Europium-doped nanosized yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) powders and bulk YAG powders were synthesized by using a planetary ball mill and a conventional solid-state reaction method, respectively. The grain size effects of the crystallinity, morphology, structure, and luminescence spectra were investigated by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and photoluminescence spectroscopy measurements. In the case of nanocrystalline YAG:Eu(3+) powder, the luminescence intensity is dominated by the magnetic dipole transition (5)D(0)->(7)F(1) (590 nm) than the (5)D(0)->(7)F(2) forced electric dipole transition (612 nm). (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.