Pure Alpaca Guarantee

When we make the choice to invest in a product, we expect it to be "the real deal." Everyone has experienced the disappointment at one time or another of looking at the label of your "cashmere sweater" to find that it only contains 10% cashmere, or discovering that your fancy, organic apple juice has more sugar in it than apples.

When you purchase alpaca products through Sun Valley Alpaca Co., rest assured that you are investing in the finest quality alpaca, guaranteed. We certify that all of our items accurately show the fiber content, and back it up with the IAA-- International Alpaca Association branding program. Why the guarantee?

Many retailers understand how coveted alpaca is, so they include "Alpaca" in the title of a garment whenever possible. However in some cases, they are actually selling a blend, or sometimes a garment with no alpaca at all. This is intentionally deceptive advertising

We want to assure you that you are purchasing either 100% pure alpaca, or a blend that showcases the fiber content,  with alpaca being the bulk of the item.

To be in compliance with the US rules on advertising, if a term is used in the name of a product, the product must contain more of that element than any other. This is most evident when walking the aisles of a grocery store, but it applies to clothing as well. 

For example, these two bottles of ketchup perfectly illustrate the concept:

In order to call the Heinz brand product (right) "Tomato Ketchup," it must contain more tomatoes than any other ingredient. If not, the word "tomato" cannot be used in the labeling. The alternate brand's ketchup (left), does not include the word "tomato" in its name because tomatoes are not the first ingredient.

In retail, the terms alpaca, cashmere, mohair, etc. are often used inappropriately; leading a consumer to believe that they are purchasing something they are not. Unfortunately, the US Government has not cracked down on these practices in our industry.

When you purchase something that is advertised as made from a fine textile, be sure to read the content label. Remember that to be called an "Alpaca" sweater, it has to contain more alpaca than anything else.

In addition to personally guaranteeing the accuracy of our garment content labels, Sun Valley Alpaca Co. is one of only three companies in the United States licensed by the International Alpaca Association. Attached to every product you purchase from us, you will find an IAA certification hangtag, officially guaranteeing the authenticity of the product and the quality of the alpaca fiber used. The Alpaca Origin Mark you see on the tag is used only by the International Alpaca Association. 

Included with all Sun Valley Alpaca Co. products, you will find one of the following quality identifier hangtags issued by the IAA:

Origin Mark Gold- Guarantees that an item is composed of 100% Baby Alpaca, the softest, finest alpaca fiber available. Micron 21-22.5

Origin Mark Silver- Guarantees that an item is composed of 100% Alpaca Superfine. Micron 23-26.5

Origin Mark White- Guarantees that an Alpaca Blend product contains 70% Alpaca Fiber, (can be blended with wool, silk, acrylic, or other fiber that must be specified on label.)

Hologram Mark- Embedded design designates quality. Can be used with or without the above cards. Can be used alone on small items as a rule, however the IAA Registration number must appear as well.

At Sun Valley Alpaca Co., we believe that our customers deserve the very best, and that is one of the many reasons why we are proud to offer a Pure Alpaca Guarantee.