Exporters of beautiful pashminas to USA, Canada, UK, Germany, Italy, France, Japan, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Venezuela, Austria, Holland, Finland, Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Russia, Denmark, Norway, Hong Kong, Philipines, Taiwan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Turkey, Iran, Dubai.......

PASHMINA

Pashmina is made from the finest cashmere wool in the world. It is combed from the underside of the Himalayan Mountain Goat, which are indigenous to the mountains of Central Asia. Pashmina has been valued for centuries throughout Asia and the Middle East, and the wonderful qualities of pashmina are now making it just as popular in the West. Please rest assured that no animals are harmed in the making of pashmina. Our pashmina shawls are remarkably soft and light, considering how much warmth they provide. Our customers tell us how much they love their shawls, and we know you will receive many compliments when you wear them

What is Pashmina ?

Pashmina wool, also known as the softest, most luxurious and the best pashm wool in the world. It comes from Himalayan region as finest Kashmiri wool which is derived at the altitude of 12000 to 14000 ft. where temperature goes down up to-40 degree centigrade. THE THERMOCONDUCTIVITY OF THE WOOL IS BEST IN THE WORLD as it survives the animal AT -40 degree centigrade far below ZERO TEMPERATURES in virgin pollution free climate of the world. Blessed by nature with a unique very thin short inner coat of hair which is the best insulation in the world and this inner coat of hair is PASHMINA. The animal is survived because of this nature gifted hair. Pashmina fibre is less than 15-19 microns in thickness making it very soft (whereas human hair is 75 microns thick) one pashm produces 3 to 8 ounces of Pashmina per year. Origin of Pashmina dates back to ancient civilization . Earlier in olden days Pashmina shawls found favour with EMPERORS, KINGS, PRINCES, RULERS and NOBLES. This precious fabric was known as FIBRE FOR KINGS. Now this royal luxury is being offered in wide variety of shawls, stoles, scarves and sweaters. These luxurious pashmina shawls are hand woven by traditional weavers whose families have been in the occupation since ages and they inherit this art from their ancestors, and tradition of this art continues from one generation to another generation. Golden International presents shawls, stoles, scarves, throws and wraps in Pure pashmina wool and in Silk-pashmina in all possible colors, in plain, with embroidery work, bead work and in printed. Pure pashmina sweaters are also available.

Pashmina History

The beautiful vale of Kashmir has always been famed for its craftsmanship. The weaving of tapestry shawls was first introduced into the valley from Turkistan by Zain - ul-Abdin, the ruler of Kashmir, in the 15th century. Production benefitted from the patronage of the Mughal rulers like Akbar and his successors, who wore these shawls, and also because of patronage of local government.
The collapse of the Mughal Empire left many weavers unemployed. The situation however, was saved by the enormous increase in demand from Europe, where the shawls became popular in the latter part of the 18th century.
At the beginning of the 19th century, foreign entreprenures started to commission shawls especially for the French market, adapting the designs to suit European taste. Indeed Pashmina became the rage in France after Napoleon presented a rare shawl to Empress Josephine. With the progress of the century, the adaptation in designs became increasingly complex. The European market for shawls collapsed in 1870 due to a combination of factors such as changing tastes and competition from Paisley shawls. The economic prostration of France when she was defeated by Prussia added to the declining European market. The Kashmiri weavers either left the valley for Punjab or started producing embroidered shawls for tourists, mainly British officers on furlough in colonised India.
Today Kashmiri shawls are embroidered by professional men. Lately, the American market has opened to Pashmina as Americans discovered its plush, soft texture. Fashion gurus now pronounce it as essential to the wardrobe as the ubiquitous little black dress.

Pashmina Definition

"Pashmina" is the Persian word for pashm meaning finest wool fibre, the "soft gold" king of fibers. Every summer, Himalayan farmers climb the mountains to comb the fine woolen undercoat from the neck and chest of, himalayan mountain pashm, not to be confused with the endangered Tibetan antelope that is killed to produce shatoosh shawls. To survive the freezing 14,000 ft-altitude environment, grows a unique, incredibly soft pashm, inner coat, six times finer than human hair. Because it is only 14-19 microns in diameter, it cannot be spun by machines, so the downy wool is hand-woven into shawls for export, predominantly to America and Europe. Although they have been popular with aristocracy in Southern Asia since the 15th Century, pashmina sales in the West suddenly took off in 1998 when designers in London, Paris and New York started to include them in their fashion collections. Since then the growing demand has helped push the price down to an affordable level.

Cashmere Definition

Too much confused and afraid of popularity of Pashmina as a thing of east and bugged by its undying demand some companies to make huge profits and confining the goods to their own registered CASHMERE as a trade mark item for their own use and benefits and to make it highly expensive out of reach of people as copyright and monopoly business
defined their own defination as a thing of west and to restrict the entry of Pashmina into west by its own definations to make huge profits
for a 100 USD pashmina shawl to sell at 1000 USD as cashmere without any value addition.

Pashmina Quality

Increasingly sought-after by stylish women of all ages who recognize the elegance of these shawls - a well-chosen Pashmina can transform the simplest attire into the most chic ensemble - and appreciate their practicality and versatility as a snug muffler, coat or blanket.
Most department stores and designers retail scarves woven from 100 percent genuine fiber or blended with silk. But beware of fake "ordinary wool" garments masquerading as pashmina on sale in less reputable shops.
This luxurious accessory can also be purchased on the internet. We at Golden International sell pashmina through our online shoping website (http://www.pashminagolden.com).
"A pashmina is worn close to the face and the color must suit each persons skin tone". The colors that are particularly fashionable this season are shades of purple; from pale lilac to a deep violet shade of prune. Pashmina trends this year are slightly ethnic embrodiery and pleats. Due to the timeless and seasonless versatility of the pashmina, many women opt for a classic color that can be worn season after season, perennial favorites include pink-pale shades through to bright fuchsia-butter yellow, white and, of course, jet black.
It takes the wool from four and over 200 man-hours (spinning, weaving, dying and decorating,) to make just one pashmina shawl. Hand-spinning the wool for a single pashmina takes 15 days, so naturally the labor-intensive production is reflected in the price.

Pashmina Prices

The price of a Pashmina may range anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several thousands of dollars, depending upon the micron fineness and craftsmanship, rare fiber availability and time factor involved in its creation. International prices are 300-100 $ per pcs but we offer it at 50-300 $ as we are manufacturers, a factory direct out let, weavers with in plant complete manufacturing till finished product. We buy pashmina from pashmina rearers of goat in Tibet and Kashmir at the time of year when prices are lowest.

Choosing Pashmina

When choosing a pashmina it is important to check whether the piece is 100 percent pashmina or if it has been blended with silk. We recommend either 100 percent or a 70/30 percent silk blend. Prefer a 2-ply pashmina as it drapes well and it suitable for climate up to 2-3 degree. Below freezing temperatures, very old person, real warm envelope prefer a 4 ply pashmina or blanket. It is 4 times the weight of 1 ply. 1 ply is best for summers, with temperature 30 degree plus. Wear a pashmina according to your height. A 5 feet lady should wear a stole of 30x80 inches or 75x200 cms and up to 5.5 inches a shawl of 90x200 cms But taller one should buy a 125x250 cms. Since we have our own manufacturing unit we are able to sell the same top quality products at affordable prices.

Kashmiri Embroidery

Kashmiri embroidery, called kasida, is varied, rich in colour and elaborate in details and exquisite in execution. The finest Kasida work in shawls has no 'wrong' side. Connoisseurs set great value to the embroidery that displays similar fineness of work on both sides of the shawl. The kasida pattern are drawn freely by the naqqash (the designer) mostly from memory. These are inspired by the sparkling lakes, the broad curves of the Jhelum, the breath- taking colours of the skies at sunrise and sunset over the mountains. The naqqash also draws upon poetic fancies and religious or philosophical themes, portraying them in the designs. The common motifs include floral borders, paisley, chinar leaves and buta cones.
The softer-than-Cashmere texture, the wool which grows soft with use, the countless hours of painstaking work that go into making each shawl, make the fabric very special. The Pashmina has a superbly textural feel, drapes beautifully, feels soft, warm and light to the touch and will serve a user well for years. Its timeless patterns remain eternally in vogue. In the Indian sub- continent, Pashmina are passed down from one generation to another.
To the credit of the traditional shawl-makers of Kashmir, the fine Pashmina has not been made successfully elsewhere although attempts have been made by other countries to replicate this craft, developed into an art form by the Kashmiris. The wool offers light weight insulation without bulk. The fibers are highly adaptable and appropriate for all climates. A high moisture content allows insulation to change with the relative humidity of atomsphere.

Pashmina Shawls, Stoles, Scarves

As winter approaches, we all dig into our closet for the tired old coats and mufflers we've worn for the past years, when what we should really be doing is rushing out to buy this year's most fashionable accessory, the pashmina. This luxuriously soft, warm shawl, which comes in a rainbow of colors, can be embroidered, beaded or pleated and worn as a simple muffler or wrapped elaborately around the body in place of a coat or cardigan - depending on the size of course.
Since America has discovered Pashmina, it is being promoted as a stable of the wradrobe. Although anything but cheap, Pashmina is breaking out of its image of a status symbol meant for the elite. American designers like Caroline Herrera and Donaletta Versarc have incorporated and experimented with this material. The basic colours that Pashmina comes in are grey, brown and white. However, the fabric adapts itself beautifully to colouring. It is now available in approximately four hundred colours and the "graduated" colour scheme is definitely 'in'. American women are also going in for shawls with bead work and embroidery.
Terrorism in Kashmir has resulted in the weavers' migration to other parts of India as they find it more and more difficult to practice the traditional craft of their fore-fathers in an atmosphere that pervades with the fear of death. Still, the craft survives and the Kashmiri weavers struggle on.

How to Wash or Care for Pashmina?

We recommend Dry-clean only. However as all Pashminas as washed in our factory here But with experienced washerman. So we explain our washing instructions Pashmina are washed separately. Dip Pashmina for 15 minutes in Luke warm water say 20 degree in 10-15 litres water. Remove pashmina; again in 5-10 litre water in a bucket add 2-3 tablespoon of liquid Soap or shampoo for delicate cloth preferably for woolen clothes, Wisk up for rich leather Immerse pashmina for 30 minutes, After 30 minutes just stir it with hand politely or turn it around a few times (NO MACHINES please, otherwise 100% pashmina will shrink and get damaged, Pashmina is very delicate fiber) Rinse the pashmina in fresh running water. Rinse until water runs clear and then drip dry only DO NO WRINGLE OR TWIST or DO NOT TUMBLER DRY IT Dry in shade, away from direct sunlight; reverse if embroidered with embroidered underside. Iron it when 90% dry (not 100%). You will get the fresh pashmina though it will not be as we do. We offer you FREE one pouch of liquid shampoo recommended by ' WOOL MARK' The world trade leaders in Pashmina wool Business in the world.

How to Distinguish Authentic Pashmina

Those fake pashmina shawls are usually made of acrylic (a kind of synthetic fiber). Be a smarter Shopper! Because it's wool, the first things you can do is dampen it slightly and smell it. It will smell a little like a wet animal! (But not unpleasant) Wool always has that smell when wet. But the ultimate test is to burn it. When wool burns, it smells like hair burning. And what is left is just ash, and comes off easily. If a fabric has synthetic in it, it has a slightly chemical smell. But the true sign is that when you blow out the flame, there is a little hard 'bead' left, which stays attached to the fabric. Just burn the end of one of the fringes, and you will be able to tell

Buy Pashmina Now

So leave your old scarf in the closet, and move into this new year with some capra hircus cashmere snugly wrapped around you! Be chic and warm this season.