The fibre: what pashmina actually means
A genuine pashmina comes from one animal, one region, and one diameter of fibre. The Changthangi goat, raised by nomadic Changpa herders on the Changthang plateau of Ladakh at altitudes above 4,500 metres, produces an underwool with a diameter of 12 to 16 microns. That measurement is what pashmina means. Merino wool, for comparison, runs 18 to 24 microns. Acrylic and viscose blends sold as pashmina in tourist markets can measure 30 microns or more.
