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Frequently Asked Questions





Urban Lifestyle Ltd. © 2008. All rights reserved.
General FAQ
I am a reseller, do you supply wholesale?
Do you ship the products across the world?
How long does shipping take?
Tea FAQ
What is FTGFOP -1S?
What is Darjeeling Tea?
What makes Darjeeling Tea so Exclusive?
What are the Different Flavours associated with Darjeeling Tea?
What is the importance of the Darjeeling Logo?
What should be checked before buying a packet of Darjeeling Tea?
What does Organic tea means?
What does leaf grade tell about a tea?
What does ‘Flush’ mean, when referring to Darjeeling tea?
Do you supply tea bags also?
What are the health benefits of tea?
How do I brew a cup of tea?
Pashmina FAQ
What is pashmina? Is it the same as cashmere and shahtoosh?
What factors contribute to the quality in pashmina shawls?
What size are the shawls?
What does "Standard Ply" or 2 ply pashmina means?
What does "Single Ply" or 1 ply pashmina means?
What is a 100% pashmina, 70% Pashmina 30% Silk Blended Pashmina and 50% pashmina 50% Silk Blended Pashmina?
what is a ring shawl?
How much does your color match with the color code I specify?
Are your pashminas genuine? What is the exact fiber they are made from?
Do you sell hand loomed or machine loomed pashmina?
 
I am a reseller, do you supply wholesale?
Yes. We supply to quite a few online and real world shops internationally. Most come back to us time and again. Our prices are very competitive and our quality really is unbeatable. You can contact us with your requirements and we get back to you in reference to your enquiry.

Do you ship the products across the world? Top

Yes, we do the courier through our offical courier company Fedex or its equivalent. Fedex charges as per applicable for transaction on actuals will be charged. The shipping charges may vary depending upon the shipping mode and the country where the porducts are being shipped.

How long does shipping take? Top

The shipment will be despatched in 3 weeks from the date the order is placed. Express orders tend to arrive within 6 days. Please note however that the times in transit vary depending on your location.

 
What is FTGFOP -1S? Top
FTGFOP-1S is the grade of the Tea. FTGFOP - 1S stands for Fancy [or Fine] Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe. 'Fancy' is a term also used in the grading of oolongs.

What is Darjeeling Tea? Top
According to the Tea Board Of India - "Darjeeling Tea" means tea which has been cultivated, grown, produced, manufactured and processed in tea gardens in the hilly areas of Sadar Sub-Division, only hilly areas of Kalimpong Sub-Division comprising of Samabeong Tea Estate, Ambiok Tea Estate, Mission Hill Tea Estate and Kumai Tea Estate and Kurseong Sub-Division excluding the areas in jurisdiction list 20,21,23,24,29,31 and 33 comprising Subtiguri Sub-Division of New Chumta Tea Estate, Simulbari and Marionbari Tea Estate of Kurseong Police Station in Kurseong Sub-Division of the District of Darjeeling in the State of West Bengal, India. Darjeeling Tea, when brewed, has a distinctive, naturally occurring aroma and taste with light tea liquour and the infused leaf of which has a distinctive fragrance.

What makes Darjeeling Tea so Exclusive? Top
Darjeeling Tea is widely and universally acknowledged to be the finest tea, because its flavour is so unique that it cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world. It has no equal. Grown in the romantic and mystical mountainous region of Darjeeling at an elevation of 750 - 2000 metre, the tea is imbued with an incomparable charisma and quality.

Even the tea pluckers, well aware of the status their produce enjoys throughout the world, pick only the finest two leaf and the bud to enhance the unique flavour which has been described as “Muscatel”. Gifted with these natural elements, the simple fact that only 10 million Kg. of Darjeeling Tea is produced annually by the Darjeeling district, has made it all more exclusive and desirable. Adherance to this high quality profile, results in extremely low yields. It would not be an overstatement to say that Darjeeling Tea is by far the finest and most sought after Tea in the world.

What are the Different Flavours associated with Darjeeling Tea? Top

The Flavours of Darjeeling Tea differs from Season to Season. According to the plucking period, the seasons can be categorised as under :

Easter Flush (March - April), Spring Flush (May - June), Summer Flush (July - September), Autumn Flush (October - November).

What is the importance of the Darjeeling Logo? Top
The Darjeeling Logo is a property of The Tea Board of India. It was launched in 1983. It is a symbol that verifies that the packet / caddy etc contains 100 % pure Darjeeling, unblended with teas from any other growth. There are certian procedures prescribed by the Tea Board of India to be complied with to get permission for the printing of the logo on a product.

What should be checked before buying a packet of Darjeeling Tea? Top
The Packet must have a Darjeeling Tea Logo. "Darjeeling” or “Pure Darjeeling” or “100% Darjeeling” - must be mentioned.

What does Organic tea means?   Top
Tea qualifies as ‘organic’ only when active use of environment friendly techniques are employed and the system is approved by inspecting authority to be truly ‘organically farmed’.

What does leaf grade tell about a tea?   Top
Tea has many secrets but none you can discover with a few helpful tips.
In traditional tea production there are 4 main groups of leaf grades.

Leaf - the tea leaves remain unbroken
Broken - the leaves are broken in coarse pieces. Somewhat stronger at the same weight than leaf tea.
Fannings - thick broken but still with small leaf substance (used in high quality tea bags)
Dust - the smallest siftings (tea bag quality)
One quality characteristic distinctive of the northern Indian tea gardens is the times of the particular harvests.

What does ‘Flush’ mean, when referring to Darjeeling tea?   Top
In tea, the tender apical portions of shoots comprising the terminal bud, the internodes and two or three expanding leaves immediately below it, which together constitute the crop, the ‘flush’. Flush refers to the four separate plucking seasons throughout the year, each known for it’s distinctive flavor. First Flush (March - April), Second Flush (May - June), Monsoon Flush (July - September) and Autumnal Flush (October - November) are the traditional names.

Do you supply tea bags also?   Top
Yes we supply tea bags (masala, earl grey, orange, kasmiri kahwa, and darjeeling) also in individual sachet of 2 gms each.

What are the health benefits of tea?   Top
Many studies have demonstrated the anti-cancer properties of tea. They can stop the damage that free radicals do to cells, neutralize enzymes essential for tumor growth, and deactivate cancer promoters. Their effect on heart disease is less well understood. Some laboratory studies have found that tea helps prevent blood clotting and lower cholesterol levels. The leap to preventing heart attacks, however, has not yet been made.

Tea also has fluoride for strong teeth, virtually no calories, and half the amount of caffeine found in an equally-sized cup of coffee.

How do I brew a cup of tea?   Top

Put loose tea either directly into the teapot, or into an infuser, tea ball or filter. A general rule is to use 1 rounded teaspoon per cup of tea. Adjust according to tea type and taste.

Boil the Water.Once the water is heated, pour just a small amount into the teapot, swirl to cover bottom & sides, and then discard. This will create a warming effect, to help tea stay warm longer.

While boiled water is perfect for many tea types (black & oolong), other tea types such as green tea and some white teas are best with hot, but not boiling water (remove prior to reaching boiling).

Pour the hot water into the teapot, recap & let brew for 3 to 5 minutes, or an appropriate time best for the individual tea type. Leaving an infuser, teaball or filter in longer may result in a stronger and perhaps bitter tasting tea.

 

 
What is pashmina? Is it the same as cashmere and shahtoosh?   Top
Pashmina is a term applied to the wool, and products made from the wool, derived from the undercoat of the Capra hircus goat, a domestic breed raised primarily at high elevations in Asia.

Shahtoosh, on the other hand, is a fiber derived from the undercoat of an endangered Tibetan antelope, and is illegal in most Western countries. It is much more expensive than pashmina.

What factors contribute to the quality in pashmina shawls?   Top
The main factors, of course, are the specific fabric blend, and the style of looming ("hand" or "machine"). A relatively minor cost factor is the dye. We use Swiss dyes to compete the quality.

What size are the shawls?   Top
The Craft House Pashmina products come in following sizes and can be worn by both the genders:
Shawl (100 cms x 200 cms)
Wrap / Stole (60 cms x 180cms)
Large Muffler (55 cms x 180 cms)
Scarf / Muffler ( 30 cms x 150 cms)

What does "Standard Ply" or 2 ply pashmina means?   Top
Standard Ply is an industry term that is also known as 2 ply and shares the equivalent thickness of the wool. Standard ply is the most popular and typical thickness for pashminas as it allows the shawl to be worn as a warm scarf when it is chilly as well as an elegant shawl or wrap even when it is warm outdoors.

What does "Single Ply" or 1 ply pashmina means?   Top
1-Ply pashminas are pashmina shawls that are slightly more sheer than our regular Standard Ply shawls. As the thread count is not equivalent to that of the Standard Ply shawls, the amount of pashmina wool used is significantly lower. This is the reason the price for these shawls are lower.

What is a 100% pashmina, 70% Pashmina 30% Silk Blended Pashmina and 50% pashmina 50% Silk Blended Pashmina?   Top
Actually these are the quality of pashmina wool. 100% pashmina refers to the pure pashmina wool and no silk is blended in 100% pashmina. 70% pashmina and 30% silk blended pashmina refers to pashmina wool that has the mixture of 70% pure pashmina wool and 30% silk. And the 50% pashmina and 50% silk blended pashmina has a mixture of 50% pure pashmina and 50% silk.

what is a ring shawl?   Top
The "ring shawl" is a full-sized 100% pure pashmina shawl that theoretically is fine enough to pass through a ring. Longer, finer fibers are better because they are much softer, that's why a large shawl (200 cms X 100 cms) made of finest cashmere fibers can pass through a ring, this kind of precious Pashmina shawl is known as the ring shawl because it is so fine that it can easily pass through a woman's ring. This shawl is so elegant and luxurious you'll love it at first sight. It conveys not only affluence but also taste and elegance.

How much does your color match with the specified color code?   Top
The color code gives us a idea of the color you want, its depth, hue and brightness. For 1-10 pieces, we reach 95-100% of the exact color and for more than 10 pieces, we can provide you the exact color of your choice. The color remains different due to different resolutions, color display by different computers of different configuration.

Are your pashminas genuine? What is the exact fiber they are made from?   Top
Our pashminas are 100% authentic and genuine pashmina shawls. They are made strictly from 100% of the finest pashmina (cashmere) wool. We do not blend our pashminas with silk or synthetics.

Who weaves and dyes the Pashminas?   Top
Our Pashmina is Hand spun and hand woven. Every winter pashmina wool is sheared from the mountain goats and washed and graded. The wool is spun into yarn. Silk yarn and Pashmina yarn are hand-woven in wooden frames, the ends are cut and ready to be dyed. After dyeing, fringes are knotted and the Pashmina are dry cleaned for final packaging.