The scarf is made with very fine merino wool, which was hand-spun by women in the Himalayas. The wool was first hand-dyed with natural dyes, indigo, and then hand-woven into this beautiful scarf.
There may be small variations in size as it is made on a handloom. There may also be some inconsistencies in weaving and dyeing, which add to the character of the scarf. The length is about 78 inches (198 cm) and the width is 12 inches (30 cm).
We will ship the scarf within 3 working days of receiving the order by Speed Post.
Enjoy!
Himalayan Weavers Make Pure Pashmina Shawls, Stoles and Scarves Certified by Pashmina Certification Centre of Wildlife Institute, Government of India
Himalayan Weavers' products are certified as made with pure pashmina. The certificate is given by the Pashmina Certification Centre of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII). This is an Indian government initiative to certify the purity of material used in the weaving of shawls and stoles. The Centre conducts science-based tests to ensure they are objective and reliable. Each certified product is assigned a unique identification tag that can be scanned to access the authentication certificate.
Why Choose Our Authentic Pashmina Shawls
In addition to the fact that our shawls are certified as made with pure pashmina, there are other reasons to buy our products:
Pashmina from Ladakh: We use material from Ladakh, which is the finest and most expensive in the world. We don’t use cheaper Chinese and Mongolian pashmina, which is coarser. We buy fibre directly from the All Changthang Pashmina Growers Marketing Cooperative Society in Leh. This is a government-supported cooperative set up to ensure that weavers get access to pure material and the producers receive a fair price.
Hand-spun yarn: We use hand-spun yarn to make shawls, stoles, and scarves.
Handweaving. All our products are hand-woven on traditional looms in the Himalayan foothills.
Natural Dyes. We use only natural dyes to colour our products. This is especially important for pashmina, which is very delicate and can be damaged by harsher chemical dyes.
Sizes of Our Shawls Stoles and Scarves
Product | Length | Width |
| Shawls | 90 inches (229 centimetres) | 36 inches (91 centimetres) |
Stoles | 86 inches (218 centimetres) | 24 inches (61 centimetres) |
Small Stoles | 80 inches (203 centimetres) | 20 inches (51 centimetres) |
Scarves | 78 inches (198 centimetres) | 12 inches (30 centimetres)
|
Our products Are Handwoven With Handspun Yarn
Traditionally, shawls in Kashmir were handwoven with hand-spun yarn. The situation has changed in recent years. Most pashmina shawls are now made with yarn spun in mills in Ludhiana and Amritsar. The mill’s spinning process damages the delicate fibre and diminishes the shawl’s quality.
At Himalayan Weavers, we use hand-spun yarn to handweave shawls, stoles and scarves. We hand-spin fibre using a spinning wheel which we have designed and built. Most of our shawls, stoles, and wraps are made from yarn spun by women in Rajpur village, in the foothills of the Himalayas. This ensures that our products are made without mechanical stress, thereby extending their life.
A great attraction of our products is that we don’t use chemical dyes.
We use only natural dyes to colour our shawls and other products.
Each article is dyed using the following dyes:
- Madder (reds and pinks)
- Indigo (blues and greens)
- Shellac (purples)
- Tea (beige tones)
- Harada (greys)
- Tesu flowers (orange hues)
This ensures that our products are environmentally responsible.
We make special efforts to reduce our water and energy consumption, supporting slow and ethical fashion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pashmina is the fine undercoat of goats found in the Changthang region of Ladakh. It is a high altitude plateau with a very harsh climate, with temperatures often as low as -35 to -40 degrees centigrade. To survive these temperatures, they develop a fine, warm coat of down-like fibres with very high insulating properties. These goats are kept by Changpa nomads, who depend on these and other livestock for their livelihood.
During the moulting season in summer, when the goat does not need its coat, the Chngpas collect the fibre by hand-combing. This is pashmina.
We buy pashmina from Ladakh, where the world’s finest fibre is produced.
.
What is Pashmina?
Pashmina is the fine undercoat of goats found in the Changthang region of Ladakh. It is a high altitude plateau with a very harsh climate, with temperatures often as low as -35 to -40 degrees centigrade. To survive these temperatures, they develop a fine, warm coat of down-like fibres with very high insulating properties. These goats are kept by Changpa nomads, who depend on these and other livestock for their livelihood.
During the moulting season in summer, when the goat does not need its coat, the Chngpas collect the fibre by hand-combing. This is pashmina.
We buy pashmina from Ladakh, where the world’s finest fibre is produced.
.
Real vs Fake – How to Identify
With so many imitations on the market, distinguishing real pashmina from fake is important when choosing a product. It is not easy. Many tests are suggested online. The Ring Test and the Burn Test are two of the most commonly mentioned. Neither of these is definitive. It is said that a pure pashmina shawl will pass through a ring. But the fact is that while a machine made shawl made synthetic fibre may pass through a ring, a shawl handwoven with handspun pashmina will not. Again, it is said that burning pure pashmia fibre will produce a smell similar to that of human hair. This is correct. But burning wool and silk will also produce the same smell. So, the test proves that the fibre is of animal origin, but not that it is pure pashmina.
So, do not trust the Ring Test and Burn Test.
The only way to be certain is to buy a shawl certified as made with pure pashmina. Our shawls and stoles are certified.
How to Care for Your Shawl
We do not recommend dry cleaning our products. We suggest very gentle handwashing with mild soap in cold water.
Please do Not:
-Wash in a washing machine
-Wash in hot water
-Rub and wring while washing
Explore More from Himalayan Weavers
In addition to pashmina, we also offer:
- Handwoven wool shawls, stoles and scarves
- Yak wool shawls for extreme warmth
- Naturally dyed scarves and stoles
Each product reflects our commitment to craftsmanship and purity.
