The phosphors Ba3Gd(BO3)3:Ce3+ were prepared by a solid-state reaction technique at high temperature. The vacuum ultraviolet-ultraviolet and visible spectroscopic properties of the phosphors together with decay time curves are investigated and discussed. The spectroscopic properties are explained by occupancy of Ce3+ at two different Gd sites in the host lattice. The x-ray excited emission spectra of Ba3Gd(BO3)3:Ce3+ were studied and the number of photons emitted per unit of absorbed x-ray energy was calculated. The yield is rather poor and Ba3Gd(BO3)3:Ce3+ appears not a suitable x-ray phosphor.