A micron is one thousandth of a millimeter.
It is a measurement most people will never encounter outside of textiles and biology, and even within textiles, most labels don't mention it. Thread count gets headlines. Micron count is left to the producers who know what it means.
Here is what it means.
The scale
For reference:
| Fiber | Typical micron count |
|---|---|
| Human hair | 70 µ |
| Coarse wool | 35–40 µ |
| Merino wool | 18–24 µ |
| Cashmere | 15–19 µ |
| Baby alpaca | 21–23 µ |
| Vicuña | 12–14 µ |
The lower the number, the finer the fiber. Finer fibers don't prick the skin — they bend rather than resist. This is why merino wool doesn't scratch the way a wool sweater from the 1970s did. The scratching threshold for most people is around 30 microns. Below that, the fiber is soft to the touch. Far below that, it becomes what people mean when they say something feels like nothing.
Why baby alpaca sits at 21–23 microns
An alpaca's fleece changes throughout its life. The first shearing — taken once, when the animal is young — produces the finest fiber it will ever grow. That fiber measures 21–23 microns. After the first shearing, the fiber gradually coarsens. By the animal's third or fourth shearing, it may measure 26–28 microns — still good, no longer baby.
This is why "baby alpaca" is a designation worth verifying. It is not a breed name. It is not a marketing term. It refers to a specific moment in the animal's production — and that moment can be traced, certified, and guaranteed. The Alpaca Origin Mark exists precisely to provide that chain of custody.
Every Paqari throw carries the Alpaca Origin Certification — which traces the fiber from animal to finished product.
What the hollow fiber does
Baby alpaca is unique among fine fibers in one structural property: the individual filaments are hollow.
This matters for two reasons.
Warmth without weight. The hollow core traps air, creating insulation. A baby alpaca throw achieves warmth through structure rather than mass. The Paqari throw weighs 18 ounces. It provides warmth equivalent to a much heavier wool blanket. This is why alpaca has been the primary insulating textile in the Peruvian highlands for centuries — the altitude demands warmth; the daily herding demands light weight.
No lanolin. Sheep and goat fibers contain lanolin — a natural oil that is the source of most wool and cashmere allergies. Alpaca fiber contains no lanolin. The result is a fiber that is genuinely hypoallergenic for most people. Those who cannot wear wool sweaters, who find cashmere irritating, who have given up on fine textiles for this reason — they can almost always use baby alpaca without reaction.
What micron count does not tell you
Micron is a measure of fineness, not quality in the complete sense.
A 21-micron fiber can be poorly processed, poorly dyed, blended with synthetic fill, or woven by hands that don't know what they're doing with it. The number is necessary but not sufficient.
Paqari throws are woven in Peru from 100% baby alpaca with no blending. Micron count describes fiber fineness; yarn, weave, and finishing also affect the finished piece.
The number on the label
Most throws, blankets, and apparel sold as "alpaca" or "baby alpaca" don't disclose micron count. This is not an accident.
When you see micron count disclosed — specifically 21–23 µ — it signals a producer who knows their supply chain well enough to measure it, and confident enough in the result to show it.
The Paqari throw: 21–23 micron. 100% baby alpaca. First shearing only.
