Solid phase recrystallization of CVD grown ZnSe polycrystals is achieved using thermal treatments involving different stoichiometric conditions. Relevant color changes of the crystals appear after thermal treatment and/or doping. Thr: optical transmission is measured in the visible and near IR range. Contributions to the color changes are interpreted as due to structural modifications by using light scattering theory. On the other hand; a new absorption band appearing in the near IR at 0.85 eV seems to be correlated with native point defects associated with deviation from stoichiometry induced by thermal treatment. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.