GaTe crystals of 20 mm in diameter and up to 70 mm in length have been grown from melt using the high-pressure vertical zone melting (HPVZM) method. Real defect structure has been evaluated by XRD, SEM, EPMA, optical microscopy, microhardness and transparency measurements. The phase transformation of hexagonal GaTe single crystal to monoclinic form by grinding has been detected. Such local defects as dendrites and dendrite clusters have been found at cleaved surface (0001), basal dislocations with density of 2 x 10(5) cm(-2) have been detected by the etch-pit technique. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.