In addition to having an identifiable artist, condition is also paramount for miniatures. Alan Derbyshire, head of Paper, Books and Paintings Conservation at the Victoria & Albert Museum, notes that the vellum can delaminate from the card, and miniatures are prone to mold and flaking paint. It is preferable if the frame is original. Sitters with known identity and history are at a premium. Teerlinc’s miniature of Lord Darnley, the doomed husband of Mary Queen of Scots, realized an unusually high price for this artist’s work—£122,500 ($250,000) at Bonhams in 1997. A portrait of an unknown lady in stylish dress generally elicits great interest, as do portraits with symbols such as painted flames representing burning love or unique emblems such as a hand reaching down from the clouds. Umberto Eco noted in his book Art and Beauty in the Middle Ages that early connoisseurs, just like modern collectors, "took great pleasure in deciphering puzzles, in spotting the daring analogy, in feeling that they were involved in adventure and discovery."
 
There is no better example of this desire for discovery than in Hilliard’s Drake Jewel, a gift given by Elizabeth I to Sir Francis Drake in 1586–87. This gold locket encrusted with gems contained the Queen’s limned portrait and her phoenix emblem of virginity and renewed strength. On the obverse is a cameo of an African emperor and a European empress conjoined, symbolizing hopes of empire. To show his gratitude, Drake had himself portrayed in a life-sized portrait in 1591 wearing the jewel hung conspicuously from his belt. A portrait of love and power, the miniature encapsulated the Elizabethan world.
 
Dr. Anna Marie Roos is a research associate at Oxford University.