Strontium chloroapatite nanocrystals (nc) of size in the range 10-100 nms have been prepared by an aqueous colloidal method. In this preparation, hydroxyl (OH-) ion contamination having profound dependence on the preparative conditions (in particular pH) could not be avoided. The hydroxyapatite phase (at pH = 8) resulting from this contamination seems to exhibit some self-assemblage properties that may be electrostatic in nature. Optical data (based on UV-visible and fluorescence studies) show that the F-2(J) ground state of Ce3+ as a dopant in these nanocrystalline apatites undergoes considerable modification arising from cross-relaxation between the Ce3+ ground state and hole states of the host matrix created near valence band edge.