With the rapid rise of machine-made shawls, primarily produced in textile hubs like Ludhiana and Amritsar in Punjab, India, the need for an authenticity tag on pure Pashmina shawls has become inevitable. In our previous blog post, we shared insights into what a GI (Geographical Indication) Tag is and the process involved in testing and certifying it.
Kashmir Pashmina has been registered under the Geographical Indications (GI) of Goods Act of India, having GI No. 46, Certificate No. 97 in the Class of Goods 23, 24 and 25 as on 9th December 2005.
In order to make any Pashmina Accesory Eligible for GI Tag it should Made of 100% Pashmina fibers having fineness of up to 16 Microns and obtained from the under fleece of the mountain goat Changthangi ‘Capra Hiracus’ and should be hand-woven fabric by the Artisans of Jammu & Kashmir.
There are various types of GI tags that can be found on pure Pashmina shawls and accessories.
GI Tag with Changthangi Goat and Chinar Leaf
A pashmina accessory bearing this tag signifies that the product is made of pure, hand-spun and hand-woven pashmina. The verification page on the official website of the government-run Craft Development Institute will include the following details:
1: Fabric Composition
2: Yarn Spinning Method
3: Average Micron Size (Micron testing is conducted only on hand-spun pashmina)
4: Weaving Details
5: Design
6: Size and Weight
7: A photograph of the specific accessory, along with a certificate issued to the artisan or manufacturer who received the tag for the accessory.
The image below displays the results of one of our pashmina accessories that was tested at the Craft Development Institute.
View Live Certificate
GI Tag with Shawl, Hands, Needle and Chinar Leaf
A pashmina accessory bearing this tag signifies that the product is made from pure pashmina and has been hand-embroidered using the traditional Sozni embroidery technique of Kashmir. The verification page on the official website of the government department, the Craft Development Institute, will contain the following details:
1: Fabric Composition.
2: Weaving.
3: Yarn Spun
4: Design
5: Size and Weight
6: The result will also have a picture of a particular accessory and a certificate of the artisan/manufacturer getting the accessory tagged.
This image showcases the result of one of our pashmina accessory tested at Craft Development Institute.
View Live Certificate
GI Tag with Hands, Kanis (Wooden Sticks) and Chinar Leaf
A pashmina accessory carrying this tag indicates that the product is made of pure pashmina and has been handwoven using the traditional Kani weaving technique of Kashmir. The verification webpage of the government body, the Craft Development Institute, will contain the following information:
1: Fabric Composition.
2: Weaving.
3: Yarn Spun
4: Design
5: Size and Weight
6: The result will also have a picture of particular accessory and a certificate of artisan/manufacturer getting the accessory tagged.
This image showcases the result of one of our pashmina accessory tested at Craft Development Institute.
View Live Certificate
If your pashmina accessory carries a GI tag, it immediately signifies that it is made of pure pashmina. Additionally, the GI tag can help verify whether the pashmina is hand-spun or machine-spun, and whether it is hand-woven or machine-woven.