The crystallization of laser glasses in the system (B 2 O 3 ) 0.6 {(Al 2 O 3 ) 0.4-y (Y 2 O 3 ) y } (0.1 e y e 0.25) doped with different levels of ytterbium oxide has been investigated by X-ray powder diffraction, differential thermal analysis, and various solid-state NMR techniques. The homogeneous glasses undergo major phase segregation processes resulting in crystalline YBO 3 , crystalline YAl 3 (BO 3 ) 4 , and residual glassy B 2 O 3 as the major products. This process can be analyzed in a quantitative fashion by solid-state 11 B, 27 Al, and 89 Y NMR spectroscopies as well as 11 B{ 27 Al} rotational echo double resonance (REDOR) experiments. The Yb dopants end up in both of the crystalline components, producing increased line widths of the corresponding 11 B, 27 Al, and 89 Y NMR resonances that depend linearly on the Yb/Y substitution ratio. A preliminary analysis of the composition dependence suggests that the Yb 3+ dopant is not perfectly equipartitioned between both crystalline phases, suggesting a moderate preference of Yb to substitute in the crystalline YBO 3 component.