The present invention is directed to a fluorinated rare earth doped glass composition and method for making a glass-ceramic optical article therefrom, e.g. optical fiber waveguides, fiber lasers and active fiber amplifiers, having application in the 1300 nm and 1550 nm telecommunications windows. The inventive compositions include Pr3+ and/or Dy3+ in a concentration range of between 300 - 2,000 ppmw and Ag+ in a concentration range of between 500 - 2,000 ppmw; or Er3+ in a concentration range of between 500 - 5,000 ppmw and Ag+ in a concentration range of between 0 - 2,000 ppmw. The monovalent silver ion provides an ionic charge balanced glass-ceramic crystal. These compositions exhibit reduced or absent rare earth ion clustering and fluorescence quenching effects in the presence of high concentrations of rare earth ion dopants.