Collecting (The Sims 3)

Collectibles from The Sims 3.

The lifetime reward Collection Helper can highlight the collectibles on the map.

Statistics
Gems Collected, Unique Gems Found, Metals Collected, Unique Metals Found, Rocks Found, Unique Rocks Analyzed, Butterflies Collected, Unique Butterflies Found, Beetles Collected, Unique Beetles Found, Insects Donated to Science

Challenges

 * Gem Collector
 * Collect all the types of gems, and the rarest gem cut shape will be bestowed upon your Sim! Watch out... it's valuable!
 * Note: 10 types total, 10% per type


 * Metal Collector
 * Find every unique metal, and your Sim will routinely get additional Ingots returned in the mail.
 * Note: 5 types total, 20% per type


 * Amateur Rock Finder
 * Once your Sim finds at least half of the varieties of space rocks, it will be easier to find ones you haven't yet stumbled across.


 * Awesomest Rock Collector in the Universe
 * Find all the space rocks, and your Sim will have more luck collecting ones of higher value.
 * Note: 33 types total, $$3.\overline{03}\%$$ per type


 * Butterfly Collector
 * Catch one of each type of butterfly to become a Butterfly Collector. Sims with this title are learned in the ways of the insect and will have an easier time finding beetles and butterflies.
 * Note: 10 types total, 10% per type


 * Beetle Collector
 * Catch one of each type of beetle, and your Sim will never fail at catching butterflies or beetles again.
 * Note: 10 types total, 10% per type

Raw
Gemstones are found in the rough.


 * How rare is Rainbow Gem and Pink Diamond?
 * Case 1: Total of 272 Gems, 225 Metals and 97 Rocks were collected before 1 Pink Diamond and 1 Rainbow Gem spawn


 * From Case 1, estimated chance to collect BOTH rare gems is about 0.33% ( 2 / 594 ), although this only takes one case into account.


 * Case 2, approximately 3-5 gems found before 1 Pink Diamond was found.

Keep collecting ALL gems (regardless of the value of it) on the entire map and they will spawn somewhere eventually.

Pink Diamonds can also be found in the Catacombs at the Graveyard, not very rare there. Both Pink and Rainbow diamond can be found rummaging through garbage cans, not very rare there.

Cuts
Gems may be sent to the gem-cutter and cut into the following cuts. You start with the Emerald cut, and gain cuts by cutting gems.

Sometimes the gemcutters will return an uncut gem, saying that it is actually a Mysterious Mr. Gnome in disguise.

The table lists both when you break even with a particular cut, and when a cut begins yielding better profit than the previous cut.

For example, if a gem is worth §47, an oval cut provides §70 while the Pear cut yields §82. Factoring in the cost of the gem and the cost of cutting the gem, the Oval cut provides a §3 profit while the Pear cut yields no profit. The Pear cut does not start providing more profit than the Oval cut until the original worth is §60, as listed below.

Metals
Metals are found in ore form, and can be smelted into ingots for §40.

Sometimes the foundry will return an ore, saying that it is actually a Mysterious Mr. Gnome in disguise.

Smelted ingots are worth 175% of their original cost, and so the raw metal must be worth §54 to offset the §40 cost of smelting and break even.

The "Breaking Even" equation is as follows: §54 (Cost of Ingot) * 1.75 (Smelting Worth Modifier) - §54 (Cost of Ingot) - §40 (Cost of Smelting) = §0.5; thus this is the lowest whole number that does not lose money.

Many, many editors have contended that §23 is "breaking even". Plugging into the correct equation, §23 * 1.75 - §23 - §40 = -§22.75, and thus is losing money. If you were to sell the raw ore, you would have made §23 and paid nothing, for a profit of §23, whereas if you mail it to the smelter, you will have paid §40 and made §40.25, for a profit of §0.25. It is far more worthwhile to sell a raw ore up to §54, at which point it becomes worthwhile to smelt it.

Rocks
These are meteorites, space rocks that have fallen from the heavens. They come in three varieties: Tiny, Large and Gigantic 2x3 Space Rock (spotted via the telescope using 'Search Galaxy', there will be a message telling you that a sim has seen it and tell you that you can find where it is on map view) it is also possible to find gigantic space rocks in trash cans. Initial appraisal appears to be based on their weight, so naturally Large Space Rocks are worth more than Tiny Space Rocks. However, your sim may Analyze a space rock, which will result in it being one of the below types. Each type may be worth more or less than initial appraisal. Finding half the rocks makes it easier to find the other half, and finding all the rocks results in finding the more expensive ones more often.

Rocks can be found using the "Rocks and Gems" setting on the Collection Helper. Your sim may also spot a meteor falling while using the telescope, which will mark its position on the map. Sometimes when buying a house an event will pop up that the house you purchased was struck by a meteor, and ask if you want to accept the challenge. Doing so results in several Large Space Rocks and Tiny Space Rocks scattering the home (along with fire damage).

With a high enough Martial Arts skill, a Sim can break these rocks on a board to reveal random gems. In addition to the normal gems, space rocks may very rarely contain Tiberium (from the Command and Conquer series). Tiberium has a unique cut (Spire Cut) that allows it to glow in the dark, but keeping it in a Sim's inventory will make the Sim nauseous.