Novel Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped BaTi2O5-Gd2O3 spherical glasses have been fabricated by aerodynamic levitation method. The thermal stability, upconversion luminescence, and magnetic properties of the present glass have been studied. The glasses show high thermal stability with 763.3 degrees C of the onset temperature of the glass transition. Red and green emissions centered at 671 nm, 548 nm and 535 nm are obtained at 980 nm excitation. The upconversion is based on a two-photon process by energy transfer, excited-state absorption, and energy back transfer. Yb3+ ions are more than Er3+ ions in the glass, resulting in efficient energy back transfer from Er3+ to Yb3+. So the red emission is stronger than the green emissions. Magnetization curves indicate that magnetic rare earth ions are paramagnetic and the distribution is homogeneous and random in the glass matrix. Aerodynamic levitation method is an efficient way to prepare glasses with homogeneous rare earth ions. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.