Millimeter-thick symmetric ceramic laminates, designed to possess a specific through-thickness residual stress profile, were produced by tape casting from blends of alumina, zirconia, and mullite powders. The residual stress profile was checked nondestructively by X-ray energy-dispersive diffraction using synchrotron white-beam radiation. Measurement of the average stress on very small volumes (ca. 10 mu m along the specimen thickness) provided results in good agreement with the design data. Moreover, the possibility of independently measuring each crystalline phase composing the laminate allowed inferences to be made on stress partition and grain-grain coupling in the laminas.