Results of the investigation on the synthesis and growth of high-quality bismuth tellurite crystals, suitable for optical investigations, are presented. The formation of thin opaque layer on the top portion of the crystal is avoided by employing suitable rotation rates. The classical chemical etching technique was employed to understand the perfection of the crystal along the growth axis. Laser damage threshold value on the (1 0 0) cleaved plate is calculated. The anisotropy of Vickers microhardness (H-v) values on the three principal directions is also reported.