Polycrystalline materials were synthesized by liquid-phase reaction method and several excellent Nd:GdVO4 crystals with different concentrations of Nd were successfully grown by the Czochralski method with strict growth control. It is found that the effective segregation coefficient of Nd ion in Nd:GdVO4 crystal decreases with the increase of Nd concentration at the same pulling rate and rotation rate. The defects in Nd:GdVO4 crystals were investigated by metallurgical microscope and chemical etching. The etch figures on (100) (010) (001) planes were observed. Rectangular-shaped etch pits on the (100) and (010) planes were found but those found on the (001) plane were square. The main defects found were dislocations, sub-grain boundaries, step faceting, inclusions, color centers, scattering and methods of reducing them have also been discussed. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.