A scintillation device includes a ceramic scintillator body that includes a polycrystalline ceramic scintillating material comprising gadolinium. The polycrystalline ceramic scintillating material is characterized by a pyrochlore crystallographic structure. A method of producing a ceramic scintillator body includes preparing a precursor solution including a rare earth element precursor, a hafnium precursor, and an activator (Ac) precursor. The method also includes obtaining a precipitate from the solution and calcining the precipitate to produce a polycrystalline ceramic scintillating material including the rare earth element, hafnium, and the activator, and having a pyrochlore titrating the precursor solution into the precipitant solution structure.