Kentshire

DESCRIPTION

Established in 1940 and spanning three generations of family ownership, Kentshire is one of the foremost dealers of fine period and estate jewelry in the United States. Kentshire was founded as the United State Silver Co. by Benson Imberman, who established himself as a dealer in Georgian and modern silver. His son, Fred Imberman and son-in-law, Robert Israel joined the firm in 1968, and within a few years began building a world class inventory of antique English furniture and objects.

In the 1980s, the vision of the firm expanded with the addition of antique and period jewelry under the aegis of sisters-in-law Ellen Israel and Marcie Imberman They brought the same exacting standards to their jewelry collection that their husbands had to the furniture: excellence of design, fine workmanship and authenticity. To those criteria, the women brought an eye for contemporary fashion and wearability.

In 1988, Kentshire established a free-standing boutique in New York's premier luxury destination, Bergdorf Goodman. Their antique and estate jewelry department continues to occupy a select location on the store's seventh floor, directly next to BG Restaurant.

Carrie Imberman and her brother, Matthew, joined the firm in 2004, after working in fashion and contemporary art, respectively. As the third generation to own Kentshire, Carrie and Matthew–both in their 40s–have over 30 years of combined experience operating an iconic, New York heritage brand. Their unique position as young leaders of an established firm, gives them entrée to both seasoned collectors, and also the emerging, next generation of clients and taste makers.

In 2021, Kentshire launched an ongoing series of expertly edited trunk shows with the luxury online retailer, Moda Operandi. More recently, Kentshire debuted a carefully curated collection of antique, period, and modern pieces for fashion designer, Ulla Johnson’s new Los Angeles flagship, designed by Kelly Wearstler.

The gallery has exhibited at many of the finest art fairs, including: the Winter Show and the International Fine Arts & Antiques Show in New York, the Swan Ball and the Antiques and Gardens Show of Nashville, the San Francisco Fall Show, and the Masterpiece Show and Grosvenor House in London.