Calcite crystals were prepared by dropping a saturated calcium carbonate aqueous solution on a substrate. The calcite crystals were grown with a growth rate of approximately 0.7 mu m/day under the condition of aqueous temperature of 2 degrees C, aqueous concentration of 0.006 mol/l, and substrate temperature of 40 degrees C. When the calcite substrate was used, calcite crystals were grown epitaxially. Na2CO3 and CaCl2 aqueous solutions were dropped and reacted on the calcite crystal substrate with a CaCO3 concentration of 0.06 mol/l, which is 10 times the saturated concentration at an aqueous temperature of 40 degrees C. Rhombohedral calcite was also deposited epitaxially with a growth rate of about 6.3 mu m/day under this condition. (C) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.