Tris-(hexafluoroacetylacetonato)neodymium(III), [Nd(HFA-D) 3 ], was prepared by chelation of Nd 3 + ion with deuterated hexafluoroacetylacetone in CD 3 OD. Luminescence of the Nd 3 + complex was observed for the first time in organic solvents and the quantum yield was estimated to be of the order of 10 - 2 in deuterated acetone solution. The absorption spectrum of [Nd(HFA-D) 3 ] dissolved in acetone was comparable with that of Nd 3 + ion in Y 3 Al 5 O 1 5 matrix (Nd:YAG). Splitting of the 4 F 3 level was determined to be 82.3 cm - 1 in this system. These spectral characteristics suggest that the physical nature of Nd 3 + coordination environments should be uniform and well defined by coordination of HFA in solution.