In one instance, the invention provides a group III nitride crystal having a first side exposing nitrogen polar c-plane of single crystalline or highly oriented polycrystalline group III nitride and a second side exposing group III polar surface, polycrystalline phase, or amorphous phase of group III nitride. Such structure is useful as a seed crystal for ammonothermal growth of bulk group III nitride crystals. The invention also discloses the method of fabricating such crystal. The invention also discloses the method of fabricating a bulk crystal of group III nitride by ammonothermal method using such crystal.