Neodymium doped yttrium orthovanadate single crystals have been obtained from hydrothermal solutions. Systematic investigations of the role of pH of the growth media, mineralizer type and experimental temperature have been carried out with reference to the growth of Nd:YVO4 crystals. The crystal growth mechanism has been proposed for the growth of Nd:YVO4 crystals from hydrothermal solutions. The crystals obtained have been subjected to powder X-ray diffraction, morphological, EDAX and FTIR studies. (c) 2006 Springer Science + Business Media, Inc.