Good advice Jeremy. If and when you do decide to buy any fine silver, I would get the ribbon shaped wire ( I guess thats what you call bezel ), and get full soft. They have full hard, medium soft, and full soft. It will be so much easier and smoother to make the bends and curves.
I bought a set of mini pliers from Craftsman that are pretty good for the bending and cutting. I dont cut anything but the silver with the cutters. In new condition, they clip the silver off smooth, with no sided to side breaking. I let my wife use another set and she cut some stainless wire for her jewelry and now they dont cut smooth. So I bought me another set and she got the others. Lin