Adding a bezel

I’d like to step-up on a project w/out damaging my stones. Actually bought a couple instead of the “you want these?” stuff that’d been picked off pieces going in the “melt bucket”.
If they were simple shapes I wouldn’t fret but…how the blank do you make a tight wrap around a bear’s legs,etc. w/out breaking ? &…the larger is around 20 carats so I don’t quite need a lens…yet :roll_eyes: