Walk into any shawl shop and you'll hear the words "pashmina" and "cashmere" used as if they mean the same thing. They don't - and knowing the difference can save you from overpaying, or from ending up with something that isn't what you think it is.
Cashmere is the fiber. Pashmina is a type of cashmere.
Cashmere refers to the fine undercoat wool combed from cashmere goats, mainly found across the high-altitude regions of Central and South Asia. It's prized for being warm, soft, and lightweight - a genuine luxury fiber.
Pashmina is technically a sub-category of cashmere. The word comes from the Persian "pashm," meaning wool, and refers specifically to cashmere sourced from the Changthangi goat that lives in the high plateaus of Ladakh and the wider Himalayan belt, at altitudes above 12,000 feet. The extreme cold forces these goats to grow an especially fine undercoat, finer than standard cashmere, which is what gives true pashmina its signature softness and warmth.
How to tell them apart
- Fiber diameter: Pashmina fiber is typically finer, often under 14-15 microns, compared to regular cashmere which can run 15-19 microns. Finer fiber means a softer, lighter feel.
- Origin: Genuine pashmina comes from the Changthangi goat in Ladakh and neighboring Himalayan regions. Cashmere more broadly can come from goats in Mongolia, China, Iran, and elsewhere.
- Weaving tradition: Authentic pashmina shawls are traditionally hand-spun and handwoven, often in Kashmir, using techniques passed down for generations. This is part of why pieces like Kani and Sozni work carry such value - the embroidery and weave are done entirely by hand.
- Price: Because of the finer fiber and hand-processing, real pashmina generally costs more than machine-made cashmere. If a "pashmina" is priced like a mass-market sweater, it's worth asking questions.
Why the confusion happens
In global retail, "pashmina" is often used loosely as a marketing term for any soft shawl, regardless of fiber content - including blends of cashmere with silk, wool, or even synthetic fibers. That's not necessarily dishonest, but it does mean the word alone isn't a guarantee of what you're getting. This is exactly why sourcing matters, and why asking about origin and composition is a fair question to ask any seller.
A quick buyer's checklist
- Ask where the fiber was sourced and whether the piece is handwoven
- Check the feel - genuine pashmina has a distinct softness and slight warmth even in a light layer
- Look closely at the weave for hand-finished, slightly irregular stitching, a sign of handwork rather than machine production
- Be cautious of very low prices on items marketed as "pure pashmina"
The bottom line
All pashmina is cashmere, but not all cashmere is pashmina. Pashmina is the finer, rarer, traditionally handwoven category within the broader cashmere family - and that's exactly why it has been treasured for centuries, and why it remains at the heart of Kashmiri craftsmanship today.
At Royal Orientals, our pashmina shawls are sourced with authenticity in mind and handwoven using techniques passed down through three generations of the Gaba family. Explore our pashmina collection to see the craftsmanship for yourself, or browse our full range of Kashmiri shawls.
