What is a Seed Crystal ?

Tiny single crystals made to dissolve in a solution or melt from which larger crystals are drawn either by precipitation, centrifuging or drawing up from a melt. The seeds must have the same chemical composition and crystalline structure as that of the larger crystal. The practice is used in semi-conductor industries and making artificial single crystal gemstones like silicon, germanium, sapphire, diamond, zirconia and so on.