Jeweler Sues Dez Bryant For $246000, Alleges He Didn't Pay Bills

Dallas Cowboys rookie wide receiver Dez Bryant has been sued by a New York jeweler who says Bryant owes nearly $250,000 for several pieces of custom jewelry he ordered shortly after declared for the 2010 draft.

Mike Bowers, a Dallas lawyer who represents Rafaello & Co., said today that the lawsuit was filed here Friday in civil court after repeated attempts by lawyers in New York to get Bryant to pay.

“My client’s counsel in New York has been trying for at least six months to get him to pay,” said Bowers, a lawyer with the firm of Bell Nunnally & Martin. “We still would obviously like to have a satisfactory resolution to this outside of a trial.”

Bryant, who has not spoken to the media directly since a well-chronicled incident at NorthPark Center nearly two weeks ago, could not be reached.

Bryant was billed $267,000 for “eight to 10” pieces of custom jewelry, Bowers said, but has paid only $21,000. The lawyer said that the pieces were all diamond encrusted.

"One was religious-type jewelry," Bowers said. "One was his name with his area code."

According to a company website, Rafaello & Company has designed pieces for a host of prominent entertainers and athletes including Jamie Foxx, Alicia Keys, pro football star Dwight Freeney and Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks.