Lanthanide-doped Y2SiO5 microcrystals were prepared using the solution combustion, solid state and sol–gel synthesis techniques. Of these, the sol–gel method yields the most reliable and high-quality X2 phase Y2SiO5 microcrystals. Absorption and laser site-selective fluorescence measurements of Nd3+, Eu3+ and Er3+ doped material, performed at cryogenic temperatures, indicate that the as-grown microcrystals are of high optical quality with inhomogeneously broadened optical linewidths that are comparable to bulk crystals at similar dopant concentrations.