Cultural Corner - Cashmere

Cashmere or Kashmir comes from the fur of a particular goat. The best is considered to be the Mongolian Zalaa Jinst White goat found mostly in the Gobi desert region. In the Spring, when goats are ready to shed their winter coat, herders hand comb the fur which pulls out the loose or detached fur. They could shear the fur, but it is considered too stressful to the animal. Most prefer not too. Even though it is Spring, the weather changes quickly and dramatically and shearing would leave the animals without its natural protection.

Cashmere fiber is 6x finer than human hair. Cashmere is anywhere from 14 microns to 19 microns. Human hair is about 100 microns. Unlike most fibers, Cashmere fibers are hollow. This makes cashmere very light and soft. To wash it, you can use baby shampoo and and lukewarm water. Gently swirl it and let soak for 30 minutes. To dry, lay your clothing on a bath towel and roll it up like sushi. It takes the combined fur of four goats to make one sweater.

Cashmere is Mongolia’s third largest export after copper and gold. It provides income for over 100,000 people. 90% of whom are women. 80% are under the age of 35. There 150 wool and cashmere factories in Ulaanbaatar. Herders sell their cashmere to dealers for about 105,000 MNT per kg. That’s about $44 for 2 lbs. I think the average cashmere sweater in the US costs about $200-400. Because of its versatility, you can get anything cashmere from t-shirts, robes, and nightgowns to jackets, scarves and hats.