There are not enough words in any language to describe the beauty and luxury of pashmina. This one-of-a-kind fabric is lighter than butter, warmer than freshly made toast. Each unit of this magnificent fabric takes an eye-watering proportion of time and skill to finish - from combing off the molt of the changra goat of the Kashmir and Tibetan highlands to spinning it into fabric, then dyeing and embroidering it, the expertise required at each stage of the process is endemic to the Kashmir valley. The shawls and sarees this results in, a gorgeous example of which you see on this page, are truly fit for the wardrobe of a queen.

It is pure pashmina, the colour of jet black dusk. Adding to the allure of the foundation black is the dense embroidery in the foreground. The colour palette is decidedly feminine - pinks, oranges, and reds with hints of blues and greens - such that it could go with a wide variety of evening sarees and suits. Zoom in on the work to appreciate the precision and symmetry with which it has been carried out, that also by hand. It is this rare skill with the needle, as well as the time and labour that have been put into this wearable work of art, that would make this pashmina shawl your most statement buy of the season.