The incorporation of lanthanide ions into polyoxometalates may be a unique approach to generate new luminescent, magnetic, and catalytic functional materials. To realize these new applications of lanthanide polyoxometalates, it is imperative to understand the solution speciation chemistry and its impact on solid-state materials. In this study we find that the aqueous speciation of europium(III) and the trivacant polyoxometalate, PW9O 349-, is a function of pH, countercation, and stoichiometry. For example, at low pH, the lacunary (PW11O 39)7- predominates and the 1:1 Eu(PW11O 39)4-, 2, forms. As the pH is increased, the 1:2 complex, Eu(PW11O39)211- species, 3, and (NH4)22{(Eu2PW10O38) 4(W3O8(H2O)2(OH) 4}·44H2O, a Eu8 hydroxo/oxo cluster, 1, form. Countercations modulate this effect; large countercations, such as K + and Cs+, promote the formation of species 3 and 1. Addition of Al(III) as a counterion results in low pH and formation of {Eu(H2O)3(α-2-P2W17O 61)}2, 4, with Al(III) counterions bound to terminal W-O bonds. The four species observed in these speciation studies have been isolated, crystallized, and characterized by X-ray crystallography, solution multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, and other appropriate techniques. These species are 1, (NH4)22{(Eu2PW10O38) 4(W3O8(H2O)2(OH) 4}·44H2O (P1; a = 20.2000(0), b = 22.6951-(6), c = 25.3200(7) A; α = 65.6760(10), β = 88.5240(10), γ = 86.0369(10)°; V = 10550.0(5) A3; Z = 2), 2, Al(H 3O){Eu(H2O)2PW11O 34}·20H2O (P1, a = 11.4280(23), b = 11.5930(23), c = 19.754(4) A; α = 103.66(3), β = 95.29(3), γ = 102.31(3)°; V = 2456.4(9) A3; Z = 2), 3, Cs 11Eu(PW11O34)2·28H 2O (P1; a = 12.8663(14), b = 19.8235(22), c = 21.7060(23) A; α = 114.57(0), β = 91.86(0), γ = 102.91(0)°; V = 4858.3(9) A3; Z = 2), 4, Al2(H3O) 8{Eu(H2O)3(α-2-P2W 17O61)}2·29H2O (P1; a = 12.649(6), b = 16.230(8), c = 21.518(9) A; α = 11.1.223(16), β = 94.182(18), γ = 107.581(17)°; V = 3842(3) A;3; Z = 1).