What Is the Best Grade of Cashmere? What the Label Means

There is no single official grading scale in Wikipedia’s cashmere entry, but it does set out the legal threshold and how quality is influenced.

The legal standard

Under US labelling law, a product can be labelled cashmere only if its average fibre diameter does not exceed 19 microns, with a variation of no more than 24 percent, and no more than 3 percent by weight of fibres exceeding 30 microns.

How collection affects quality

Cashmere is collected during the spring moult. Combing gives a higher yield of pure cashmere than shearing, which yields more coarse hair. Hand-removing the undercoat takes longer but produces finer, higher-quality fibre.

What to check

• Look for 100 percent cashmere on the label.
• Feel for softness and check the knit is dense rather than thin.
• Buy from retailers who state the fibre origin and processing.

Facts are from Wikipedia’s Cashmere wool entry at the time of writing.

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