Like any other industry, when the pashmina industry reached the pinnacle of success in the business world, the production of its counterfeit or fake pieces also started.
Possessing an authentic pashmina was not everybody’s cup of tea. People of the elite class wore it to portray richness and elegance. It had become a style statement for classy women.
The value for pashmina undoubtedly has remained the same, in terms of money (which is) pricey, so there is a definite room for doubt whether the pashmina you are buying is real or fake?
Your biggest guess might be – A Labeled Pashmina shows it’s authenticity.
Yes, You might be right, but don’t forget, salt looks like sugar sometimes!
Few merchants may not be selling 100% pure pashmina even though their labels claim so. They do so to earn more profit by increasing their production rate by mixing artificial fibers along with pashmina, or maybe low-grade pashmina, to give a replica that looks exactly like a real one, whilst selling it for the same price as an authentic pashmina!
We want to make sure that your money is invested in an authentic product. For that you might need a guide and that is exactly what we’ve come up with. Grab a pen and take some notes if you have to –
- A glued label-
Anything glued on Pashmina will not stay for long, not to mention Pashmina is too precious to have anything glued on it. A stitched label will indicate the genuine quality of a pashmina shawl while on the contrary, a glued one should show the opposite.
- Pure pashmina will have a matte look-
have a look at your pashmina, if it has a matte finish to it (although it may have a tiny bit of sheen to it), then it would indicate that your pashmina is of real quality. Too much or more than subtle shine from your pashmina can indicate the adulteration of silk in it, which you are not looking for.
- Real Pashmina is not transparent-
Pashmina might be a little translucent, but won’t be transparent. If you hold it against light, you will see that pure pashmina won’t allow light to travel through it, although it might be a little see-through.
- The fineness of pashmina lies in its diameter!
A trusted and authentic seller will always provide you with minute details such as the diameter of the shawl woven. For a pashmina shawl (or scarf) to be of supreme quality, it must be from 14 to 15.5 microns or less. Lower the quantity of microns, lighter and softer will the pashmina be.
- Real pashmina has a real look to it’s weave:
Considering that pashmina is handwoven, you can expect the weaves to be irregular and not aligned in a perfect position. The irregular weaves are indeed a sign of pure pashmina.
- A Rubbing test would give an answer to your pashmina’s authenticity.
As the name suggests, a rubbing test involves slightly rubbing the surface of a pashmina shawl together. The reasoning behind this is that acrylic, polyester, or any such human-made fibers accumulate static energy within themselves. When a fabric of such material is rubbed together, it gives out sparks. (tiny sparks but easily identifiable). In other words, the pashmina you might be looking at is authentic if it does not produce any sparks on rubbing.
- Don’t forget the burning test!
Another test to check out the genuineness of a pashmina fabric is by conducting a burning test. It requires a small piece from your pashmina shawl, a tiny fragment from the fringes would do the work. On burning the sample, if you sense a burnt hair kind of odor and the ash you see is powdery, then it is most likely to be a pure pashmina product. However, if the sample smells like plastic and catches big flames upon burning, it is sure to be a fake, mixed, or counterfeit product.
That concludes the end of some easy-to-remember tips and tricks to help you save your time and especially your money from some fraudulent out there!
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