Pashmina is best known for its exceptional softness and luxurious touch. However, a wave of imitation pashminas has emerged in recent years, eclipsing the labor and artistic merits of real pashmina and its related products which are of course not as good as real pashmina.
But exactly what is faux pashmina and how do you tell the difference between pashmina and faux pashmina? This article will discuss it in detail including real pashmina vs faux pashmina. Fake Pashmina is indeed not as good as original Pashmina and lacks authenticity, softness, and warmth.
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What is Faux Pashmina
Faux pashmina is a “fake version” of the original pashmina. Faux Pashmina is a blend of a small percentage of cashmere and synthetic fiber like polyester or viscose. They are often produced using machines and amalgamated with chemicals which results in less softness, warmth, and luxuriousness.
However, due to some amount of cashmere wool, it is a little softer and warmth but undeniably not as much as the original pashmina products. Also, due to the chemical blending and machine produced instead of hand woven, the lifecycle of faux pashmina is very poor.
The fake pashmina or related products are made up of various amalgamations including synthetic fiber, and polymers, and are treated chemically. This is, no doubt, negatively impacts the overall quality and authenticity that Pashmina is known for.
What is Original Pashmina?
An original pashmina is strictly made of cashmere wool, wool that is obtained from the Changthangi goat, a unique goat native to the Himalayan region of Kashmir and Ladakh. The other special characteristic of real pashmina is that it is completely handcrafted from collecting the wool to spinning, weaving, embroidering, etc.
A 100% pashmina can be easily recognized with its luxury touch, lightweight, and softness. The life cycle of real pashmina is for a lifetime if preserved carefully. Alternatively, you can perform a few tests if you want to know if your purchased pashmina is real or fake.
Also Read: GI Certified Pashmina Shawls
What is the difference between Pashmina and faux Pashmina?
While you know what is faux pashmina, it is sometimes difficult to recognize a fake and original pashmina if you don’t know the difference between them. There are a large number of differences that help you to purchase the original pashmina as follows:
Real Pashmina is Not Perfect!
Yes, you read it right. The original pashmina is not perfect as it is produced with hand right from the collection to spinning and weaving. Due to being handcrafted, it has a lot of irregularities in its design and uneven spinning or weaving.
On the other hand, a faux pashmina is usually machine-produced and looks quite perfect in its design. Also, real pashmina doesn’t have a shimmery or glittering appearance while later has.
Faux Pashmina is Heavier
Real pashmina is best known for its lightweight whether it is pashmina shawls or other pashmina products. This is due to rare cashmere wool which is acquired from the cashmere goat. Conversely, the fake pashmina is heavier comparatively due the synthetic materials like polyester or viscose. Analyzing their weight should be the first step to check if the pashmina is real or fake.
Soft Texture
No doubt, the texture of the original pashmina is the epitome of softness. Cashmere wool, the raw wool for pashmina, is itself very soft which results in the softness of pashmina. When you touch a pashmina shawl, you can see the difference. A faux pashmina is not as soft as a real one and even has a rough texture, sometimes.
Also Read: Different Types of Embroidery in Kashmiri Shawls
The Sides of the Pashmina
When you want to check the difference between pashmina and faux pashmina, just look at their end sides, they are never evenly finished. They are unfinished and frayed. On the other hand, a faux pashmina often has perfect and shining sides which are an indication of machine crafted. Though this is a positive thing, it tells if Pashmina is real or fake.
Check the Purity of the Pashmina Shawl with the Burn Test
As you know pashmina shawl is manufactured from the wool of cashmere goat and its hair neck-around. In the burn test, just take a single thread of pashmina shawl (or whatever product you have).
If it gives the same odor as a brunt hair does and instantly dissolves to ashes, this is the original pashmina. It happens due to the burning of hair or fine wool of cashmere. Also, if the burnt part had a matte texture, it’s a sign of pure pashmina.
One can also perform the spark test the check the originality of the pashmina. When the pashmina is rubbed together and it results in tiny sparks (sometimes negligible) then it is faux pashmina.
As we already discussed unoriginal pashmina is made up of synthetic fiber that often includes polyester and acrylic that can accumulate static elasticity. Check our previous article to know if it is real pashmina or faux pashmina.
The Price of Pashmina
The price of pashmina tells everything whether it is real or fake. An original pashmina shawl costs somewhere between 10,000 INR to 1,00,000 INR or sometimes even higher depending on the customization and required embroidery.
However, when you are getting a pashmina shawl at the price of somewhere around 5,000 INR, it is definitely faux pashmina as real pashmina is always expensive.
Is Faux Pashmina Good Quality?
A faux pashmina shawl can be of good quality if produced with good-quality fiber or blended with cashmere wool. However, it can’t be as good as real pashmina which is made of pure cashmere wool, obtained from Changthangi goat.
It could be a good choice if you want the same luxurious touch as Pashmina does but at a cheaper price. When compared with pashmina, the faux pashmina is heavy, harder, and may not be as soft as the original pashmina.
Where to Buy Good Quality Pashmina?
Even though it is easy to purchase a good quality pashmina by reading this guide and understanding the difference between pashmina and faux pashmina, always refer to authentic or trusted suppliers and manufacturers of pashmina. Angela Jey is among the most authentic and popular suppliers of real pashmina you can trust. However, we recommend doing your own research before making any decision.
Conclusion
Pashmina is extremely soft and luxurious but at the same time, the duplicates of pashmina are easily available often referred to as faux pashmina. In this article, you have learned what is faux pashmina and the difference between pashmina and faux pashmina. I hope it helps you understand the basics of pashmina when you make a purchase next time.
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