How to Tell a Genuine Kashmir Pashmina From a Fake

Kashmir Pashmina is protected as a Geographical Indication (GI). The Craft Development Institute in Srinagar applied for the registration, which means the name is legally tied to products made in Kashmir using the traditional process. A GI works much like a trademark for a region: it protects the name, not just a brand.

The test behind the label

To back up the GI, Srinagar has a Pashmina Testing and Quality Certification Centre, set up at a cost of about ₹44 crore and functional since June 2015, according to a FactorDaily report. Laboratory tests there check:

• Fibre fineness: genuine Pashmina fibres must be less than 16 microns thick.
• Spinning: whether the yarn was spun by hand or by machine.
• Weaving: whether the shawl was woven by hand.

Shawls that pass receive a tamper-proof label carrying a unique number. When the system was introduced, buyers could check that number online, and the label also carried hidden security features. The centre has since upgraded its equipment, including a high-resolution digital microscope system welcomed by Kashmir's chamber of commerce, which is meant to cut waiting times for GI labelling.

Why fakes are so common

Fine Pashmina fibre is too delicate to survive machine spinning on its own. To make cheaper shawls on machines, some producers blend lower-grade wool with nylon or other synthetics, according to the FactorDaily report. These shawls can look and feel convincing in the shop. The report notes that the blend can start to separate after a few years, especially after washing.

Checks you can make before buying

1. Ask for the GI label. A genuinely certified Kashmir Pashmina should carry the official label with a unique number. Ask the seller how to verify it, and check it if the label offers a way to do so.
2. Be realistic about price. Hand-spun, hand-woven Pashmina takes many days of skilled work. A "pure Pashmina" shawl at a few hundred or a couple of thousand rupees is almost certainly a blend.
3. Read the composition. "Pashmina blend", "cashmere silk" or "fine wool" are not the same as 100% Kashmir Pashmina. Ask for the composition in writing on the bill.
4. Buy from accountable sellers. Government emporiums and established Kashmiri shawl houses are more likely to stock certified pieces and stand behind them.
5. Keep your invoice. If a product sold as GI Pashmina turns out to be fake, the bill and label number are your evidence.

Some guides recommend a "burn test" on a thread. It can damage the shawl and is unreliable in a shop, so the label and a written bill are a better guarantee.

Related reading

Kashmir's shawls have shaped design far beyond India. Read how the Kashmiri *buta* became the world's "paisley", and our guides to checking handloom labels and pure silk.