Inorganic ions incorporated in glasses prepared by the sol-gel method are located at low symmetry sites, as revealed by their absorption spectra. Co(II) can be assigned to symmetry lower than tetrahedral. Observed energy levels for Co (II) in the low symmetry sites can be explained by the point group C₁, which is the result of lowering the symmetry D_2h. When incorporated in a glass prepared from tetramethoxysilane, Eu(III) is situated first in a cavity surrounded by solution, and a rigid glass is formed with Eu(III) resembling the spectra in silicate glasses prepared by the melting method. Eu(III) prepared in a glass originating from tetrethoxysilane enters the glass surrounding even at ambient temperature. Complexes of inorganic ions with organic ligands as exemplified here by ruthenium tris-bipyridyl can be incorporated in glasses by the sol-gel method. The spectroscopy of the complex is mainly due to the interaction of the ruthenium (II) ion with the tris-bipyridyl, the main difference is the quantum efficiency of luminescence which is higher in glass than in solution due to abscence of collisions.