A Gold Coast nurse has built a seven-figure business empire from her garage after craving self-expression beyond the sterile hospital wards. Millie Ettenfield, 29, is the founder of Kaarme Jewels, a brand that has rapidly scaled from a one-woman operation in a share-house garage to a team of nine women operating across two massive warehouses.
Since the end of 2024, the brand has hand-beaded 15,000 necklaces, including 13,000 of their signature initial pieces. Before launching Kaarme, Ettenfield worked on the front lines of healthcare, always looking for ways to inject personality into her uniform. “I always wore colourful necklaces, earrings and shoes,” she said.
Kaarme has revived the 90s beaded necklace trend with a sophisticated twist, swapping acrylic for natural gemstones. The modern version feels chic and sophisticated, unlike the mismatched plastic beads of the past. Ettenfield said she is “beyond proud to be leading the comeback.”
The transition from passion project to major business happened when the Pearl Initial necklace sold out on pre-order for three months straight. “Hundreds and hundreds of people were ordering,” Ettenfield recalled. Despite rapid growth, she remembers sitting in her garage beading for 12 hours straight to fulfill orders.
Kaarme necklaces cost upwards of $200, but Ettenfield says the quality is unmatched because everything is handmade. “We have sent out over 15,000 hand-beaded necklaces with very few complaints,” she said. The brand’s latest drop, the Jude Necklace, features large agate beads and freshwater pearls.
