Continental Diamond - New PS Vendor

[Wink]

Wink's a Marine. He'd be good anywhere.

Thank you for the confidence in my half century old skills. While I remember the basics of my jiu jitsu training, I would no longer qualify for a belt of any color other than white. Even then, I only needed my skills twice, and the near instantaneous finish to the fights was greatly enjoyed by me.

While I was studying in Brasil with Carley Gracie back in 1970, 71 and 72, I worked very hard and quickly learned that there are some very tough hombres in this world, and I am not one of them. I was very lucky the two times I needed my skills was against far less skilled people than I was.

What I really learned fairly well was how to see trouble coming and in most instances, avoid it. And, as I said, that swivel headed thing has lead to me meeting many, many new friends, far more than the few times it spotted potential danger.

I have traveled to many places in the world as a civilian, and walked streets which perhaps a wiser man would have avoided. Even in those places, I managed to meet new friends.

I am blessed to have met so many people of so many places and religions. I do not know why I am so lucky, and I give thanks often. While I am proud of being a former Marine, if I had written your sentence above, it may have read, "Wink's a good man. He'd be good anywhere."

 

[Wink]

All of this without making me feel like a nuisance/annoyance, even though I do not make decisions in a hurry and overanalyze the heck out of everything.

Did I, perchance, meet you when I came to Continental a few years ago to assist with a sale they were having?

 

[Wink]

Yay Wink! Congrats on this new exciting venture!

Thank you.

 

[Ibrakeforpossums]

Thank you for the confidence in my half century old skills. While I remember the basics of my jiu jitsu training, I would no longer qualify for a belt of any color other than white. Even then, I only needed my skills twice, and the near instantaneous finish to the fights was greatly enjoyed by me.

While I was studying in Brasil with Carley Gracie back in 1970, 71 and 72, I worked very hard and quickly learned that there are some very tough hombres in this world, and I am not one of them. I was very lucky the two times I needed my skills was against far less skilled people than I was.

What I really learned fairly well was how to see trouble coming and in most instances, avoid it. And, as I said, that swivel headed thing has lead to me meeting many, many new friends, far more than the few times it spotted potential danger.

I have traveled to many places in the world as a civilian, and walked streets which perhaps a wiser man would have avoided. Even in those places, I managed to meet new friends.

I am blessed to have met so many people of so many places and religions. I do not know why I am so lucky, and I give thanks often. While I am proud of being a former Marine, if I had written your sentence above, it may have read, "Wink's a good man. He'd be good anywhere."

Instincts, sir, the instincts and reflexes to avoid a confrontation are what I admire most. And your powers of observation have served you with the many good people you've encountered. That door swings both ways.
Wink, you're not just a good man, you're beloved. It's all over this forum.

 

[mn_shopaholic]

Did I, perchance, meet you when I came to Continental a few years ago to assist with a sale they were having?

Yes

 

[lovedogs]

CONGRATS, WINK!!!!

 

[autumngems]

Very exciting. I just checked out their website, they have some lovely in-house ring designs. Unfortunately, they aren’t (yet?) fully set up for nationwide online retail. Lots of the dreaded “Call for pricing and availability” and “so much more available in store.”

Agree, I hate all that call for pricing/availability, I will wait until they list on PS so I can view and compare prices.

 

[Wink]

Agree, I hate all that call for pricing/availability, I will wait until they list on PS so I can view and compare prices.

We are having to do a transfer from one platform to another and it will take months.

I agree, it can be aggravating, but I also know that comparing prices on the net is often tricky. Are you comparing apples to apples or apples to fruit loops?

I remember when I was selling some spectacular color in the early days of the net. Then came the heavily photoshopped "gems" from foreign vendors that were major disappointments to the buyers who could not get their money refunded. Those fake deals made it very hard for legitimate sellers to compete because of the appearance of over pricing, when in fact the "deals" were the overpriced items.

It was also difficult to sell well made diamonds on the net back in the day, as the price for a 1 carat G-VS2 was dramatically different for diamonds of different cut qualities.

Fortunately, AGS did their research and introduced their diamond cut grading reports, which made selling the better cut diamonds much easier on line. It was already easy in house, as our clients could look at one and the other and their eyes did the choosing.

By the way, if you do make the effort to call, you can get personalized videos sent to you for your on line viewing. These can be very helpful in determining if you are getting the best price, or the best value.

 

[ame]

Yes.

This is a fantastic announcment!!! That photo of you really is fantastic, btw.

 

[ame]

Thank you for the confidence in my half century old skills. While I remember the basics of my jiu jitsu training, I would no longer qualify for a belt of any color other than white. Even then, I only needed my skills twice, and the near instantaneous finish to the fights was greatly enjoyed by me.

While I was studying in Brasil with Carley Gracie back in 1970, 71 and 72, I worked very hard and quickly learned that there are some very tough hombres in this world, and I am not one of them. I was very lucky the two times I needed my skills was against far less skilled people than I was.

What I really learned fairly well was how to see trouble coming and in most instances, avoid it. And, as I said, that swivel headed thing has lead to me meeting many, many new friends, far more than the few times it spotted potential danger.

I have traveled to many places in the world as a civilian, and walked streets which perhaps a wiser man would have avoided. Even in those places, I managed to meet new friends.

I am blessed to have met so many people of so many places and religions. I do not know why I am so lucky, and I give thanks often. While I am proud of being a former Marine, if I had written your sentence above, it may have read, "Wink's a good man. He'd be good anywhere."

A GRACIE TRAINED FIGHTER!!!

 

[Wink]

A GRACIE TRAINED FIGHTER!!!

This was long before anyone in the states had ever heard of the Gracies. Carley was the eleventh of twenty-two children.

He invited Resa and I to go with him to his father’s hacienda one weekend. His father was in his seventies and ran down a hill to greet us, spoke for a few minutes, invited Resa to ride one of his horses, then turned and ran back up the hill.

At the time I was running ten to fifteen miles a day. I could have run up the hill, but no where near as effortlessly as Senhor Gracie.



This is a photo of Resa riding that day. I love the way her beautiful hair flowed behind her as she rode.

 

[ame]

This was long before anyone in the states had ever heard of the Gracies. Carley was the eleventh of twenty-two children.

He invited Resa and I to go with him to his father’s hacienda one weekend. His father was in his seventies and ran down a hill to greet us, spoke for a few minutes, invited Resa to ride one of his horses, then turned and ran back up the hill.

At the time I was running ten to fifteen miles a day. I could have run up the hill, but no where near as effortlessly as Senhor Gracie.



This is a photo of Resa riding that day. I love the way her beautiful hair flowed behind her as she rode.

Not only a beautiful photo, but an incredible experience!!

 

[Wink]

Not only a beautiful photo, but an incredible experience!!

That it was. Being in my early twenties, in excellent shape, deeply in love with the lady I have been married to for more than 49 years now, my life was a series of one incredible experience after another.

One of those was having the run of the Embassy dark room. Full access to out of date chemicals, black and white film and paper. My friends in the dark room told me the stuff was usable for about two to three years out of date.

At the time I was making a little over $350 per month as a Sgt. in the Marines. Free run of the dark room was like Christmas year round.

 

[luvmysparklies]

This was long before anyone in the states had ever heard of the Gracies. Carley was the eleventh of twenty-two children.

He invited Resa and I to go with him to his father’s hacienda one weekend. His father was in his seventies and ran down a hill to greet us, spoke for a few minutes, invited Resa to ride one of his horses, then turned and ran back up the hill.

At the time I was running ten to fifteen miles a day. I could have run up the hill, but no where near as effortlessly as Senhor Gracie.



This is a photo of Resa riding that day. I love the way her beautiful hair flowed behind her as she rode.

Beautiful!

 

[Wink]

Beautiful!

Thank you.