Just a little tally page of things I’ve found in the game. This list is from my own experience only and may vary slightly from the Prima Guide. For example, I’ve not been able to upgrade my windows yet even though my sim is at handiness 10 and has completed all of the challenges in the skill journal so I’m not sure if that’s something that has changed since the guide was written.
Unique Upgrades (Handiness):
- Auto-Light (fireplaces)
- Auto-Water (sprinkler)
- Boost Cable (cheap, moderate TV)
- Change Fire Color (fireplaces)
- Custom Doorbell Sound (front door)
- Faster Cooking (microwave)
- Fireproof (cheap stove, fireplace)
- Improve Speakers (stereo)
- Improved Crushing (trash compactor)
- Improve Graphics (computer)
- Improved Meal Quality (stove)
- Improved Memory (food replicator lifetime happiness reward)
- Perfect Teleportation (teleportation lifetime happiness reward)
- Self-Cleaning (sinks, toilets, stoves, showers, bathtubs)
- Silent-Running (cheap dishwasher)
- Unbreakable (sinks, toilets, stoves, showers, bathtubs, dishwasher, trash compactor, stereo, computer)
- Wire House With Speakers (stereo)
If you’re having problems upgrading the doorbell, first you must set the door as your front door. Click on any door and choose set as front door. Wait a few seconds and click on the door again. You should then see the upgrade for the doorbell. If I’m not mistaken, it’s not available until skill level 5.
Unique Types of Plants (Gardening):
- Apple Tree – Common
- Bellpepper Plant – Rare
- Burger Patty Plant – Special **
- Cheese Plant – Special **
- Death Flower Bush – Special *
- Egg Plant – Special **
- Flamefruit Bush – Special *
- Garlic Plant – Rare
- Grapevine – Common
- Lettuce Plant – Common
- Life Plant – Special *
- Lime Tree – Uncommon
- Money Tree – Special *
- Omni Plant – Special **
- Onion Plant – Uncommon
- Potato Vine – Uncommon
- Steak Plant – Special **
- Tomato Plant – Common
- Watermellon Vine – Uncommon
* seed drop in the neighborhood or can be acquired randomly by fishing. The money tree will occasionally drop a money tree seed as well if you have one planted already.
** must be unlocked by completing gardening opportunities. Cheese and eggs will unlock steak and patties which will unlock the omni plant. See table below.
| Opportunity Name | Goal | Unlocks | Min Level |
| Uncommonly Good | 20 excellent+ harvestables | Cheese and Eggs | 8 |
| Outstandingly Rare | 10 excellent+ homegrown cheeses | Steaks and Patties | 9 |
| The Omnificent Plant | 10 outstanding+ steaks | Omni Plant | 10 |
Omni Plants allow you to grow an exact copy of whatever you feed it. The quality of the plant doesn’t really matter as the plant just replicates what you feed it. If you feed it perfect items, you’ll get perfect items back. So far I’ve used them to grow other fruits and vegetables, fish, rubber ducks and books. Prepared meals don’t work…so you can’t grow hotdogs to use as bait. You can’t grow Money Trees or Deathplants either. Consumable books like recipes and songs can’t be fed to the plant. Most of the time, though, I feed it fish so I can use the fish as fertilizer or bait.
Unique Fish and Bait (Fishing):
- Alley Catfish – Cheese
- Anchovy – Tomato
- Angelfish – Alley Catfish
- Black Goldfish – Goldfish
- Deathfish – Angelfish *
- Goldfish – Lettuce
- Jellyfish – Grapes
- Lobster – Tuna
- Minnow – Apple
- Piranha – Watermelon
- Rainbow Trout – Eggs
- Red Herring – Hot Dogs ***
- Robot Fish – Piranha **
- Salmon – Lime
- Shark – Red Herring
- Siamese Catfish – Minnow
- Swordfish – Anchovy
- Tragic Clownfish – Bell Pepper
- Tuna – Onion
- Vampire Fish – Garlic
* Available only near the graveyard and only between midnight and 5am
** Available only near the Science Facility
*** seems to be the placeholder fish for the Deathfish. Also note that serving platters of hot dogs count only as 1 hot dog rather than 6.
Unique Gems (Collector):
- Blue Topaz
- Diamond
- Emerald
- Luminorious Gem
- Pink Diamond
- Rainbow Gem
- Ruby
- Smoky Quartz
- Tanzanite
- Yellow Sapphire
While some people claim to have better luck finding rare gems like the Pink Diamond in specific locations, I, myself, have had no such luck. For the most part I’m finding it very random in the location and drop rate of the rarer gems. I’ll send my sim out to collect for her entire energy bar and she’ll come back with maybe 1 pink diamond. If you want to know about locations others have had, please check the comments to see if someone has mentioned a location. As soon as I can routinely find a gem in the same place then I will add a location to this listing.
Gem Cuts (Collector):
- Brilliant
- Crystal Ball
- Emerald
- Heart *
- Marquis
- Oval
- Pear
- Plumbbob
* available after collecting all of the unique types of gems.
Unique Metals (Collector):
- Gold
- Iron
- Palladium
- Plutonium
- Silver
Unique Space Rocks (Collector): (I think I got all the spelling correct)
- Acapulcoite
- Angrite
- Atacite
- Aubrite
- Brachinite
- Carbonaceous Chondrite
- Chassignite
- Diogenite
- Enstatite Chondrite
- Eucrite
- Hexahedrite
- Howardite
- Kamasite
- Lodranite
- Lunar
- Mesosiderite
- Nakhlite
- Octahedrite
- Ordinary Chordrite
- Pallasite
- Rumurutite
- Shergottite
- Unusual Bellacite
- Unusual Custerous Gossticite
- Unusual Dukeadite
- Unusual Holmberic
- Unusual Llamatite
- Unusual Mazzadrayte
- Unusual Pearsonite
- Unusual Rodickceous
- Unusual Sporecite
- Ureilite
- Winonaite
To discover what type of space rocks you have collected, you must analyze the tiny and large space rocks you find during your collection. You can also get gigantic (or extra large) rocks that fall while a sim is using the telescope. They’ll get a pop up that says they’ve seen a meteor and then they get a marker on the neighborhood map so they can find it. Some of these meteors are worth 6k+
Unique Butterflies (Collector):
- Green Swallowtail Butterfly
- Monarch Butterfly
- Moth *
- Mission Blue Butterfly
- Rainbow Butterfly
- Red Admiral Butterfly
- Royal Purple Butterfly
- Silver-spotted Skipper Butterfly
- Zebra Butterfly
- Zephyr Metalmark Butterfly
* found around the graveyard
Unique Beetles (Collector): (list not complete)
- Cockroach *
- Japanese Beetle
- Ladybug
- Light Beetle
- Rainbow Beetle
- Rhino Beetle
- Spotted Beetle
- Stage Beetle
- Water Beetle **
* found near the warehouse
** found near the water (big surprise huh?)
Jenn The Simmer Girl 
June 8, 2009 at 7:01 am
Oooh, I like the info! I didn’t want to stop playing last night to go to bed. I’m loving all the new stuff and I have no idea how we ever played Sims 1! lol
June 19, 2009 at 8:59 am
add plutonium to ure metal one
June 19, 2009 at 3:56 pm
Thanks Daniel! I will do that.
June 22, 2009 at 9:42 am
i have found a pink diamond before unlocking oval cut.
but i must say, i activated “testingCheatsEnabled” to teleport my sim, so i was able to collect all gems and rocks in a short time. it was my sims first trip to collect. it was a one sim household.
June 22, 2009 at 3:11 pm
I have also gotten the cheese and eggs opportunity before planting 65 plants….(I usually only have about 20 planted) But not before lvl 8 gardening.
June 22, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Good to know. I’ll make an adjustment. On three sims I’ve not had the cheese and eggs unlock before 65 plants. I wonder if it’s a combination of something else as well.
June 25, 2009 at 7:33 am
after you unlock egg and cheese, you must get to level 9 to get the opp. to unlock patty and steak. Then to level 10 to get opp. for omniplant.
June 25, 2009 at 8:10 am
Ty for the list especially the Unique Upgrades (Handiness. And with collecting metals i never foudn something better then gold.. Its always Iron, Silver or Gold 😦
June 25, 2009 at 9:35 am
ps..
I found the Zebra Butterfly at the stonehenge
June 25, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Found Zebra butterfly at stonehenge again. And Ladybugs are always crawling around in the park.
by the by… I cant find me any Plutonium even when i went strolling on my Lucky day found. dozens of Iron, Silver, Gold. Like 10 pieces op Palladium but no Plutonium 😦
June 26, 2009 at 6:07 am
cheers hun your a star. been wondering how many collectable there are…..best game out dont you think?
🙂
June 26, 2009 at 11:48 am
Thanks Becki and yes I agree…loving the game a lot!
June 27, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Thanks for the info, I’ll definitely save this! It’s odd though, I can’t upgrade my door. I’m at level 10 handiness and I’ve added every single door type to my house, but I still can’t select a door…
June 30, 2009 at 11:55 pm
Thanks for the info about the doorbell upgrade.
July 1, 2009 at 4:12 am
i managed to find the rainbow butterfly but not the rainbow beetle, anyone got any ideas?
July 1, 2009 at 6:56 am
Thanks! I’ve been one beetle short for a long time now and didn’t even know what to look for. BTW, the one that’s not up there is the Trilobite (sp?) beetle that’s usually found near the theater. Of course, I’m playing in Riverview; I don’t know where those guys are found in Sunset Valley. Thanks again! 😀
July 6, 2009 at 6:23 am
I can’t find the pink Diamond, has anyone got any hints? Perhaps if you add some locations for the more rarer items?
July 7, 2009 at 1:46 pm
I’m still short the pink diamond and rainbow gem. Have looked for hours for those. Am I doing something wrong here?
August 15, 2009 at 1:37 am
Hi all,
I’m so excited! i found the PINK DIAMOND and just after that i came upon the RAINBOW GEM 😀
I’ll tell you exactly where I found them 😉
First you will need to unlock the collection tool that gained as a lifetime reward. I don’t say that it is compulsory but is of great help. I also teletransported my collector sim in order to reduce time.
Bottom line, the PINK diamond laid near the Pinochle Pond. Notice that there are sort of four rocks surrounding it, well, it is just beside the one near a U spot (on the right of the blue bait) The raw gem has the same appeareance as the others.
The RAINBOW gem is in the back yard of the Warehouse Corp building beneath the pink cherry tree surrounded by the three comercial dumpsters.
Keep on looking for those two problematic rocks. I already got the heart cut and applies for all the gems. So be hopeful!
August 18, 2009 at 11:32 am
Collecting is my favorite thing about the game! To make your bug list complete – add the Trilobite Beetle! I know that in Sunset Valley you can find it on the main beach.
Plutonium seems to be the only thing I’m missing, at least in Riverview!
October 29, 2009 at 10:21 pm
Mary, I found Plutonium regularly behind the gym in Riverview. There’s a boulder with a sidewalk around it, and I always find it there.
May 20, 2010 at 3:37 pm
You should add that you get each cut after cutting a certain amount of gems, it doesn’t matter which cut you use though.
Emerald-0
Oval-4
Pear-8
Plumbob-16
Marque-30
Crystal Ball-45
Brilliant-60
Heart Shaped-All Gems Collected or Gem Collector.
I did 60 emerald cuts and got all of the others and then I found the the pink nad rainbow gem in my backyard.
I used a cheat called debug (you need the testingcheatenabled true and to be in buy mode) and put all the gem, rock, butterfly, bug, and fish generators in my backyard. It also works on gardens, except for the cheese. egg, steak, and patty plants, you have to get those on your own. Hope this helps.
June 13, 2010 at 3:38 pm
YAH I LIVE IN THE NEW NEIGHBORHOOD THAT CAME WITH THE SIMS 3 AMBITIONS, DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE I MIGHT FIND SOME PALLADIUM?
July 10, 2010 at 12:39 pm
i have the same problem as emma. I really need some for my sim to make a monster and im being really impatient about how to get some and fast!
July 17, 2010 at 3:16 am
Hey, everyone, I’m still short on Pink Diamond and the Rainbow Gem (and the Rainbow Butterfly in the butterfly collection) 😦 I had a saved game last year in which I had collected even the Pink Diamond 4 times (!!) but I usually found it in the Catacombs, now with my new game each time my sim enters the Mausoleum she comes out exactly 6 hours later (in Sims time) and NEVER finds the stupid pink diamond but in my first game she used to find a diamond with EACH TIME!! And also… please help me find the location of the Rainbow gem anyone?? any suggestions??? thanks.
August 11, 2010 at 8:41 am
Wow, great job. Hope you don’t mind, I’m adding you as a resource link on my blog 🙂
August 14, 2010 at 2:11 pm
ok so i have like 6 pink diamonds i found them in rare places my first one i found using the miner that your sime can invent using inventing skill i would recommend that way 🙂 or most of the gems i found using my collection helper, the last one i found was near the road to the wollf manor or sometimes i find them on the path behind the criminal place so hope this helps 🙂 oh p.s the rainbow gem (i have 2) that i found exploring catacombs 🙂
oh and p.s again anybody knows where or how i can fine the blue quartz its the last on my list :)x xx thanks for reading
November 14, 2010 at 11:04 am
OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG O M FREAKIN G!!!! I NEDD THE OMNI PLANT!!!! GOT THE OPPURTINITY AN THEN I MOVE INTO MY BF’S HOUSE AN THEN IT JUSST POOFE AWAY!!! ANY IDEA HOW TO GET IT AGEN?!?!?!?!?!?! BTW: I’M TYPIN IN ALL CAPITALS ON PURPOSE> IM REALLY UPSSET!!!!!!
I ❤ ELI GOLDSWORTHY
November 14, 2010 at 11:18 am
HEYY SAME GURRL COMMENT> SRY 4 MY FRENCH IN 1ST SENTENCE. I ❤ CAPITAL LETTERZ!!!!
January 8, 2011 at 2:09 pm
Thanks so much for the list….you do need to add to the unique upgrades list….
Clean Polymer Injection System (from washing maching) and Look-Good Mirrors (Salon and Tattoo Shop) I have everyone that you listed plus the two I listed and I am still only at 78% Let me know if you have any new info. Thank you very much…