Welcome to Orchid! I’m sure you will have many people to advise
you on silversmithing, so I will point you to an Introduction to
Cabochon Cutting written by Dick Friesen and published with his
permission in The Eclectic Lapidary, February, 1997. Go to http://www.bovagems.com/eclectic and go to the archives where the
past issues are listed.
I have traveled to Poland a several times (Poznan, Krakow, Warzawa
and Zakopane). My favorite spot I’ve traveled to in the continental
Europe is Southeast Poland near the Tatry mountains. The people all
over the country are very warm and generous, literally giving you
the food off their table or shirt off their back (and as an
American it was very humbling). Where is Legnica?
There is plenty of in the Orchid archives on various
aspects of working with metals. Check out http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/lwgate/lwgate.cgi/ORCHID/archives/.
Do not hesitate to ask questions of anyone on the list, they will
gladly share what they know with you.
Sharon in Dallas, Texas where is is unseasonably cool (yipee)