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The Sims 3 Collecting Guide
Collect Gems and Choose the Best Cuts
| Collecting | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Gems
I really like collecting Gems in the Sims 3. You find them in a rough state. They can be sent to a jeweler to be cut, for a fee. Because of the fee, not all cuts are profitable for all gems. There is one challenge associated with gem collecting: Gem Collector. It will unlock the heart-shaped cut once you've collected all types of gems. For this reason, be sure to hold on to any gems worth over $250. You'll thank yourself later when you can cut multiple gems with this amazing 5x bonus. With the heart shaped cut, a pink diamond could easily be worth $8000. Here's a table of the gem cuts:
| Type | Cost | Improves Price by: | Break Even Value | Cuts Required | Gem Value Cut* |
| Emerald | $10 | 125% | $40 | 0 | < $40 |
| Oval | $20 | 150% | $40 | 4 | $41-60 |
| Pear | $35 | 175% | $47 | 8 | $61-83 |
| Plumbbob | $50 | 200% | $50 | 16 | $61-83 |
| Marquis | $75 | 230% | $58 | 30 | $84-166 |
| Crystal Ball | $100 | 260% | $63 | 45 | $84-166 |
| Brilliant | $250 | 350% | $100 | 60 | $167-499 |
| Heart-Shaped | $1000 | 500% | $250 | Gem Collector | $500+ |
*This information was provided by Caliban at the Forum. I'm glad someone good at math stopped in to help. Look to this section of the table for when you should use what cut depending on the gem's value, for optimal profit. You'll note some are the same. When your Sim has both cuts available, use the higher level of the two cuts.
The break even price is what the gem must be valued at to make no profit and take no loss. You should usually avoid getting gems cut that are under the break-even with one exception. I usually use the emerald cut on any low value gems, because you need to reach a certain number of cuts in order to unlock each new type of cut.
Here's a list of all gems in the Sims 3 with a ballpark estimate of their value:
Blue Topaz: $20
Smoky Quartz: $25
Emerald: $30
Ruby: $35
Yellow Sapphire: $50
Tanzanite: near 100
Diamond: up to $200
Luminous Gem: $300-350
Rainbow Gem: $700
Pink Diamond: $1600
Gems are found out in the world, but they can also occasionally be found when exploring the catacombs under the graveyard.
Ambitions Additions
Ambitions brings a new gem and gem cut to the game. Simmers can unlock the sculptor's egg cut with level 5 in the sculpting skill. The cut costs $175 and gives a x3 multiplier, so should only be used on gems that are worth at least $88 to make a profit.
Additionally, a new gem, Fluorite Palmstone, can be found primarily by breaking stone sculptures. Note that with the Savvy Sculptor trait, your Sim will never see this happen because they don't break sculptures, ever! Otherwise, the gem can sometimes be found when rummaging through trash cans, using the miner. Players with World Adventures may find them by breaking space rock blocks, at a relic shop or as a random reward in a tomb.
World Adventures Additions
World Adventures adds plenty of new gems from each location for your Sims to collect. There are also gem cuts to accompany several of them.
Gems available at all Travel Destinations in The Sims 3 World Adventures: The following gems can be found any time your Sim is on vacation in any of the new places:
Geode: $100
Quartz: $20
Septarian Nodule: $300
Tiberium: This gem deserves its own section. See below.
Soulpeace Gem: $2-4,000 These can be obtained from Martial Arts Board Breaking Space Rocks, occasionally in dungeons, but primarily through transfiguration
China
Jade: $200
Lapis Lazuli: $20
France
Amethyst: $25
Citrine: $40
Opal: $450
Egypt
Alabaster: $30
Torquoise: $70
New Gem Cuts
Spire Cut: Available at start. This is used for Tiberium and makes a gem about 70x the value of the base. This seems ridiculous when tiberium costs $6,500 to cut but the value will increase yet again when the gem grows. So, a tiberium with a value of $100 would be made to cost roughly $7000 then jump up to $35000 after growth. Because of these multiplers the cut is amplified by large increments when Tiberium starts valued even 20 simoleons higher. We've recently discovered the heart cut can allow tiberium to grow, so we're currently recommending you skip this one unless it's a bug that's fixed in the future.
Polished Split Cut: Use on Geodes and Septarian Nodules which have a value of at least $33 to make a profit due to the 2.4 multiplier. This cut is unlocked at start for those two gem types.
Skull Cut: Created by transfiguration. This will increase a gem to 10x is value. Twice as powerful as the heart-shaped cut, when employed it can produce an amazing profit.
Tiberium Gems
Tiberium hails from EA's Command and Conquer series. It's a radioactive energy source and having it in Sim's inventory can cause radiation sickness. The moodlet is -25, and while it may make your Sim feel bad, it cannot kill them. This gem can be a bit confusing so I'll attempt to clarify some of the dynamics we've noticed through discussion on the forum.
Raw, Uncut tiberium can grow on its own without doing anything special to it if it has seen some travel time. Travel seems key here, as the tiberium you get from breaking space rock blocks at home doesn't seem to grow on its own. So, you'll generally not need to cut it if you got it from adventuring.
Tiberium comes with two cuts available to it. You can choose between the spire cut, which is unique to Tiberium, or the heart shaped cut. The heart cut is the best choice here, because it will still grow and is much cheaper. It purifies the tiberium as well as the regular spire and allows it to grow into a large spire cut with a massive value.
Once your Sim has made the initial investment of getting it cut into the heart or spire shape (taking travel's effects on raw tiberium into account), Tiberium is free to grow. Place it on the ground, and within a couple days it will zip in value up to around $40,000 Simoleons. It's the single most profitable item in the game without toying with transfiguration.
Tiberium in close proximity to one another do not grow. It's unclear as yet whether this is a bug or feature. Also, some members have reported tiberium spreading but these reports have not been confirmed. If it does grow it takes more than a few weeks as per my testing.
You can get tiberium from the ground on travel destinations, from the relic vendor in Egypt, from breaking space rock blocks or by transfiguring items with a display case.
| Collecting | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maps | Bugs | Butterflies | Gems | Metals |
| Space Rocks | Transfiguration | World Adventures Maps | ||
| The Sims 3 Skills | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tips | Cheats | Athletic | Charisma | Collecting | Cooking | Fishing |
| Gardening | Guitar | Handiness | Inventing | Logic | Martial Arts |
| Nectar Making | Painting | Parenting | Photography | Sculpting | Writing |
