Experimental observations on spiral growth phenomena in the Cz-growth of Li6Gd(BO3)(3) single crystals are described. With careful observations at the ineniscus part during the pulling, we found that the faceting formation is closely correlated with a "dog-leg" footing in combination with unsteady melt convection modes. It is assumed that one of predominant origin of the so-called spiral growth should be the faceting inclined against the pulling axis at the meniscus part of the solid-liquid interface. Several origins reported so far are also discussed. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.