types of gemstones?

[DentedLemons]

After a couple levels, law enforcement career should also let you rummage in trash cans.

[fatkitty]

I have no slob and/or insane journalists at the moment but my neat freak did just start a job in law enforcement, so I'm hopeful.  Thanks all.

[Faizah]

No, teens can definitely rummage in the neighbours' bins, the option is there for both of the teens in my current household. (One Neurotic, Absent-Minded, Easily Impressed, Green Thumb and the other Insane, Loner, Evil, Artistic. The second teen also has the option on the home bin.) So it's not linked to career, as far as I can tell. (But the career might enable it for sims that otherwise can't?)

[Emma]

What were their parents' careers?

[Faizah]

Mad Scientists, both of them. The mother was married to a sim that has reached level 10 in both Journalism and Law Enforcement (as well as several other careers... and is yet to become an adult. Epic lifespan is epic.) but they shouldn't inherit anything from him, he's not their father.

[Emma]

That's weird. I'm going to go play in a bit to see what my sims can do regarding rummaging in bins

[chaos]

Macro Collect Rocks. You'll find tons of the damn things.

You're not kidding. I had my dirt-poor YA sim collect rocks for about a sim week, sell them without getting any of them cut, and was able to move her to a §60,000+ house.

[Mootilda]

The only time any sim other than slob or insane can rummage in trash (in my game anyway) is when they are in the Journalism career path. They have to rummage to get 'dirt' on their neighbours and friends and then write articles on them. I've never had a sim without those traits be able to rummage in bins for no apparent reason.

In my game, (pre-made YA) Christopher Steel is able to rummage in trash.  He doesn't have slob or insane and has never had a job.

[chaos]

Is he a mooch? I've never played one, but it seems logical that mooches could steal people's garbage.

[Mootilda]

Is he a mooch? I've never played one, but it seems logical that mooches could steal people's garbage.

No.  Great Kisser, Daredevil, Natural Cook, Friendly, Angler.  I also added Loves Outdoors very recently, since he spends most of his time outside, but I believe that he was able to rummage before I gave him that trait.

His wife is a Mooch, but I've never tried having her rummage... let me see what happens. ETA: Yes, she can rummage too.

[J. M. Pescado]

No, teens can definitely rummage in the neighbours' bins, the option is there for both of the teens in my current household. (One Neurotic, Absent-Minded, Easily Impressed, Green Thumb and the other Insane, Loner, Evil, Artistic. The second teen also has the option on the home bin.) So it's not linked to career, as far as I can tell. (But the career might enable it for sims that otherwise can't?)

Neat sims cannot do it, unless their career requires it.

[Zazazu]

The only time any sim other than slob or insane can rummage in trash (in my game anyway) is when they are in the Journalism career path. They have to rummage to get 'dirt' on their neighbours and friends and then write articles on them. I've never had a sim without those traits be able to rummage in bins for no apparent reason.

Kleptos can do it on neighbor lots, but not their own without the insane trait.

[Motoki]

I got a rainbow gem completely randomly by exploring the catacombs under the masoleum in the cemetary. My sim was done there for quite some time. He also found a book I hadn't come across before and got scared by a zombie bear who popper out of a coffin. 

It was probably random but it's at least possible to get rainbow gems that way. The message even said something to the effect of 'More people would probably explore the catacombs if they knew they could find a rainbow gem down there'.

[fatkitty]

Well, my sim is neat so that would explain why she can't do it.  The husband is able to do it (although he couldn't the first few times I tried...I did end up changing his traits via "mid life crisis") and all he found were multiple bags of garbage, some newspapers and 2 copies of the novel his wife had written.  Apparently the neighbors didn't think it was that good

[chaos]

No, teens can definitely rummage in the neighbours' bins, the option is there for both of the teens in my current household. (One Neurotic, Absent-Minded, Easily Impressed, Green Thumb and the other Insane, Loner, Evil, Artistic. The second teen also has the option on the home bin.) So it's not linked to career, as far as I can tell. (But the career might enable it for sims that otherwise can't?)

Neat sims cannot do it, unless their career requires it.

My neat mad scientist sim can rummage through bins, but I gave him the Neat trait via AwesomeMod. He didn't have it originally. Also, being a mad scientist seems to make you able to rummage trash, regardless of traits, even though the career doesn't require it. Maybe mad scientist sims are given hidden behaviors for being "mad."