Shirley Temple's Diamond Ring Fails To Sell

A rare blue diamond ring which once belonged to Shirley Temple, has failed to sell at auction where it had been estimated to fetch up to $35m.

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 $19m and closed at $22m, 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 honour to share its story with collectors, connoisseurs and Temple's loyal fans over the past few months," Sotheby's said in a statement.

"Unfortunately, tonight wasn't its night in the salesroom, but we remain fully confident that it will find a buyer."

The ring was the highlight at Sotheby's Magnificent Jewels sale, which fetched nearly $30m across more than 300 lots.

Temple won legions of fans as a bouncy, curly-haired young actress in 1930s movies such as Bright Eyes, Heidi and Curly Top.

Under her married name, Shirley Temple Black, she forged a career as an ambassador and died at age 85 in 2014.