(Reuters) – A 9.54-carat rare blue diamond ring once belonging to the late Shirley Temple, one of Hollywood's most famous child actors, failed to sell at a New York auction on Tuesday, where it had been estimated to fetch between $25 million and $35 million. The Sotheby's auction for the Fancy Deep Blue Diamond ring, purchased by Temple's father for $7,210 in 1940 around the time of the actress' 12th birthday, opened bidding at $19 million and closed at $22 million, which was below the ring's reserve price. “The Shirley Temple Blue Diamond is an exceptional stone in quality, rarity and provenance. It has been an honor to share its story with collectors, connoisseurs and Temple's loyal fans over the past few months,” Sotheby's said in a statement.
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Shirley Temple’s rare blue diamond ring fails to sell at auction