Are there different grades of cashmere?

Are there different grades of cashmere?

Yes, there are.

The quality of de-haired cashmere is assessed by

• Diameter of the fibre (14 to 19 micrometres)
• Colour (grey, white and brown)
• Length (150 to 450 millimetres)
• Course hair content

The most important of these qualities is the  diameter of the cashmere fibre. This has the  biggest influence on the price of the cashmere. Cashmere fibre diameters of 14 to  16 micrometres are considered the best and  most valuable. (To help you visualise, the average width of a human hair ranges  between 60 and 100 microns in thickness.) 

The next most important quality of cashmere  fibre is the colour. White is considered most  valuable because it can be used as it is, and it can be dyed to fashionable pastel shades. Brown is the least valuable colour because it can only be dyed to darker shades. The fibres can be bleached but this badly affects the softness of the cashmere.