Diamond mining in Botswana is looking up.  The country’s overall mining production increased 16.7 percent year-on-year in the first quarter mainly due to the completion of maintenance at the Orapa diamond mine, according to initial industry figures from Statistics Botswana showed on Friday.

“Diamond output was the biggest contributor to growth in the first quarter, rising 26 percent,” reports iOL.

Orapa is actually the world’s largest open cast mine. Operated by Debswana, it is a joint venture between the government of the southern African country and Anglo American unit De Beers.