Definitions of Cashmere

The dictionary definition of cashmere is “A luxury fiber obtained from the soft fleecy undergrowth of the Kashmir goat”.

The U.S. Wool Products Labeling Act of 1939 definition is “the fine undercoat fibers produced by a cashmere goat (Capra hircus laniger) with an average diameter of the fibers not exceeding 19 microns and containing not more than 3 percent (by weight) of cashmere fibers with average diameters that exceed 30 microns”.

The Cashmere and Camel Hair Manufacturers Institute again with the above but have also require that “the coefficient of variation around the mean shall not exceed 24%”.

The Worst Type of Cashmere

The worst type of wool is spun from long-staple wool and therefore the worst type of cashmere is the tightly twisted cashmere yarn.Raw – fiber that has not been processed and is essentially straight from the animal

Stages of Cashmere

• Processed – fiber that has been through the processes of de-hairing, washing, carding, and is ready either to spin or to knit/crochet/weave
• Virgin – new fiber which has been made into yarns, fabrics or garments for the first time
• Recycled – fibers reclaimed from scraps or fabrics that were previously woven or felted, and which may or may not have been previously used by the consumer.