An apparatus for determining theccrystallographic axis of transparent uniaxial crystals is described. This system utilizes the crossed polarizer technique for locating thecaxis. With this small portable device, irregularly shaped crystals, both large and small, may be oriented and polished to within 10′ in a relatively short time. This method is particularly useful for determining thecaxis of crystals for fluorescence and absorption studies and for orienting long cylindrical optical maser crystals.