Samples in the 5Fe(2)O(3)center dot 10SiO(2)center dot xY(2)O(3)center dot(85-x) ZrO2 composition where x = 5, 10 and 15 mol% Y2O3 were synthesized and investigated by XRD, SEM, density measurements, FTIR, UV-Vis, EPR and PL spectroscopies. X-ray diffraction patterns confirm the presence of the tetragonal and cubic ZrO2 crystalline phases in all samples. The IR data show the overlaps of absorption bands assigned to Zr-O-Zr and Si-O-linkages in samples. UV-Vis and PL data indicate higher concentrations of intrinsic defects by doping with Y2O3 concentrations. The EPR spectra are characterized by two resonance lines situated at about g similar to 4.3 and g similar to 2 for lower Y2O3 contents. Published by Elsevier B.V.