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Buying a Kashmiri pashmina shawl from India when you live abroad
Most of what is sold abroad as pashmina is a blend. The GI label from the testing centre in Srinagar is the one check that settles it.
Yes — you can buy kashmiri pashmina shawl from Indian shops even if they do not deliver to your country. India Rabbit gives you a free delivery address in India. You order to that address as an ordinary domestic customer, we receive and hold the parcel free for 30 days, combine it with anything else you buy, and forward the lot to you.
Why this is hard to buy where you are
Kashmir pashmina is spun and woven by hand from the fine underfleece of the Changthangi goat, combed in spring. Kashmir Pashmina is a registered Geographical Indication, and genuine pieces can be tested and labelled by the Pashmina Testing and Quality Certification Centre at the Craft Development Institute in Srinagar: the label carries a unique number that can be checked, and certifies hand-spun, hand-woven fibre finer than 16 microns. Blends with nylon or other wool are far more common than the real thing, especially outside India, so buying from a GI-authorised seller is what makes the difference.
Where to buy it
| Shop | What they are good for |
|---|---|
| Kepra | A registered GI authorised user for Kashmir Pashmina, with its authorisation number published on its own site. |
| Shahkaar | A Srinagar seller that states its shawls are GI-labelled through the testing centre at the Craft Development Institute. |
| Pure Kashmir | States that each piece comes with a third-party lab certificate showing a fibre diameter of 14 to 16 microns. |
Srinagar sellers deal with buyers across India. A free Indian address makes your order a domestic one, and we photograph the shawl and its label on arrival so you can check it before it ships.
What to check before you order
- Ask for the GI label and check its number. It is the only reliable proof. A lab certificate showing the micron count is the next best thing.
- Do not rely on the ring test. Sources disagree on it, and silk blends pass it too.
- A burn test on a loose thread separates natural fibre (it smells of burnt hair) from synthetic (it melts into a bead), but it cannot tell pashmina from other wool.
- Be wary of a very low price. A pure, hand-woven pashmina takes weeks of work; one specialist puts anything sold as pure pashmina for under about US$80 in the doubtful category.
- Shahtoosh is not pashmina. It comes from a protected antelope, trade in it is banned internationally under CITES and in India, and it cannot be bought, sold or imported legally. We do not ship it.
Weight, customs and getting it here intact
Weight
Extremely light. A pure pashmina shawl of about 200 by 70 cm weighs roughly 100 to 200 g, so it costs very little to add to a box.
Volume
Soft and compressible; volumetric weight never governs.
Customs
Declared as a wool shawl at its real value. A fine pashmina can carry a high value, so duty and import tax may apply in your country. Check what your destination allows.
Condition
Folded in tissue and sealed against damp, with the GI label left attached.
Where we send it
Pick your country for transit times and customs notes.
- the UAE
- Saudi Arabia
- Qatar
- Kuwait
- Oman
- Bahrain
- the USA
- the UK
- Ireland
- Switzerland
- Canada
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Singapore
- Malaysia
- Germany
- the Netherlands
- Italy
- Spain
- Belgium
- Austria
- Sweden
- Norway
- Sri Lanka
- the Philippines
- Japan
- France
- Nepal
- China
- Bangladesh
- South Africa
- Poland
- Nigeria
- Thailand
- Kenya
- Hong Kong
- Denmark
- Mauritius
- Indonesia
- Zambia
- Georgia
- Uganda
- Tanzania
- the Maldives
- Kazakhstan
- Ghana
- Finland
- Armenia
- All destinations
Questions
How do I know a pashmina is genuine?
Look for the Kashmir Pashmina GI label, issued after testing at the Craft Development Institute in Srinagar, and check its unique number. A lab certificate showing a fibre diameter under 16 microns is the other proof. The ring test is not reliable.
Can I buy GI-labelled pashmina from Srinagar and have it sent abroad?
Yes. Order from a GI-authorised seller to your India Rabbit address as a domestic customer. We photograph the shawl and its label when it arrives, then forward it to you.
What about shahtoosh?
Shahtoosh comes from the Tibetan antelope, which is protected. Trade in it is banned internationally and in India, so it cannot be bought or imported legally, and we do not ship it.
How much does a pashmina weigh?
Very little: a full shawl is roughly 100 to 200 g, which keeps the shipping cost low.
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