The pure Cashmere fiber comes from the undercoat of the Capra Hircus and is then sent to the carding, spinning and processing processes in the knitwear laboratories. Regenerated cashmere is obtained by recovering and selecting waste fabrics or garments to transform them into regenerated yarns.
The material is subjected to manual sorting to remove impurities that are not 100% cashmere. It is then chopped into small pieces to obtain a veil of cashmere through carding before being twisted into new yarns.
The result of Regenerated Cashmere is a product that has all the dignity of a Cashmere product. The advantage is that it comes from a sustainable and eco-compatible supply chain and for this reason it can feel or look different than Virgin Cashmere.
