Authentic
Pashmina Shawls
Handmade in Kashmir

Cashmere is the soft, fine wool harvested from certain breeds of cashmere goats, prized for its warmth and lightweight feel. Pashmina, on the other hand, refers to a finer, more delicate grade of cashmere traditionally handwoven in the Kashmir region. While all pashmina is cashmere, not all cashmere is pashmina — pashmina shawls are typically softer, lighter, and more luxurious due to the thinner fibres and artisanal craftsmanship involved in making them. Authentic pashmina often commands a higher price because of the meticulous handweaving process and the rarity of the fibre.

Real pashmina and cashmere fibres are extremely fine, soft, and warm. Authentic pashmina shawls are handwoven and often show slight irregularities in the weave, which indicate craftsmanship rather than machine production. Extremely low prices can be a sign of synthetic blends.

The process begins with the raw fibre being hand-combed from the undercoat of mountain goats in Ladakh. It is then hand-spun into yarn in Kashmir, warped onto a traditional handloom, and woven thread by thread. A plain weave shawl takes 3–4 days; an embroidered or Kani piece can take months to years.

Each Changthangi goat yields only 80–170 grams of raw fibre per year. Spinning and weaving are entirely done by hand by artisans who have trained for decades. A single embroidered shawl can take one artisan over six months of full-time work — the price reflects that irreplaceable human skill and time.

Yes — Pure Kashmir ships worldwide with free international delivery on orders over $200. All shawls are sourced directly from Kashmir and come with a money-back authenticity guarantee.

Hand wash gently in cool water with a mild shampoo or baby wash. Never wring — press water out gently, reshape, and dry flat in the shade. Store folded (never hung) in a breathable cotton bag with a cedar block to protect against moths.

We offer plain and plaid Pashmina, Sozni hand-embroidered shawls, Kani hand-woven shawls, Jamawar embroidery, and bespoke commissions. Each category represents a distinct craft tradition from the Kashmir Valley. Learn more about our Pashmina shawls.

A shawl is typically 100×200 cm and can be worn wrapped around the shoulders or body. A stole is narrower (around 70×200 cm) and is worn more like a scarf. Both are made from the same fine Pashmina fibre — the difference is purely in dimensions and styling.