The olive-like YVO 4 :Eu nanocrystallites with the equatorial diameters ranging from 50 to 80nm and the lengths in the range of 100–130nm have been prepared via cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)-assisted precipitation method at room temperature in ammonia water media. The olive-like morphologies of nanocrystallites are preserved for the samples calcined at 200 and 400°C, respectively, while the raisin-like nanocrystallites are obtained after the sample was calcined at 600°C. The olive-like or raisin-like YVO 4 :Eu nanocrystallites upon excitation at 275nm exhibit the characteristic emission bands of 5 D 0 – 7 F J (J=1, 2, 3, 4) transitions of Eu 3+ , with the 5 D 0 − 7 F 2 transition (split into two peaks at 617 and 621nm) being the most prominent band. The red-to-orange ratio of Eu 3+ for YVO 4 :Eu nanocrystallites varied with the change in the calcining temperature or the Eu-doped concentration, respectively. Both the calcining temperature and Eu-doped concentration could influence the emission color purity of the YVO 4 :Eu nanocrystallites.