Man sues jewelry company behind several sports championship rings over wife's birthday bracelet

A man is suing a jewelry design company that boasts about supplying championship rings and other pieces to several professional athletes, claiming it never gave him the bracelet he designed and brought for his wife.

Philip R. Guziec filed a lawsuit Feb. 18 in Cook County Circuit Court against Henry Kay Corp. and its owner Howard G. Kaplan, alleging breach of contract, conversion and fraud.

According to the complaint, Guziec contracted with the defendants-- a purveyor of jewelry, precious stones and precious metals with a client list that apparently includes all of Chicago's professional sports teams and former players like Frank Thomas and Michael Jordan-- to design and produce a bracelet with 40 diamonds for his wife’s 40th birthday gift.

Guziec alleges he submitted drawings for the design Dec. 6, 2011 at the store's location in Glenview and paid Kaplan $30,727, the full amount for the bracelet, on May 29, 2012, but never received the finished product.

He seeks compensation for the purchase price, treble damages, attorney fees and costs. He is represented by attorney Joseph Vitu of Vitu Law Offices in Chicago.

Cook County Circuit Court case number: 2015L001636.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note that a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt and represents only one side of the story.