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

Gems

Raw

Gemstones are found in the rough.

Image	Gem	Rarity	Max Value
File:Blue Topaz.jpg	Blue Topaz	Common	§21
File:Smoky Quartz.jpg	Smoky Quartz	Common	§25
	Emerald	Common	§30
	Ruby	Common	§35
File:Yellow Sapphire.jpg	Yellow Sapphire	Uncommon	§60
	Tanzanite	Uncommon	§95
	Diamond	Rare	§200
File:Luminorious Gem.jpg	Luminorious Gem	Rare	§350
	Rainbow Gem	Extraordinarily Unusual	§700
	Pink Diamond	Extraordinarily Unusual	§1650

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, and rummaging through garbage cans.

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.

Image	Cut	Cost	Worth Change	Break Even	Better Profit	Requirement
	Emerald	§10	125%	§40	-	None
File:Oval Cut Diamond.jpg	Oval	§20	150%	§40	§40	4 cuts
File:Pear Cut Diamond.jpg	Pear	§35	175%	§47	§60	+4 (8 total) cuts
File:Plumbbob Cut Diamond.jpg	Plumbbob	§50	200%	§50	§60	+8 (16 total) cuts
File:Marquis Cut Diamond.jpg	Marquis	§75	230%	§58	§84	+14 (30 total) cuts
File:Crystal Ball Cut Diamond.jpg	Crystal ball	§100	260%	§63	§84	+15 (45 total) cuts
File:Brilliant Cut Diamond.jpg	Brilliant	§250	350%	§100	§167	+15 (60 total) cuts
File:Heart-Shaped Cut Diamond.jpg	Heart-Shaped	§1000	500%	§250	§500	Collect all the types of gems

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.

Raw	Ingot	Metal	Rarity	Max Raw Value	Max Ingot Value
File:Iron Raw.png	File:Iron Ignot.png	Iron	Common	§20	§35
File:Silver Raw.png	File:Silver Ignot.png	Silver	Common	§35	§61
File:Gold Raw.png	File:Gold Ignot.png	Gold	Uncommon	§120	§210
File:Palladium Raw.png	File:Palladium Ignot.png	Palladium	Rare	§500	§875
File:Plutonium Raw.png	File:Plutonium Ignot.png	Plutonium	Extraordinarily Unusual	§1800	§3150

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).

Rock	Size	Worth Change
Acapulcoite	Gigantic, Large & Tiny	70%
Angrite	Large & Tiny	100%
Ataxite	Gigantic, Large & Tiny	150%
Aubrite	Large & Tiny	140%
Brachinite	Large & Tiny	120%
Charbonaceous Chondrite	Gigantic, Large & Tiny	500%
Chassignite	Gigantic, Large & Tiny	120%
Diogenite	Large & Tiny	90%
Enstatite Chondrite	Large & Tiny	600%
Eucrite	Large & Tiny	80%
Hexahedrite	Gigantic, Large & Tiny	160%
Howardite	Large & Tiny	70%
Kamasite	Large & Tiny	175%
Lodranite	Large & Tiny	80%
Lunar	Large & Tiny	130%
Mesosiderite	Gigantic, Large & Tiny	1000%
Nakhlite	Large & Tiny	110%
Octahedrite	Gigantic, Large & Tiny	180%
Ordinary Chondrite	Large & Tiny	50%
Pallasite	Gigantic, Large & Tiny	400%
Rumurutite	Large & Tiny	300%
Shergottite	Large & Tiny	100%
Unusual Bellacite	Large & Tiny	160%
Unusual Custerous Gossticite	Large & Tiny	190%
Unusual Dukeadite	Large & Tiny	220%
Unusual Holmberic	Large & Tiny	180%
Unusual Llamatite	Gigantic, Large & Tiny	200%
Unusual Mazzadrayte	Large & Tiny	210%
Unusual Pearsonite	Gigantic, Large & Tiny	210%
Unusual Rodiekceous	Large & Tiny	200%
Unusual Sporecite	Gigantic, Large & Tiny	170%
Ureilite	Large & Tiny	90%
Winonaite	Large & Tiny	130%

Butterflies

For similar features, see Bug Catching.

Img	Butterfly	Rarity	Value
	Moth	Common	§5
	Monarch Butterfly	Common	§10
File:Zephyr Metalmark Butterfly.jpg	Zephyr Metalmark Butterfly	Common	§25
File:Red Admiral Butterfly.jpg	Red Admiral Butterfly	Common	§35
File:Mission Blue Butterfly.jpg	Mission Blue Butterfly	Uncommon	§55
File:Green Swallowtail Butterfly.jpg	Green Swallowtail Butterfly	Uncommon	§100
File:Royal Purple Butterfly.jpg	Royal Purple Butterfly	Uncommon	§150
File:Silver-Spotted Skipper Butterfly.jpg	Silver-Spotted Skipper Butterfly	Rare	§400
File:Zebra Butterfly.jpg	Zebra Butterfly	Rare	§791
File:Rainbow Butterfly.jpg	Rainbow Butterfly	Extraordinarily Unusual	§1400

Beetles