This July, Sotheby’s London will offer a remarkably rare piece of Renaissance history: a 41-millimeter amber heart pendant encapsulating the portrait of Queen Elizabeth I. Expected to fetch between £100,000 and £150,000, this miniature marvel from the late Elizabethan era is a masterclass in both Baltic amber carving and political symbolism.

Crafted around 1600 in Königsberg (likely by master carvers Hans Klingenberg or Georg Schreiber), the pendant features a transparent golden amber layer over a carved portrait. The expertly hollowed interior makes the Queen’s image appear three-dimensional and “floating” within the gem.

In Elizabethan England, portraits were potent political tools. Framed in amber—a material historically tied to eternal memory—the pendant served as an enduring emblem of the Queen’s power. The reverse side reveals a carved parrot. As a traditional Christian symbol of purity, wisdom, and the Virgin Mary, it perfectly reinforced Elizabeth’s carefully curated persona as the “Virgin Queen.”

Boasting a rich provenance across prestigious British collections, the pendant’s age and authenticity have been rigorously verified using modern X-ray fluorescence and microscopic analysis. More than just a piece of Renaissance jewelry, the “Amber Heart” is a meticulously crafted political artifact that perfectly captures the legacy of one of Europe’s most formidable monarchs.