In this work, multicolor and monodisperse Lu2O3:Ln(3+) (Ln(3+) = Eu3+, Tb3+, Yb3+/Er3+, Yb3+/Tm3+, and Yb3+/Ho3+) microspheres were prepared by a homogeneous precipitation method followed by a subsequent calcination process. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transformed infrared (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), photoluminescence (PL) spectra, and cathodoluminescence (CL) spectra were employed to characterize the samples. Upon ultraviolet and low-voltage electron beams excitation, Lu2O3:Ln(3+) (Ln(3+) = Eu3+ and Tb3+) samples exhibit respective bright red (Eu3+, D-5(0) -> F-7(2)) and green (Tb3+, D-5(4) -> F-7(5)) down-conversion (DC) emissions. Under 980 nm NIR irradiation, Lu2O3:Ln(3+) (Ln(3+) = Yb3+/Er3+, Yb3+/Tm3+, and Yb3+/Ho3+) exhibit characteristic up-conversion (UC) emissions of green (Er3+, S-4(3/2), H-2(11/2) -> 4I(15/2)), blue (Tm3+, (1)G(4) -> H-3(6)) and yellow-green (Ho3+, F-5(4), S-5(2) -> I-5(8)), respectively. These finding may find potential applications in bioanalysis, optoelectronic and nanoscale devices, field emission displays, and so on. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.