Not all cashmere is created equal(1)

Not all cashmere is created equal(1)

Just the word conjures images of sophistication. Like caviar and pearls, the fiber has humble beginnings. Who would think that the hair on the underbelly of the Mongolian goat would be in such high demand? But it has been for centuries, and because there is relatively little of it and because processing costs are high, it has traditionally been an indulgence.

So why is it that nowadays even Costco is selling it? Walk into any mall and you'll come across cashmere sweaters, cashmere tricot, cashmere pullovers, and cashmere coats in such a variety of prices your head might spin: $1,000 or $59.99?

Jacky, G.Manager of Ewsca cashmere believes the difference in price is often an indication of quality. "It's a question of significant lower quality," he says.

It takes one Mongolian goat about four years to naturally shed enough hair to make one cashmere sweater, cashmere tricot, cashmere pullover and cashmere coat. Thus without expensive manual "harvesting," 100% cashmere might be hard to come by. Then the hair has to be washed and sorted by hand: Only the longest and finest under-fleece -- the hair close to the goat's skin -- on the belly and neck is spun and woven to make good-quality cashmere sweater, cashmere tricot, cashmere pullover and cashmere coat. Once the raw material has been harvested, it must be spun into yarn and made into a garment. One says that if he spends $300 to $400 on a cashmere sweater, cashmere tricot, cashmere pullover and cashmere coat he looks for a designer cashmere brand in Europe or Japan, although many cashmere sweaters, cashmere tricots, cashmere pullovers, cashmere coats and pashminas now carry the "Made in China" label. Although China supplies almost 60 percent of all cashmere on the market, that's only the raw material. Manufacturing is a different matter, and although China turns out some items of reasonable quality, Ewsca cashmere is one that recommended.