Hi,
I wish you the best. For ideas, I would go to museums with a pad and pencil and write down what you find interesting about certain pieces. I know my local museum has a lot of small sculpture and glass work art that would help me. Some museums let you take pictures without flash.

I would also check out local jewelry and art shows. If you are making the jewelry, I think you have no choice but to make and sell fine jewelry, because imported jewelery has the lockdown on low cost mass manufactured jewelry.

This article is interesting: http://www.designboom.com/contemporary/naturalarchitecture.html

As far as the actual processes involved, I would check out a jewelry making or metalworking course at a local community college. A friend of mine took a few and now is a bench jeweler.

One website you might want to check out is
www.instructables.com - a really great resource for do it yourselfers.