Sorption-luminescent method for cerium determination based on natural Transcarpathian clinoptilolite without using of complex synthetic organic compounds and toxic solvents was proposed. Optimal luminophore preparation conditions are sorption of free Ce 3+ ions by zeolite in the solution with pH 4.5. For luminescence measurements excitation by quanta with wavelength of 255 nm were used. Luminescence intensity at λ = 346 nm was selected as analytical parameter for a quantitative cerium determination. Features characteristic to Ce 3+ and Ce 4+ oxidation states were identified in XPS spectra from as-grown and annealed samples. Definable range of Ce(III) concentration with the detection limit of 5 ng mL –1 is within of 14–190 ng mL –1 . The proposed method can be used for the cerium determination in the presence of many rare earths. Sorption-luminescent method can be applied for determination of trace cerium ions in synthetic water solutions containing rare earth elements of the cerium group. The proposed analytical method gave recoveries from 95 to 98.3% and relative standard deviation from 4.1% to 6.7% determination of cerium.