When I was in the Navy, I acquired several yards of J&J Crombie Exclusive Superfine cashmere and vicuna fabric in 1967 in Hong Kong. The company's name and crest are printed on the fabric. I am wondering if there is a way to authenticate the fabric and also to determine the percentage of vicuna wool in the fabric.
I have not heard of any way to determine fabric percentages, especially combinations of wools, after the fact. Even printed tags from the origin company are variable in truthfulness of the finished product, as they are weaving for a consistency of the finished product, not an authentic representation of the raw materials. Also, Vicuna has CITES protections, so if you were planning on selling, check your country's rules, and wherever you may be selling it on to. It sounds like a lovely material to have a lightweight Fall jacket made.
The only thing that might help is if you can separate the fabric threads into each individual ply. Each thread will be made of at least two plies, and it’s possible that one ply will be 100% vicuña and another 100% cashmere. However if the two types have been blended at the carding stage and spun together into a single ply, this won’t help. Also it’s not easy to tell the difference between two animal hairs, both of which will be very soft. Vicuña is a camelid, and cashmere a goat, so there will be textural differences, but might take an expert and a microscope to tell them apart. Sadie is absolutely correct about vicuña being protected by CITES (trade in endangered species regulations), and so not always possible to sell legally, and usually not possible to sell without paperwork, eg permits or proof of age. The exact legalities depend on where you are and where you are selling to. If you bought it in 1967, it predates CITES and so it was legally acquired, which is a good start, but doesn’t necessarily mean you are now allowed to sell it.
I agree with the others that there’s not really anyway you’ll be able to tell. You’d probably need to use polarized light microscopy (That’s what they use in forensics and art conservation) in order to get a percentage, lol.
Thank you for all the good and useful information. Does anyone know what the typical percentage of vicuna to cashmere may be? Unfortunately, J&J Crombie is no longer in business, but I did get an opinion from one of its former employees that the trademark on the fabric was and still is legitimate. If I can't sell it, perhaps I can have scarves or something like that made to give away to family and friends. Any ideas of who could do that?
I think you’re getting caught up too much in the fine details. Vintage fabric made out of cashmere and vicuna is going to be extremely high-quality compared to anything you can get nowadays. People who buy vintage fabric will surely understand that a cashmere vicuna blend is top quality.
Agree with this. In the USA, it's under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service - but I don't know how helpful they are. Sales within a state are covered by state law, and some states are much stricter than others. Vicuna is on CITES Appendix 1, which gives the greatest protection internationally.
Thanks for the advice. I will try to follow up with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. I bought the fabric legally and have the documentation to prove it. It seems to me that I should be able to sell it legally. In any case, it would be good to know of a company or person who could make scarves or something similar out of it. Any ideas?
Scarves are a very very simple garment, so any competent sewist should be able to make them. If you have someone local you trust they would almost certainly be able to do it.
I am in Harwinton in northwest Connecticut. I don't have anyone local that I know and trust. Does anyone have any recommendations within about 25 miles of this location?
I have sold vicuna coats and scarves online, and was not aware that it might be illegal. They do not have to kill the animal to get its fur, much like mohair, sheep's wool, etc. They shear the fur off of the animal. Of course, laws change and so yes look into that to be sure. I might think it best to sell the actual fabric, in one complete piece and not cut it up into smaller lengths. That is, if you do indeed want to sell it versus making gifts for family and friends. Price by the yard today would be enormously expensive (up to $2000 per yard) and a tailor or dressmaker would find it very desirable, or even a textile collector.
It is illegal and has been for a long time, though I realise many people don’t know this. Vicuñas were nearly made extinct for their coats, because many animals didn’t survive being trapped and shorn, and it’s easier to shear a dead animal than a live one. There were only 6000 animals left before protections came in. They have recovered significantly with these protections, but are still on CITES appendix 1 which means they are subject to the same restrictions as say leopard skin or ivory. There are now a few managed populations of Vicuna where they trap and shear them harmlessly using traditional methods, and it is strictly controlled and regulated. Under strict licensing and with permits, fleece from these specific populations only can be sold. These are on CITES Appendix 2 which means they can be sold internationally only with permits. All other Vicuna have had the highest level of production for decades, this extends to vintage pieces too. Depending on individual countries laws, CITES appendix 1 articles can sometimes be sold if they predate the CITES agreement (1973), but not always and you usually need permits. Unlike sheep they are not a domesticated animal.
Here’s a case study on Vicuna conservation in Bolivia. Having a tightly controlled trade in the fibre is actually helping the species recover. The unrestricted ‘open access’ exploitation nearly made them extinct in the 1960s. It is a success story but the species still needs protection to keep it that way. https://cites.org/sites/default/fil...ivelihoods_Fact_Sheet_2019_Bolivia_Vicuna.pdf
I was lucky enough to talk to someone at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who forwarded me the actual text of the pertinent regulation: "Products of Endangered wildlife purchased and imported before their listing date can be considered Pre-Act [50 CFR 17.4(a)]. A Pre-Act item may be sold for intra or interstate sale, but you must be able demonstrate to the buyer that you acquired and imported it before the species' listing date (including but not limited to declaration documents, photos, etc) or provide an affidavit describing the origin and how you acquired the item. You must also inform the buyer that they will not be able to re-sell the item as it will lose its' Pre-Act status." Retro Ruth in a previous response in this thread said that 1967, which is when I bought the vicuna cashmere predates the act. I have documentation that shows when and where I purchased the material, so I believe I can legally sell it. However, the buyer will not be able to resell the item, but it seems I could sell whatever is made from the material, so long as the material remains in my possession. For example, if I can find someone to make scarves from the material, and then I sell the scarves, wouldn't that be legal?
That’s great news that you can legally sell it, I hoped that would be the case, and how wonderful that you kept the documentation to prove it. ‘The Act’ in the USA refers to the Endangered Species Act which is also dated 1973, so your purchase in 1967 is definitely pre-Act. (The CITES convention covers international trade, but all countries signed up to it, which is most countries in the world, have their own laws for domestic trade that are at least as strict as CITES and sometimes stricter.) Be aware that you would still need a permit to export it, so I suggest you restrict your sale to the USA. Unfortunately I don’t really know the answer to your question about whether you can make scarfs and sell them. It seems reasonable but I’m not a lawyer, just someone who has taken an interest in this subject. as Barbara says, it may be better to sell the whole bolt as one piece. Someone could then have a garment made out of it. In a way cutting it devalues it.
I hope this is not an inappropriate conversation for this forum, but if anyone knows of someone who would be willing to sell the material for me, I would gladly offer a commission for doing that. I have four yards of material.
