To provide an illuminant for which fluorescence life is short, transparency is high, and luminescence is high, and a radiation detector using the illuminant. Further, to provide an illuminant which is suitable as an illuminant for a radiation detector for gamma rays, x-rays, alpha-rays, and neutron rays, and for which radiation resistance is high, fluorescence attenuating time is short, and fluorescence strength is high, and a radiation detector that uses such illuminant. Provided is an illuminant that has a garnet structure that uses Ce3+ luminescence of a 4f5d level. The illuminant has a garnet structure represented by general formula CexRE3-xM5+yO12+3y / 2 (where, 0.0001<=x<=0.3, 0<=y<=0.5 or 0<=y<=-0.5; M is at least one selected from Al, Lu, Ga, and Sc; and RE is at least one selected from La, Pr, Gd, Tb, Yb, Y, and Lu), and the illuminant includes a garnet illuminant in which at least one type of monovalent or divalent cation is co-doped at a molar ratio of no more than 7000ppm with respect to total cations.