The star of Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels sale on 19 April in New York is a stunning 9.54-carat fancy deep blue diamond ring that belonged to the legendary Shirley Temple throughout her long life — from a child star lifting America’s spirits out of the Great Depression to her decades of service as an American diplomat. Shirley Temple’s father purchased the diamond ring in early 1940, around the time of her 12th birthday as well as the premier of her film The Blue Bird.
