Vicuña
Scientific name
Vicugna vicugna
Considered the finest animal fibre in the world.
A fine, short fibre with locks that are generally straight or slightly wavy (it does not form curls), open in structure, with a silky appearance and not spongy.
It has very high and uniform fineness (generally between 12 and 14 microns), high natural lustre, extreme softness, shorter length than alpaca, low density, and excellent elasticity, with little tendency to felt or pill due to the fineness and structure of its fibre.
Guanaco
Scientific name
Lama guanicoe
Considered a noble and wild fibre.
It has slightly wavy locks, low loft, moderate thermal protection, fineness between 14 and 20 microns, moderate lustre, medium softness, short length, lower density, and greater elasticity than alpaca, with a medium tendency to friction.
It has a double coat (fine undercoat fibres and coarse outer guard hairs), which requires dehairing for fine textile applications.