Zinc borate (α-Zn(BO 2 ) 2 ) nanocrystalline powders doped with Eu 3+ ions had been prepared using co-precipitation method. α-Zn(BO 2 ) 2 :Eu 3+ had been characterized by X-ray diffraction, TEM, FT-IR and luminescence spectra. They showed different emissions of Eu 3+ corresponding to different transitions which lied in the wavelength range from 530 to 850nm. One particular transition 5 D 0 → 7 F 2 which was centered at 615nm had been known as a hypersensitive emission which obeyed the selection rule of (ΔJ=2) resulting in a strong and intense red emission. The results showed that the luminescence intensity of Eu 3+ had been enhanced greatly.