Police are continuing to search for a missing violin worth more than $37,000 after an international student left the instrument on an Auckland bus.

A 38-year-old man has been charged with theft in relation to the incident.

Longrui Zhu, a student at a language school in Auckland with plans to pursue tertiary music studies, learnt to play the violin at the age of 8.

Earlier this month, the 22-year-old caught a bus from New Lynn to Remuera to give a violin lesson.

She disembarked the bus about halfway through her journey, forgetting to take her violin with her.

"I was panicking," Zhu said.

"I was terrified. I was really scared that my violin was gone, that someone had taken it or that something had happened to it."

She contacted Auckland Transport and police, but has yet to be reunited with her violin.

The violin, which had been crafted by award-winning luthier Zhongbo Wang in China and cost 150,000 yuan (about $37,500), was more than just an instrument, Zhu said.

"It's not really about the price," she said.

"The violin means so much to me because it was bought for me by my parents and my grandmother.

"It's incredibly important to me. Its value goes far beyond anything that can be measured in money."

Zhu didn't have another violin to use for practice and was unable to continue to provide tutoring services.

"It has had a huge impact on me," she said.

"I haven't been able to live a normal life. Every day, I've been out looking for my violin."

She had visited secondhand stores and outlets selling musical instruments in an attempt to find her missing violin without success.

"I hope that anyone who has seen my violin or anyone who knows who has it will come forward. I'm willing to offer a reward to get it back," she said.

"All I want is for my violin to be returned to me. That's my only request."

Auckland Transport said it provided CCTV footage of relevant parts of the bus journey to police.

Police said they arrested a man in relation to the theft of a violin from a bus on 1 August.

Police said they received a report of theft after the violin was accidentally left on a bus.

"The violin has not been located," police said. "However, enquiries remain ongoing."

A 38-year-old man has appeared in Auckland District Court on a charge of theft.

He has been scheduled for another hearing in November.