I currently have 24. I have not handed in the two for the quest yet. I used the save/load on each malachite vein until I got three gems which never took too long. I did spend twenty minutes on one vein trying to get the mythical four drop but it never happened.
http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/1340/divinity220100124085732.jpgI try reloading at the patriarch vein and get the same 6 ore and ! aquamarine gem everytime.
I found that with one vein too. I *think* the veins set their contents when you get within a certain distance of them. I always saved about 15-20 steps away.
