Vicuna

Many people have never ever heard of Vicuna. So what is it? Here are some key facts:

1. Rare, coveted and expensive: Vicuña wool is the finest and rarest wool in the world. It comes from the vicuña, a small llama-like animal native to the Andes Mountains in Peru, and the wool grows slowly. The Incas called its wool 'a coat of gold', and only Inca royalty could wear garments made from it. Spanish conquistadors discovered the exquisite delicacy and warmth of vicuña wool—calling it “the silk of the new world”—when they arrived in South America in the early sixteenth century. Today, the Vicuna is Peru's national animal and conservation limits how much vicuña wool can be collected. Vicuña wool is produced and manufactured into products by a very small number of brands and manufacturers are required to shear the animal’s wool after catching them in the wild. This contributes to the wool’s market value. Today, vicuña wool costs 5-6 times as much as the highest quality cashmere..

2. Fine & Soft: Vicuna wool is extremely fine - one vicuña fiber measures about 12 microns (12 thousandths of a millimeter). This makes vicuña wool incredibly soft. 

3. Warm: Vicuñas survive the sub-zero temperatures of the Andes mountains because of their wool whose fibers have tiny scales, allowing the fibers to interlock to trap air and heat. This makes vicuña wool exceptionally warm. 

4. Natural color: Vicuña wool is typically cinnamon-colored or pale white, making it very easy to integrate in one’s wardrobe.

5. Comfort: Vicuña wool is 10 percent lighter than cashmere and is also hypoallergenic.

 

 

 Cashmere and Silk

Not all Cashmeres, and not all Silks are equal. Unfortunately much of the so-called cashmere on the market is either of poor quality, or, in some cases, not cashmere at all. The same goes for silk.  

Cashmere is obtained from the Kashmir goat, mainly in Mongolia and China. And silk from the cocoons of the larvae of Mulberry worms Read more about these yarns HERE. These three natural materials - the fine wool of Vicuna and Kashmiri sheep, the the thread spun by the Mulberry silk worms. Yarns from the Stavia Blunt, If you are looking for exclusive handwoven vicuna, cashmere and silk items, in exquisite colours, made by highly skilled artisans in Kashmir, you are in the right place! Enjoy your browsing and feel free to contact us if you have any questions.