A mixed garnet scintillator host material is obtained from the melt Yttrium Gadolinium Gallium Aluminum Garnet (YGGAG). In addition to the high thermal and chemical stability and radiation hardness found in garnet crystals, it offers sensitivity to neutrons due to the presence of Gd atoms, has lower melting temperature than yttrium aluminum garnet, and similar crystallization behavior suitable for growth of large volume crystals. Crystals of YGGAG doped with Ce of 10 x 10 x 10 mm(3) have already demonstrated energy resolution of 10% at 662 keV. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.