House of Kahn Celebrates Golden Milestone December 1, 2013 – Posted in: Press
By ROBERT JANJIGIAN
Photography By JEFF LANGLOIS
Published on: Sunday, December 1, 2013
Patriarch and Matriarch Edward and Adele Kahn, Founder of House of Kahn Estate Jewelers in Palm Beach, Florida and Chicago, Illinois
The family-owned House of Kahn Estate Jewelers firm, a Peruvian Avenue fixture since 1971, was started a half-century ago in Chicago.
“I was tired of traveling and wanted to settle down,” said Adele Kahn, who runs the business with her husband Edward.
After marrying 56 years ago, the Kahns initially hit the road together, joining forces in his work as a traveling estate and fine jewelry dealer.
“My husband taught me everything about the jewelry trade,” said Adele Kahn, whose family in Toronto was in the apparel business. “I liked his business better — with jewelry, nothing ever really goes out of style.”
“I loved traveling,” said Edward Kahn, who was based originally in New York City. “But I knew I had to keep my wife happy.”
So when Adele Kahn wanted to put down roots, the couple landed in the Midwest.
“We liked Chicago and opened our own estate jewelry salon at 900 N. Michigan Ave.” she said. “Today, there’s a skyscraper there.”
The couple gradually built a lucrative estate jewelry business in the Windy City, working together and starting a family. Their three children, two daughters and a son, were born in Chicago. One daughter, Tobina, still works with her parents, running the Chicago branch of House of Kahn.
The Kahns also began investing in real estate, both buying and selling properties for themselves and working with a Chicago broker who had a major client that operated restaurants throughout the United States.
That connection led to the purchase of the 20,000-square-foot residential-commercial property on the island at 231 Peruvian Ave. in 1971. They intended to offer the property, described by Adele Kahn as “a little down on its heels,” to the restaurant company, but the corporate decision-makers perceived Palm Beach as too seasonal for them.
The Kahns, however, liked the town and opened a second House of Kahn in a new location.
“We had visited Palm Beach for many years to get away from the harsh Chicago winters,” said Adele Kahn. “It was a happy accident, buying this place and opening at first for the season, from December to March.
“We lived behind the store, and Eddie still ran the business in Chicago, visiting as often as he could.”
In 1981, the Kahns moved to Palm Beach full-time, closing their Chicago salon until 2001, when daughter Tobina reopened the business there.
“We loved Palm Beach, and we still do,” said Adele Kahn, who came to appreciate the quiet summer, eventually opening the salon year-round. “It’s a safe and secure place for us and an active market.”
“We’re a good team,” said Edward Kahn, who agrees with his wife that their long-term success is based on the notion of “buying and selling right.”
“It is also important to be discreet about your customers, to build a reputation for handling fabulous pieces and for honesty in doing business,” said Adele Kahn. “We also like to be a part of the town.”
The Kahns have supported numerous charities since landing in Palm Beach and are active in the Jewish community.
“Eddie and Adele are good people,” said longtime resident Ruby Rinker, who describes herself as a customer, neighbor and friend. “The House of Kahn is truly an institution on the island and they have established themselves as a top-quality purveyor of what Adele sees not just as jewelry, but as works of art.”
“They have set the standard of excellence one expects in Palm Beach,” Rinker said. “And they are very generous, but in a quiet way.”
“The House of Kahn is an example of the kind of business that contributes to the rich tapestry of the commercial sector on the island,” said Laurel Baker, executive director of the Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce. “They are like the other independent family businesses that separate Palm Beach from other generic shopping destinations.”