We report the synthesis and characterization of undoped and various levels of Ce3+ doped ZnS nanocrystal. The structure and size of the products were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The existence of functional groups was identified by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR). The UV–Visible measurements reveal that the synthesized products are blue shifted when compared with bulk phase of ZnS as a result of quantum confinement effect. The PL studies show an enhancement in the intensity of emission band in the UV region on increased Ce3+ doping. The morphology of the products was evaluated by Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and High resolution transmission electron microscopy (FESEM). The presence of Ce3+ was confirmed by Energy dispersive spectral analysis (EDS). The thermal stability of pure and doped products was analyzed by thermo gravimetric and differential thermal analysis (TG–DTA).