Seventeen compounds including the parent ortho-, meta-and para-carboranes and derivatives of ortho-carborane were investigated for luminescence in cyclohexane and dichloromethane solutions. Fifteen of these carboranes revealed very weak emissions in the 285-493 nm range. These carboranes may arguably be viewed as non-emissive in solutions at room temperatures. No emissions could be observed for 1,2-dimethyl-ortho-carborane and 2-methyl-1-phenyl-ortho-carborane. The carboranes with a 2′-pyridyl substituent at the cluster