The perfect setting for a jewelry shop

You can’t miss the distinctive complex at 231 Peruvian Ave. with its name posted prominently on an arch: House of Kahn.

The property has seen tenants come and go, but the centerpiece has remained a fixture on the island. The House of Kahn Estate Jewelers is still run by Adele and Edward Kahn, who opened their Palm Beach shop in 1971, about a decade after starting the business in Chicago.

Clients will find Adele Kahn behind her desk in an office inside the flat-roofed building, fielding phone calls as she reminisces about Palm Beach, which she says she fell in love with in 1964.

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"We were in Miami and we drove up. I was amazed at how pretty it was."

She has a treasure trove of mementos from the old days. An office wall is covered with photos of clients with whom she and Edward have done business — buying their estate jewels — over the years. Actor Raymond Burr, she said, had “an exciting estate.”

She has film star Gloria Swanson’s manicure set, parts of which, she said, are “solid gold. My daughter used to do her nails with it when she was growing up.”

The couple met in the late 1950s in Toronto, where Adele was from, when Edward was on a business trip.

“My husband was in the jewelry business when I met him,” she said. “I was born in the clothing business. I said, 'Gee this is a good business; jewelry doesn't go out of style.' And so I went into the business with him, traveling a lot on the road. It was very difficult in those days because women weren't really accepted."

Niche marketing

They launched House of Kahn Estate Jewelers on Michigan Avenue in Chicago in 1960 and carved their own niche. They would focus on purchasing estate jewelry and finding buyers for the collections.

On a trip to Florida, they spotted the property on Peruvian Avenue, at the time owned by General Motors car designer Harley Earl. Adele Kahn said she “dabbled” in real estate and decided to buy the property and buildings with the intention of renting to a restaurant.

“A man was selling garden statues here, and the other building was a part-time hotel,” she said. "It was a disaster, but I looked at the possibilities.

"I went to the tenant I thought would take it but they weren't interested. I was in deep trouble. So, I decided to use it; and believe it or not, I lived in the back. One of my happiest times. Later, when we decided to come here for good, we bought a huge house on the ocean."

The Kahns had three children.

Daughter Tobina Kahn, now president of the company and based in Chicago, said House of Kahn evolved into a place for people to come in and sell their jewelry “quickly and discretely.”

“Where we thrive is that we buy people's things immediately — write them a check as opposed to them using an auction house,” she said.

"If you're somebody famous like Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, take your stuff to auction and you'll do very well. If it's your average mom's or grandmother's jewels, then an auction house is not going to be the best place because the commissions are high, and it takes too long to get paid. That's why we stay busy.

"We primarily sell to dealers overseas. Europeans still like the older traditional jewels, so there's a market for us. Here in America, most people are selling — in Europe most people are buying. It's more of an investment for the European clientele."

Valuable asset

The Kahns believe they have a prized piece of real estate in Palm Beach because it’s a little off Worth Avenue but has something most other island businesses don’t — a parking lot. It’s shared with the property’s three tenants: Donna Kelly Makeup, Palm Beach Pharma Corp, and Gregory Boyajian, a cosmetic dentist. The Kahns are looking to lease the space left by picture framer Pierce-Archer, which moved to South County Road on Jan. 2.

Adele and Tobina Kahn, who grew up on the island, are constantly singing the praises of Palm Beach.

Tobina Kahn remembers delivering jewels after school to island icons such as Estée Lauder, making sure the pieces fit right. “I’ve driven down many a long and winding drive,” she said.

Ruby Rinker, who owns the building next door on Peruvian, calls Adele Kahn “an excellent neighbor. She's very devoted to Palm Beach, and she's served many of the old guard families over the years. She can tell you stories all day long that are fascinating.

"She's a very dear friend. They're very lovely people and they're both devoted to Palm Beach."

Adele Kahn said she plays the stock market but prefers investing in jewelry. “An old-timer told me once you can take anything in your pocket and sell it,” she said. “Jewels, you can go anyplace in the world and sell them.”