alpaca
The alpaca is a small camelid, which is often compared to the llama, but also to the guanaco, the vicuña and even the camel. Originally from the highlands of northern South America, including Peru, the alpaca has been bred for more than 5,000 years for nutritional purposes, but above all for the exceptional quality of its fur. At the time, it was also given a greater value than gold or silver and it was reserved only for the highest echelons of imperial Inca society.
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In terms of wool production, a single alpaca can be used to produce more than 4 sweaters per year, while it takes 4 sheep to make just one! Natural, ecological and biodegradable: alpaca wool therefore has obvious advantages. However, it is an extremely rare wool. For example, while we globally produce 500,000 tons of sheep's wool, and 6,500 tons of cashmere, alpaca wool is only produced on a scale of 4,000 tons per year!
Finally, although alpaca wool is recognized as being one of the finest and most luxurious fibers in the world, it is however available in several different qualities, and its fineness is calculated in microns.