The rich cultural heritage of Kashmir, commonly known as “Paradise on Earth,” is exemplified by the Pashmina from that region. The prestigious Geographical Indication (GI) label bestowed on Kashmiri Pashmina recognizes its unique connection to the region. It emphasizes the need to preserve the authenticity, customs, and craftsmanship associated with this luxurious fabric.
The Geographical Indications (GI) of the Goods Act of India registered Kashmir Pashmina with GI No. 46 and Certificate No. 97 in Class of Goods 23, 24, and 25 as of December 9, 2005. Only businesses that follow the guidelines for raw materials, production processes, and final items are eligible to use the “Kashmir Pashmina” GI. The GI Pashmina Registration is under the name TAHAFUZ, registered under the J & K Societies Act.
The goal of GI tagging is to ensure that Pashmina products are not only pure but also free from any unauthorized fibers (Check for Unauthorized Fibers) and to facilitate the easy movement of Pashmina products from India. This authentication helps to buy approved GI Pashmina products.
“Kashmir Pashmina” is crafted solely from the undercoat of the Capra Hiracus mountain goat species, meeting all GI-recognized requirements, including the following:
i. Consisting only of Pashm Fibers with a sixteen-micron maximum fineness.
ii. Handwoven fabric created by Jammu and Kashmiri artists.
iii. Made with real hand-spun yarn.
The video by the Directorate of Handicrafts & Handloom Kashmir provides detailed information about their pashmina tagging process and testing parameters.
After successful testing of the shawl is complete the department officials embed the Secure Fusion Authentic Label (SFAL) tag on the shawl. The tag comes with covert and overt information. The covert information can be read only under an ultra-violet-based instrument and the overt information is visible to the human eye. In addition, the tag has invisible nanoparticles known as microttagant having a unique code formulated specifically for the pashmina gi shawl visible under UV light only.