Thread: Is it a Coticule, and what is the RED stone on the back of it?

Once again I have found a hone wich I'm not sure of what it is.
I bought it in Belgium, and it looks like the more older coticules I have seen, more yellowish.
And what I am especially cerious about is the backside, it has a red/bordeaux color and has a lot of "drawings" in it.
The hone seems to be like this naturally, there are no clear marks of gluing them together like on the new one. Altough, the line is deadstraight.
I have taken a lot of pictures but I'm only showing the ones that represent the color the way it is, and in comparrison with my new real Coticule wich has a more grey color. (like al the new Coticules now I think)

Dimensions are: 12cm * 3cm (aprox: 5" * 1"3/16) (New coticule = 15cm*5cm = 6"*2")

Yes you've got a coticule. The backing looks like Belgian blue stone.

Originally Posted by S0LITARYS0LDIER

Yes you've got a coticule. The backing looks like Belgian blue stone.

JEEEEEJJJ ^^, I didn't know belgian blue stones came in different colors. Thanks for the reply! I have tested it and it feels really sticky under clear water. Now waiting fo that beard to grow...

(I think this thread is very similar to this one "Belgian coticule help!!" I only saw it now.)

It is most likely a La Lorraine on the back. The redish color with the cloudy pattering and especially the white lines that show up on the sides are typical for the Lorraine veine.

Originally Posted by hatzicho

It is most likely a La Lorraine on the back. The redish color with the cloudy pattering and especially the white lines that show up on the sides are typical for the Lorraine veine.

that's what i thought as well. but then, the la lorraine layer is quite thin, but bbw was and is abundant. so why use la lorraine when there is so much bbw available?

Simple answer - during the past years Maurice Celis, the owner of Ardennes didn't distinguish between BBW and the Lorraine layer. Means Lorraine was also sold and used as BBW. This will most probably change when he is exploiting the Regné mine. The test drilling he did the past two years to find the different layers at Regné shows the interesting different colors of BBW and Lorraine.

well, I don't know what I'm doing wrong on the big Conticule, but on this one I'm getting much better results... seems like the big one is much slower.

Size doesn't say anything about quality, fineness and speed of a coticule. Coticules perform different from vein to vein and often stone to stone even within a certain vein. So most probably your stones are from different veins and perform different.
Coticules always demand time and efforts. They want to be developped and conquered- just like a nice appealing lady

Originally Posted by hatzicho

Size doesn't say anything about quality, fineness and speed of a coticule. Coticules perform different from vein to vein and often stone to stone even within a certain vein. So most probably your stones are from different veins and perform different.
Coticules always demand time and efforts. They want to be developped and conquered- just like a nice appealing lady

Better not let the misses read all this or there'll be 2 stones for sale in no time ;-)

Didn't know to difference was that big!