High accuracy non-relativistic quantum chemical calculations of the ground state energies and wavefunctions of symmetric three-particle Coulomb systems of the form {m ± 1 m ± 2 m ∓ 3 }, m 1 = m 2 , are calculated using an efficient and effective series solution method in a triple orthogonal Laguerre basis set. These energies are used to determine an accurate lower bound to the stability zone of unit-charge three-particle Coulomb systems using an expression for the width of the stability band in terms of g,t h ef r a c t i o n a la d d i t i o n a lb i n d i n gd u et oat h i r dp a r t i c l e .T h er e s u l t sa r ep r e s e n t e di nt h ef o r mo f areciprocalmassfractionternarydiagramandtheenergiesusedtoderi veaparameterisedfunction g(a 3 ), where a 3 = m 3 )isthereciprocalmassoftheuniquelychargedparticle. It is found that the function is not minimal at a 3 = 0whichcorrespondsto∞H − nor is it minimal at the positronium negative ion (Ps − )t h es y s t e mw i t ht h el e a s ta b s o l u t ee n e r g e t i cg a i nb ya s s o c iation with a third particle; the function g(a 3 )i sm i n i m a la tm 1 /m 3 = 0.49, and a possible physical interpretation in terms of the transition from atomic-like to molecular-like is provided. ©2013AIP Publishing LLC. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4834036]