Bezel setting beach collected sea shells

I’m trying to incorporate some sea shells into some jewelry for a
friend and am finding that the edges on some sea shells are pretty
brittle. Is there any thing I can do to treat/coat the shells to
make them stronger? Even if I am successful in setting the shell,
I’m wondering if the pendant is dropped or clanks against a the
bathroom counter or similar hard surface that it will cause the
shell to eventually break. Besides imbedding them in a bunch of
thick resin, is there something that can be done to strengthen
shells?

Any ideas appreciated!

Thanks, Elizabeth
www.borntobeworn.com