Aluminate glasses are transparent in IR, UV and vis, and represent an ideal host matrix for optically activedopants. Due to their lower phonon energies in comparison to silicate glasses, non-radiative transitionsare suppressed and high efficiency of luminescence is expected. We present a summary of the mostimportant results of a study of luminescence properties of aluminate glasses prepared in the form ofmicrospheres by flame synthesis in binary and ternary systems Al2O3–RE2O3–(SiO2), RE = Y, Yb, dopedwith optically active elements, (Er, Ce). The influence composition and crystallization of the host glass onluminescence was studied. The glasses were crystallized under controlled conditions, and the influence ofphase composition (glass-to-crystalline phase ratio, fraction of various crystalline phases) on wavelengthand intensity of luminescence was studied. Case studies of various systems revealed the luminescenceintensities can be efficiently tuned by controlled crystallization of the host glass.