- Title: Shirley Temple's diamond ring fails to sell at auction
- Date: 20th April 2016
- Summary: VARIOUS EXTERIOR OF SOTHEBY'S NEW YORK
- Embargoed: 4th May 2016 02:39
- Keywords: Sotheby's auction Blue diamond Shirley Temple
- Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA AND NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- City: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA AND NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Celebrities,Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Human Interest / Brights / Odd News
- Reuters ID: LVA0054E68F2X
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3
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 (April 19), where it was estimated to fetch between 25 million and 35 million dollars.
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. Unfortunately, tonight wasn't its night in the salesroom, but we remain fully confident that it will find a buyer," Sotheby's said in a statement.
The ring was the highlight at Sotheby's Magnificent Jewels sale, which fetched nearly 30 million across more than 300 lots.
Other top items at the auction included a platinum and fancy purple-pink diamond ring that sold for 4.5 million, a platinum and diamond ring weighing 19.25 carats that fetched 1.9 million and a fancy light blue diamond ring weighing 5.06 carats that sold for 1.2 million.
Temple won legions of fans as a bouncy, curly-haired young actress in 1930s movies such as "Bright Eyes," "Heidi" and "Curly Top." She went on to forge a career as ambassador Shirley Temple Black and died at the age of 85 in 2014. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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