A seed crystal is a small crystal that is used as a base to grow a large single crystal. Without a seed, crystals form slowly from random intermolecular interactions. When the seed is placed in a saturated or supersaturated solution it acts as a nucleation site. This decreases the time needed to grow a crystal and directs growth to a single region. Here’s how to grow a seed crystal and how to use one to get a large, perfect crystal.

The semiconductor industry uses seed crystals to grow large single crystals (boules) of silicon using the Bridgman technique or Czochralski method. Seed crystals promote the growth of desirable type V crystals when tempering chocolate. Seeds are also used to grow crystals for crystallography and other purposes.