Abstract Polarizing microscopy and dark-field illumination revealed characteristic differences between the {110} and {211} facets of rare-earth garnets. YAG and NdGG, grown from the melt. The {110} facets show the same characteristics as the {111} facets of Si, Ge and InSb, having “smooth” interfaces in the sense used by Jackson, because lateral growth based on a two-dimensional nucleation mechanism is taking place on these facets. The stress-birefringent features indicate that the {211} facets develop during the remelting process in a growth rate fluctuation cycle. The mode of occurrence of microscopic voids suggests that the growth rate normal to the interface on the facet region is larger than that on the off-facet region surrounding the former. These facts show that the {211} facets develop due to the large melting rate normal to the {211} faces, and that the growth rate fluctuations are amplified on the facet region.