Single-crystal

Single crystals are materials in which the entire sample has a continuous and unbroken crystal lattice to the edges of the sample with no grain boundaries. The lack of defects associated with grain boundaries can impart unique properties to single crystals, particularly mechanical, optical and electrical properties, which can also be anisotropic, depending on the type of crystal structure. In addition to making them valuable in certain gems, these properties are also used industrially for technical applications, particularly in the fields of optics and electronics.