Thread: Coticule Question

Since I have recently become afflicted with HAD I'm finding all sorts of questions about natural stones. Many have been addressed in the forums, but I haven't found an answer to this one.

Were non-combination coticules ever sold without some type of backing? I understand that they're rather fragile and benefit from being mounted to something more rigid. If a coticule were rather thick would it need to be mounted to anything else, or are they too fragile to be sold that way?

Thanks,

- Mark

I have seen a very thick stone sold on ebay that was said by the seller to be a coticule. It had no backing. IME having a vintage yellow coticule with blue backing slip from my fingers a couple of inches above a counter top I can tell you the yellow breaks easily. If it didn't they wouldn't go to the time, expense, and trouble of gluing the backing on.

Was it not also a way of getting more bang for their buck by being able to cut the coticule thinner?

Originally Posted by AlanII

Was it not also a way of getting more bang for their buck by being able to cut the coticule thinner?

I'm not sure about that. Looking at the ones I have I think the thickness is determined by the vein that it comes out of. Here is a photo that Bart put up on his coming soon website here. Welcome to Coticule.be

How beautiful!!!!
The backing was also intended to allow using the stone entirely.

That's a lovely picture and I do like your explanation too. Thank you.

It seems that this gorgeous one has never had any backing.

Congrats btw on your own coticule find! Welcome to the club!

I knew that I had seen one somewhere, though I completely forgot that I had made a coment in the thread. Would have made searching for it a LOT easier.

I just posted another thread that identifies the source of my question, especilly since it's out of my budget at this point in the bidding process. Dang shipping costs from AU. Even if it turns out it's not a coticule I'd like to have a chance to use that stone, just to see what it's like.

Originally Posted by Strapped-4-Cache

Even if it turns out it's not a coticule I'd like to have a chance to use that stone, just to see what it's like.

+1 I think that is called HAD.

Does anyone else also remember reading somewhere that a very thin yellow would get quite weak if it got too wet, and the slate helped negate that?

That said, they really aren't supposed to be soaked, are they? Just water/slurry on top, right? I don't have one yet...should be here some time this week [giddy] but it's a combo, so no backing...