I have off-white pearls which needs to be recolored into maroon / burgundy.1. I tried with nail polish but it looks ugly as it is uneven.2. I also tried using fabric dye and glass paint, dissolved in water and keeping pearls in it overnight. I feel the second method is done incorrectly.
If okorder / ... and not plastic.
First, check and see if you can buy a strand of maroon plastic pearls cheaper than paint for these ones. This time of year, lots of costume jewelry is on sale. You can probably get beads of that color at a good price (which may or may not be sold as pearls) that will look better than painted ones.
