The magnetic susceptibility and specific heat of 21.25Gd(2)O(3)-63.75MoO(3)-15B(2)O(3) (mol%) glass showing the crystallization of ferroelastic beta'-Gd-2(MoO4)(3) crystals are examined in the temperature range of T = 1.8-300 K to clarify magnetic and distribution states of Gd3+ ions. The magnetic susceptibility obeys the Curie-Weiss law, giving the effective magnetic moment of mu(eff) = 7.87 mu(B) and the Weiss constant of theta = -0.7 K. Any peak such as lambda-type anomaly is not observed in the temperature dependence of specific heat in T = 1.8-5 K. It is suggested that Gd3+ ions in the glass with a high Gd2O3 content of 21.25 mol% are distributed homogeneously and randomly as paramagnetic ions down to T = 1.8 K without inducing any strong magnetic interaction. The present study suggests that glasses based on the MoO3-B2O3 system are good hosts for the homogeneous solubility of a large amount of rare-earth oxides. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.