The noble Vicuña yields the finest, softest and costliest natural fibre in the world. It is substantially finer, softer and lighter than the very best Cashmere or Angora. The Incas considered the Vicuña a sacred animal. Once every four years the King would order a chaccu, the rounding up of Vicuña to be sheared and then released unharmed. Only Royalty were allowed to wear the golden fleece. The tradition continues today with Andean communities carrying out the chaccu annually under the strict guidelines of CITES welfare and preservation. Ironically the bounty of its fleece that so very nearly led to its extinction in the 1960s is now contributing to ensure its survival and that of the native communities in the Andean mountains.
The trade in Vicuña fibre is strictly licensed and every product is accompanied with a certificate and approved by CITES.