Phase formation in the region of NdTa7O19 (NHT) stability of the Nd2O3-Ta2O5-Li2B4O7 system has been studied. Single crystals of NHT have been grown from fluxed melts based on the lithium tetraborate by spontaneous nucleation method. These crystals belong to 6/m class of symmetry, and they have strongly developed faces of pinacoid, hexagonal prism and two hexagonal pyramids. The typical sizes of the hexagonal NHT plate-like crystals with no significant inclusions were up to 3 x 3 x 1 mm(3). The optical spectra of NdTa7O19 are presented and discussed. They are strongly affected by the presence of optically active ions at different, non-equivalent host sites. In fact, the number of components of the low temperature absorption and emission bands often exceeds that expected from the crystal field splitting of the electronic states of a single Nd3+ ion. At room temperature the bands become quite broad, and this should favour both pumping operations and tunability in case of laser applications. The lifetime of the F-4(3/2) emitting level is about 140 mus independently on the temperature, indicating that non-radiative multiphonon relaxation processes are ineffective for this compound.